TheresaThere’s still so much we don’t know about what life after COVID-19 will look like— especially in terms of running a business.
Many creative CEOs, consultants, and contractors are feeling stuck in limbo right now, waiting on answers or an “okay” signal.
In the meantime, we have all been adapting and doing our best to remain afloat in the face of adversity. This has involved changing our approach to service delivery and scrambling to put the pieces in place.
For those fortunate enough to remain operational, temporary solutions have slowly turned into seemingly permanent routines, which begs the question: “Will this change when and if COVID-19 passes?”.
While I certainly don’t have all the answers, there are a few things I’m confident in as an experienced Business Coachsultant™, and one of those things is the fact that creative consultants will need to adjust their client experience if they want to continue expanding with excellence in a post COVID-19 world.
This was the inspiration behind writing today’s post for you— my valued readers.
Why Adjusting Your CX Strategy is Necessary
There are 3 primary reasons why your old approach to client experience may not be sufficient after COVID-19:
1. Changed Client Behaviors
There may be a considerable difference in the way your clients make purchases, interact with brands, invest their money, and behave in general after COVID-19. International travel, in-store shopping, going to gyms or exercise classes, in-person consultations, and in-school educational programs will all decline. With many individuals relying on government subsidies due to loss of employment, there will be less frivolous spending. These things will have to be accounted for in your client experience.
2. Increased Amounts of Stress
Did you know that the amount of negatively-reviewed customer service calls has more than doubled since COVID-19 began? This isn’t because companies suddenly changed their customer service delivery. It’s likely because consumers are feeling more anxious and tense. With the entire world feeling the pressure of COVID-19, creative consultants will need to study how to improve client experience and emphasize empathetic interactions.
3. Shift in Personal Values
COVID-19 has forced us all to reevaluate what really matters to us. And this doesn’t just apply to our budgets and how we spend money. It also applies to how we spend our time and energy. The inability to physically visit and spend time to family as emphasized the importance of connection. The inability to gather outside has made us yearn for nature and physical activity. Many people who didn’t consider themselves to be political have become so due to the unprecedented uncertainties society is facing. All of these shifts may require changes in client experience best practices.
CX Strategy Tips for Life After COVID-19
After giving this a significant amount of thought and deeply researching this topic, I’ve put together a few key recommendations for creative consultants who want to protect their sustainable growth and client loyalty in a post COVID-19 reality.
Here they are:
- Conduct a client feedback survey and gather as much data as possible about how COVID-19 has impacted your ideal customer. Ask about their values and expectations. Compile this data and share it with your team to ensure your everyone has an understanding and that changes are implemented across-the-board.
- Increase your response times as much as possible. Respond to comments on your social media posts. Check your messages. Schedule time to respond to emails every day. Coronavirus has forced everyone to become comfortable with online communications— even those who dreaded it before. Your clients will likely expect you to engage with them in this way post COVID-19. Now is the time to make sure you have the systems and strategies in place to support this growing demand.
- Integrate your values at every opportunity. In a recent study by eMarketer, 66 per cent of consumers said they felt brands should communicate their social values more often. Your clients will be making wiser decisions with their money. They’ll want to know its going to a brand, entrepreneur, or business that aligns with their beliefs and personal philosophies. In the future, client experience best practices wont be centered around remaining neutral. Clients will want to see you taking action and walking the walk.
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