Successful customer service starts from within

In any crisis situation, including COVID-19, it’s vital that all your internal teams are up-to-speed. This way, every employee in your organisation – from the shop floor to the boardroom – is singing from the same hymn sheet.

Remember that, during a crisis, your customer support team need to be prepared to anticipate the questions that customers might ask them. As a result, it’s your job as a manager to train them on how to answer these questions, and to keep them in the loop about steps your organisation is taking.

After all, if you fail to equip your customer support teams with the right information, then they’ll be just as in the dark as your customers are. This means they’ll be unable to service your customers effectively.

To help your staff as much as possible, you need to be transparent and accurate with your internal communications, so staff can remain open and honest with your customers.

Your internal communications should be as consistent as possible. Although you should still communicate in your brand’s voice, this must be consistent across teams, regions and countries.

Having up to date guidelines and glossaries, when localising the message for your internal team and external communications, will ensure a clear message in multiple languages.

After all, this is a time to unite, and this strategy will mean you provide a timely and consistent customer experience.

You should:

  • Communicate that you have a plan
  • Be consistent in your response
  • Show how you will restore your service as soon as possible
  • Be empathetic in your tone
  • Be accurate, compassionate and timely in your communications
  • Remember honesty is the best policy

You should not:

  • Ignore the risks; especially when health, safety and security are at risk
  • Make hasty decisions without careful planning
  • Be defensive

Your localisation plan should include

  • Internal communication plan – for employees and customers
  • Prioritised content assets, including videos and specific training
  • FAQs

Above all, stay calm and remember – we’re all in this together and your team are here to help you.

If you need any help communicating with your employees or equipping your internal teams for success, then please contact us. We also encourage you to contribute to the conversation, so please let us know your thoughts in the comments below and tag us on social media.