What Customers Are Looking for in Businesses Right Now

The COVID-19 global pandemic has had a negative impact on the economy and many businesses and industries. A number of companies had to put their employees on furlough, cut back on their hours and/or have massive layoffs.

For those businesses that were able to keep going, Inc.com notes that COVID-19 has shifted the office-centric mindsetand have increased their employees’ ability to work from home. In many cases, these newly remote workers have helped a number of companies to stay open.

On the other side of these changes to businesses are the customers, who are well aware that their favorite restaurant had to close and that toilet paper was virtually impossible to find at their regular grocery store. As the pandemic continues to be a serious health issue, it is having an impact on how people interact with and choose companies to do business with.

As shoppers get through the remains of 2020 and move forward into 2021, companies that focus on the following traits are especially desirable.

Having Plenty of Staff Available to Assist

While most consumers are sympathetic to the fact that many companies have had to trim back their staff, they still would like to get their questions answered in as timely a fashion as possible. Companies that have invested in call centre software are seeing improved customer satisfaction rates due to this innovative technology’s ability to quickly schedule and deploy workers to meet a sudden influx of calls. This type of software can also be used to assist a team of remote workers who are working out of their home offices and doing their best to assist their valued customers.

Contactless Service Options

Most people realize and accept that in order to get this virus under control, we must eliminate chances to spread it. With this in mind, businesses that are now offering contactless service options are especially appealing right now. As McKinsey notes, many e-commerce and online food delivery companies are providing this service that does away with direct physical contact between customers and delivery drivers. Some restaurants are also offering this for their takeout customers; instead of having to come into the store to pick up a pizza, for example, you can pull up in your car, call the store to let them know you are there, unlock your trunk and a masked up employee will bring your large pepperoni pie out and place it in your trunk. As a side note, shoppers are also looking to go to places where they feel safe; for example, stores that mandate the wearing of masks, encourage social distancing and do frequent sanitizing are more attractive options.

A Ready Stock of Essential Products and Services

Businesses that have what their customers urgently need right now are also inherently more attractive than those with empty shelves. For example, when hand sanitizer was hard to come by, some distilleries started using their supplies of ethanol to make it and sell it to the public. Grocery store managers who have wisely placed limits on certain items and thus prevent hoarding have had fuller shelves of pasta, eggs and paper towels and more happy customers. Some businesses have also looked into different supply chain options to prevent this lack of necessary products in the future. Generally speaking, no matter how or what a company has done to ensure they have what their customers are looking for, these are the places where we want to spend our money.

Putting Customers First, the 2020 Way

As 2020 comes to a welcome end, business owners and consumers alike are all hoping that 2021 will be much better for companies. But until things settle down, businesses that are able to put their customers first by having adequate staff, safe shopping options and plenty of products should continue to be rewarded with a steady stream of business.