How Companies Can Better Serve Their Clients Remotely

The COVID-19 pandemic is forcing change.

Companies and individuals are quickly changing the way they work and live. Many elements of business and everyday life are evolving and, in some situations, the “new normal” will be very different.

A noticeable change that does not get much airtime is the impact remote work has had on the customer experience. It has taken on a new meaning during the pandemic, and leaders in all industries are trying to come up with new ways to deliver on their service promises. And, it has proven to be more challenging than many might have initially thought.

While speaking with Jill Wagner of Cheddar, Founder and CEO Sam Caucci spoke about how organizations can improve the customer experience in a world where we are all navigating a new normal.

1.INCREASE ENGAGEMENT

Companies are rarely successful when their employees are disengaged. The loss of revenue, loss of time and loss of productivity is a direct impact of unmotivated workers.

Engagement’s a funny term because how do you wrap your head around what it really means? To me, engagement is an employee that wakes up every day and is not just prepared to go to work, but they’re excited about the job that they’re about to go to. More than ever, it’s the company’s responsibility to make sure that employees are not just appropriately trained, but that they’re equally excited about the job.

Employees want to work at companies that believe in them. Companies that have a purpose and invest in them. And, with the new age of social media and review sites, it has become easier than ever for a consumer to really learn what type of culture you promote. Remote work is challenging but by adapting you can keep employee engagement and satisfaction up.

How seriously is your company taking employee engagement? It will 100% impact the next wave of new hires and how likely their future workforce is to succeed.

2. IMPROVE LEADERSHIP

Leaders and real coaches that develop, improve and excite workers are essential. Not because we all need leadership, but because work is changing faster than ever. 

With everybody working remotely, leaders have had to find new ways to connect and build virtually. No longer are leaders managing from a corner office, but instead, they’re on a screen working from home, with kids and animals in the background just like the rest of their employees.

It’s time to level-up our leaders. Leaders need to be able to master the new art of coaching from a distance. They need to be able to develop people in real-time. A recent study from Gallup says that only 15% of workers are engaged at work, and they even go further to say that 70% of the difference to get a worker engaged has to do with the success or skill of a manager.

Companies stay true to their vision when showing that they genuinely care about their team. If you want to engage all your employees, don’t start with the employee. You need to start with their manager. Start with the person who’s coaching and developing them every day.

You need to coach the coach!

3. IMPLEMENT TECHNOLOGY

The future of work is not in the future, it is now.

Technology plays a massive role in this pandemic, and there’s an enormous amount of it at our fingertips. Properly leaning into technology doesn’t just present an opportunity to create a more engaged and excited workforce, but also a workforce that is “ready to work” and responds quickly.

The fact is pre-COVID, only 1% of the global training and development stack for companies was on mobile. This was a missed opportunity back then and is a major miss for companies that aren’t waking up.

We need to evolve rapidly, and the technology is available. Now more than ever, businesses can and must respond quickly.

What mobile tools is your team using? Whether you’re a business owner or a business leader, you should be thinking about what tools you are using to connect with your people, up-skill your people and communicate with your people.

Just adding Zoom accounts isn’t enough. You can (and should) think bigger.

SOME FINAL WORDS…

During times of crisis, business leaders make the decision to pivot away from the “this is the way it’s always been done” approach.

While the COVID-19 pandemic is an international catastrophe, it’s also an opportunity for business leaders to not only encourage and lift up their workforce. Leading in a caring, empathetic way during this difficult time has the potential to create real, lasting connections with your customers and your workforce that is sure to outlive this pandemic.

Do you want to learn about how 1Huddle can help you level up your workforce? Talk to us today.