Customer service demands grow amidst COVID-19

Enhanced customer experience could now prove the difference between continuity and collapse for business entities as clients demand for enhanced experiences.

According to a survey published last week by international consultancy firm KPMG titled Customer Experience in the New Reality, customers have grown peakier of where and how to consume services.

“COVID-19 has brought forth a consumer that is more thoughtful and selective in their decision making. Part of this is as a result of customers seeking out businesses that demonstrate and build trust,” said Head of Global Customer Centre of Excellence at KPMG, Julio Hernandez.

With a switch to discretionary spending from decreased disposable income customers now seek value for their money including an ease of access to products, services and information.

19 out of 27 markets surveyed indicate personalization as the key pillar driving customer loyalty while 90 per cent of customers indicate resolution as their top-most customer service issue.

The report identifies six key pillars in leveraging customer service by businesses including integrity, resolution, expectations, empathy, personalization and time & effort.

“Investing in the customer relationship in times of difficulty will be repaid by enduring customer loyalty,” notes the report.

The report further recommends organization to have key considerations among them keeping close of what customers want, keeping it human, building resilience and making use of new technologies.

Signals of success are meanwhile marked as authentic and contextual experiences between customers and brands and turnover gains.

“Economic value is lost when experience fails to meet expectations resulting in missed revenue and share,” adds the report.