The cost-of-living crisis has been hitting the headlines for months. 

Most of us will need to make careful choices about where we spend our money, from finding the cheapest fuel to switching to own-brand products in the supermarket.  

For many customers though, the choices are much bigger. We’re entering a time when the decision to feed your family or keep them warm becomes a reality.  

For these customers it’s vital the brands they rely on for basic needs such as utilities, banking and healthcare are equipped to provide better service at a time when it matters most. 

Here are three ways customer service leaders and their teams can better support their customers through challenging and uncertain times. 

 

Think ahead for your customer 

Customer insight and data is a valuable commodity. Companies should use the information they have about us to give us a more personalised online experience.  

But what about the human touchpoints?  

Front-line teams who are dealing with customers in crisis can also use insights to tailor their approach. This way they can turn challenging conversations into meaningful moments. 

It’s now more important than ever for these teams to genuinely know their customers and anticipate when they might need additional support. 

 

Be compassionate 

 Empathy is high on the agenda of every Customer Experience Leader we know, and rightly so. 

The World Economic Forum’s 2019 Global Risks report says “Decline in human empathy creates global risks in the ‘age of anger’.” And this worrying trend has only been amplified by the pandemic and subsequent economic and environmental crises.  

But with so much hardship and suffering, is it realistic to expect customer service teams to be empathetic to all their customers, all the time?  

While empathy is a key trait for meaningful human connection, a more compassionate approach to service could be a better way of supporting customers in need. It’ll also enhance the psychological safety of frontline teams. Upskilling customer facing teams to turn empathy into meaningful actions that really help customers will produce better outcomes for everyone. 

 

Empower your people 

For customer-facing teams to serve with compassion, they need the freedom to act autonomously in the best interest of the customer.  

 Empowering your frontline to use their discretion and make decisions that improve the customer’s circumstance will build loyalty and create employee advocacy. The energy that comes from an empowered and compassionate frontline will have a multiplier effect for other teams as they see the improved wellbeing of customers and employees alike. 

As organisations face into these challenging times, the ones who empower frontline teams to do the right thing for every customer, using meaningful insight and data, will be more likely to successfully navigate the difficult times ahead.  

If you’re concerned your frontline teams are unprepared for the challenging conversations they will face over the coming months, we’d love to hear from you. 

Contact us at aimee@learningpointzero.com or follow us on www.linkedin.com/learningpointzero 

Photo by Towfiqu barbhuiya on Unsplash