Maintaining and Strengthening Customer Relationships During COVID-19
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has wreaked havoc across the world, has disrupted our daily lives, and has forced us to a new normal. And the business sector is not exempted from this.
The pandemic threw a monkey wrench to the already established business plans for the year. Business owners were left with no choice but to adapt quickly as governments mandate major lockdown measures to contain the virus.
It is not surprising that businesses are focusing now more than ever on maintaining and strengthening their customer relationships during COVID-19. As we all know, customers are key to keeping the business going.
Creating and Communicating Your COVID-19 Response
This two-pronged approach will help you not only keep your customers but your employees as well.
Customers would like to know you are ensuring business continuity while protecting the welfare of your employees during this pandemic. You need to be able to tell the public that your company cares more about its people than earning money.
For example, implementing work-from-home arrangements can lessen the risk for your employees. If it is impossible not to go to the workplace, a transport service should be provided. It is also expected that additional healthcare would be given to all employees.
At the same time, the workplace itself should be sanitized; and proper protocol on physical distancing should be enforced all the time.
Shifting To E-commerce
With the public staying indoors, consumer behavior has dramatically changed. Customers are more inclined to make their transactions online for both safety and convenience.
You need to invest in e-commerce to keep your customer relationships during COVID-19. Online platforms can help your products and services be accessible to the public.
These digital touchpoints should be user-friendly and reliable to entice more customers into using them. In the long run, e-commerce can even help you reduce your operating cost.
Regular Updates on Social Media Pages
If you do not have one, better create a social media page for your business already. This can help you advertise your products and services for free.
But it does not end there. You should be able to post regularly on your social media page to remind the public that you are still existing and open for business. Remember, most of us are deeply immersed in the digital world now, and social media is the perfect avenue to penetrate the market.
The content of your posts may vary. These could be about special offers and discounts, new services and products, and anything that could engage your customers such as video promotion and entertaining articles about or related to your business.
Just be careful about posting online because a slip up might lose you customers. Think before you click, as they say.
Keeping the Communication Line Open
Your customers should be able to still contact you for any concern about your business even during this pandemic.
Good thing there is social media. It makes this task easier because the customers do not need to go to the physical branches or stores anymore to air out their concerns. Just make sure that someone is regularly checking your social media page to check these comments. By hearing them out, your customers would feel that you care for them.
You can also host digital events wherein customers can attend for free to keep them engaged while giving a platform to communicate and socialize.
Eye on the Future
In order to maintain your customer relationships during COVID-19, you must be able to show the customers that you will be able to operate continuously during the new normal.
Prove to the customer that you have learned from the pandemic by adopting new business plans highlighting sustainability. Your next business strategies should detail the prescribed steps to deal with uncertainties in the economy and environment.
All these tips will ensure that your customers will remember you even during this difficult time. You just need to take initiative to know their changing needs as we enter the new normal.
Do you need advice about your business setup in the Philippines?
Contact 3E Accounting Philippines now for more tips.
