When COVID-19 first hit we had no idea how drastically it would change our lives. Now that we’re entering our “new normal” we need to figure out how the customer service industry has changed.

Connecting with customers can be still be done safely even when following the COVID-19 guidelines. The best part is that you might even find better ways to make a stronger connection with your customers as we all learn to work through this tough time.

Learning to deal with this new way of life is going to be difficult at first but as long as everyone cooperates and works together it can still be done.

Keep reading for our guide on how COVID-19 has changed the customer experience and how you can work to connect with your customers in the right way.

Provide Necessary Protection

A great way to make a good connection with your customers is to provide the necessary protections for them to have a safe and happy shopping experience. Many stores that need face to face interactions have installed plexiglass at the checkout counter which helps to prevent the spread of germs.

This is a good way to show that you can keep your customer and their entire family safe while they shop with you but still provide awesome human interactions.

If possible, you should also provide masks and gloves when needed. This shows that everyone can and will feel protected.

Another great way to make sure that everyone feels safe is by giving them the ability to use touchless checkout during this time. Of course, this limits human interactions but it will make your client experience safer and more secure!

Lastly, you should make sure that all of the customers within your store are following the social distancing guidelines. Many businesses have put down markers on the floor to show how far apart six feet is. If you have a small business, then you might even want to limit the number of people that are allowed in your building at a time for extra precautions.

Keeping you and your clients safe can help build a great relationship with them. They will remember that you took the extra steps during this tough time and want to continue shopping with you in the future.

Have Good Phone Support

Going to a business or store during this time can be very difficult for some people. There are many reasons why people would want to limit the number of times that they leave their home during a pandemic.

As a business, you should offer good phone support for customers who have questions or concerns because they don’t want to go to the store for small issues. This will definitely help to improve your consumer experience when they shop with you.

Make sure that you have one or two people dedicated to answering the phone for clients who need to know if you have items in stock or not. Especially during a pandemic when things are sold out left and right it is important to know whether or not there are items in stock.

The Call Center Chronicles is a great place to read if you’re one of the people who answers the phone for crazy customers. Not all customers are crazy but everyone knows that you get one every once in a while!

Focus on Virtual Connections

Your business probably used both in-person and virtual connections in the past, but now you want to focus more on creating a virtual connection with your clients. The customer digital experience is completely changing for the better especially during the COVID-19 era.

There are tons of different ways that you and your company can work together to improve your virtual connections. For example, if you have a call with a client to work on something, instead of a regular call you can use a video call.

This is an awesome way to make a better connection with your client because you can still meet face to face just over video chat. The best part is that you’re still remaining socially distant so you’re both being safe.

By taking the call one step further your client will be thankful that you took the time out of your day and remember it in the future. It is an easy thing to do but the gesture goes a long way.

Care for the Community

What has your company done during the pandemic to show that they care for the community? Reaching out to people around the community to help is a great way to show your clients how much your company values its community.

This is an awesome way to build a trusting relationship with your clients and the community that you work in. You can also help to show your brand’s values by helping out your community.

There are tons of things that still can be done even though we might hopefully be near the end of COVID-19! Whether it’s donating food to a local food bank, donating medical supplies, or even collecting cans to help raise money for a charity dealing with COVID-19.

Find ways that your company can help volunteer in your community to connect on a deeper level with your customers.

Reward Your Customers

During the era of customer experiences, one great way to show your customers that you care about them is to reward your loyal customers. Obviously, getting back out there is going to be difficult but do something to reward the customers who try your new ideas on connecting.

Whether it’s a discount code, coupon, free item, free points, or something else there are plenty of ways to show loyal customers that they’re appreciated.

Make sure that you go out of your way to let them know that you’re thankful that they’re helping you during this time as well. It isn’t always easy adjusting to change but we all have to do it!

Connecting With Customers the Right Way

Connecting with customers after COVID-19 isn’t going to be the same as it was before. You’re definitely going to have to work a bit harder and find new ways to build relationships with your customers.

Make sure as states loosen their restrictions and people begin to adjust back to reality you find ways to make people feel safe and connected when they come to your business.

Be sure to keep scrolling our page for more helpful advice!