As the fog begins to lift on COVID-19, professionals from all industries are settling into the new way of getting the job done. In short, they’ve adapted and have learned to do things differently to achieve the same – or better – outcomes. Working remotely from home or anywhere with good Wi-Fi was a dream of many workers and is now a reality. David Highbloom, a 25-year entrepreneur with extensive experience in scaling business models emphasizing the customer service experience, points out that instead of companies reverting to old, pre-COVID business models, they should embrace the change and keep the momentum growing. COVID caused a rate of disruption that took time to recover from, and the last thing companies need right now is to tangle themselves with more disruptions trying to grasp processes of the past, added Highbloom.
According to a recent Vox report, this prediction is already being realized as companies embrace the remote workforce while building a hybrid model to meet all employee comfort levels and professional work experiences. Highbloom says these shifts should continue to capture momentum through a wide range of creative solutions and employees’ options.
For example, one process that is marching forward is integrating business-to-customer interactions with engagement on the forefront. Companies are finding that remote customer service agents are primed to increase engagement with customers on the backend of digital engagement programs. Online chat features and call-back functions (where the company calls the customer back, so they don’t have to wait on hold) is becoming the new norm. And it serves both the customer and the company well. Customers get their issues resolved, and companies are re-engaging on a conversational level with their customers.
In-line with the conversational re-engagement, Highbloom predicts this will lead to an increased focus on customer loyalty and retention programs while introducing empathy as a top customer experience metric, according to a recent MyCustomer roundtable discussion. Highbloom comments that the one positive thing COVID achieved was to unite every person in the world with one commonality – to stay safe and fight against a global pandemic. That is a strong connection among people now and will lead to greater empathy and attitude for customers and customer service representatives.
Highbloom predicts these alignments will pay off in customer loyalty trends as customers gravitate toward brands they know, trust, are helpful, and add value to their new outlook on life post COVID.
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