Establishing customer trust during times of crisis

During any setback, companies must learn how to navigate their business and serve and reassure customers through challenging times.

For many organisations, the recent pandemic has shed light on fissures within their structure. With many businesses having to close their doors altogether, the importance of developing long-lasting relationships with customers has become even more evident.

Challenging times can prompt changes in customer behaviour and expectations. In such times, loyalty is more important than ever. In the wake of the recent pandemic, research in the UAE by McKinsey found that customer sentiments have changed as customers experienced financial insecurity, and about 95 percent of customers shifted brands and loyalties during the pandemic. This shows how important it is for businesses to position themselves as reliable during these critical situations and establish strong relationships with customers.

How can businesses continue to be a source of security for those who have placed their trust in them in times of uncertainty? And more importantly, how can organisations continuously earn that trust?

As is the case with all relationships – communication is key. In times of crisis, businesses face new challenges in relationship management and customer service, namely, how to best serve customers and maintain the trust that they have worked so hard to build.

Here are three steps that customer experience leaders must take to put together an effective communication plan that will not only reassure customers during changing times, but will also generate long-term trust and loyalty:

Mobilise Response Teams

It is crucial to utilise people from both internal and customer-facing teams to work together, such as IT, Support, Sales, and Marketing, and prioritise what’s needed in an emergency, This will ensure effective customer communication, and allow organisations to take a proactive approach, reassuring customers during changing times.

Recently, authorities in the Middle East are also urging businesses to mobilise their teams and have crisis management plans in place to ensure business continuity and effective response to such situations.

Cut Through Departmental Silos

Companies with siloed departments will find themselves hurting more than any other—that is because when communication is truncated during a time of constant change, information is bound to get lost. If nothing else, a crisis should be cause enough to convince any company of the dire need to eliminate silos in their organisation.

Consistent internal communication will equip employees with the knowledge required to serve customers. Thus, businesses should unify communication through an internal digital channel to surface relevant updates and allow cross-functional collaboration. Providing an internal communication channel can also reassure employees while they navigate how to manage the business during turbulent times.

Add Self-Service Digital Channels

Digital experience has become more important than ever, and many leaders agree that self-service is a crucial part of this experience. In fact, the most effective method to manage and facilitate customer communications quickly is by using self-service digital channels. While many organisations understand the necessity of having digital solutions, not all have explored self-service options that enable customers to solve their challenges on their own. Adding a self-service element to existing digital channels such as portals, websites, or mobile apps builds trust by cutting customer wait times that can increase friction in high-pressure situations.

This allows the company to experience long-term benefits such as business continuity in future crises, improved cost and margin realisation, increased agility and scalability, and enhanced customer experience.

Applying Lessons Learned

Businesses are beginning to understand that consistent communication with customers is the key to winning their trust, particularly in changing times. Organisations should communicate proactively with their customers and keep them updated as a lack of regular communication can increase anxiety, hurting the trust that has been painstakingly built. Moreover, organisations should emphasise optimising customer journeys, delivering frictionless, secure, and cohesive experiences. Additionally, transparency is another important pillar of communication. Businesses should share information that will be helpful for customers and ensure that this information is accurate to set realistic expectations. Fostering loyalty and transparency within the organisation, with employees is also very important as organisations seek to mobilise these teams to navigate difficult circumstances.

As we approach recovery after a turbulent period, hope is renewed for businesses and customers alike. Customers in the region are more optimistic about the economic recovery and have largely transitioned to digital channels. Additionally, research by PwC also revealed that Middle East CEOs are confident about their regional economies recovering and are also optimistic about their organisation’s growth in the post-pandemic period.

Overall, the experience customers receive during uncertain times will either make or break the customer relationships. Distress puts pressure on all relationships. Therefore, businesses must be willing to dedicate time and resources to maintain customer trust during these times so that they can be prepared not only for challenges to come, but also for shifting customer demands, changing industry standards, and emerging technologies.

Moussalam Dalati, General Manager in Middle East at Liferay