Commentary

How to Ensure COVID Precautions Don't Hurt The Customer Experience

Efforts to thwart the spread of COVID-19 have introduced new and creative ways to keep customers and employees safe by limiting their interactions. In fact, 48% of U.S. consumers agree that COVID precautions have introduced new and more convenient ways to buy goods and services.

To maintain a strong customer experience, every organization should review their customer journey from contemplation to purchase—with an eye to both intended and unintended new touchpoints. Specifically, brands should assess customer perceptions regarding store cleanliness and compliance with mask and social distancing policies. This will help to ensure that new ways of delivering goods and services are perceived as convenient and safe.

One study of U.S. consumer perceptions associated with safety precautions found people are most likely to avoid restaurants and gyms due to exposure concerns, though these are not the only businesses that can be negatively impacted. In the last 30 days, one in five U.S. consumers did not visit retail locations, healthcare providers or their bank due to concerns about overall cleanliness.

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To maintain high levels of customer satisfaction and loyalty, brands must also be aware of how these new or new-to-me touchpoints impact their customers’ overall experience. For example, my mother-in-law recently celebrated a milestone birthday. We eventually opted to order online with curbside pick-up and eat together at home.

To minimize the amount of time it would take to retrieve the kids portion of dinner, my husband used a mobile app to order ahead from a fast-food restaurant. We used the app in hopes of avoiding the typically long, slow-moving drive-through line at this popular chain.

We thought we had found a convenient way to bypass the slow line but found this was not the case when we arrived. Without specific instruction within the app, we assumed we would enter the lobby and pick up our order as we had done at similar restaurants. But the doors were locked, and there were no signs with directions on how to retrieve our order.

With no other option, we entered the drive-through line. When it was finally our turn, we mentioned the pick-up order and were told to bypass window #1 and go straight to window #2.

In the end, it took longer than if we had ordered at the drive-through window in the first place. Had the restaurant tested its new ordering process and associated customer touchpoints, it would likely have uncovered pain points in the process. It also follows that adjusting the process to combat those potential pitfalls would increase the likelihood of future purchases.

Ultimately, brands need to be vigilant about what they can control if they are to retain existing customers and acquire new patrons in this environment.

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