Since spring 2020, digital customer interactions have changed forever. Throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, many businesses innovatively adapted to lockdowns and closures.
Now, even as commerce is returning to "normal" in many parts of the world, many tools and adaptations developed during the pandemic have proven to be a more convenient, efficient, and customer-friendly way of doing business.
Here are 4 practices that should stay:
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Offering customers the option to preschedule appointments and choose between virtual and physical meetings
For businesses with brick-and-mortar locations, such as retail businesses and banks, let's face it: no one wants to return to the pre-pandemic experience of crowded parking lots, packed lobbies, and long lines. These situations create unnecessary stress and exposure to seasonal flu; it's also not time-efficient for customers or staff.
Prescheduling an appointment allows customers to avoid large crowds and get a more relaxed, personalized experience. By offering the option of doing a virtual meeting using video, customers can choose what's most convenient for them, making the experience even more tailored to their needs.
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Managing in-store traffic more efficiently
The benefits of prescheduling appointments aren't just for the customers; retailers and in-store employees can also reap the benefits of appointment scheduling and meeting software.
This tool allows them to control the volume of visitors each day, ensuring staffing levels match the customer demand. Having a video-based customer service option also creates the opportunity for more productivity, efficiency, and flexibility for employees.
Video appointments can eliminate delays due to commute and other practicalities, allowing your advisors to take more customer meetings in a shorter time.
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Keeping employees informed and prepared
With appointment scheduling software in place, businesses can run their customer interactions more organized and provide customer-facing employees with more visibility into who they're serving and why.
By using pre-scheduled appointments, store clerks, or customer success, representatives know what the meeting is about and can tailor and personalize the experience.
Employees will feel more at ease knowing they serve one customer at a time.
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Driving smarter, more accurate insights
Appointment scheduling and virtual interactions via customer scheduling software will enable data-driven decision-making. While an unknown customer walking into a store or a bank isn't as likely to give the business much (if any) insight into measurable information about the experience, digital tools make this a built-in part of the interaction.
Appointment scheduling, virtual appointment software, and video meetings allow businesses to gather and compare data about customer needs, frequency of visits before making a purchase, the success of different channels, and how this all leads to customer satisfaction and retention.
Ultimately, this leads to more personalized customer engagement, happier customers, and higher revenues.
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