Managing Customer Relationships During Times Of Economic Uncertainty

Economic hardships triggered by the pandemic have pushed businesses to the edge. As consumer spending hits an all-time low, the need to strengthen customer relationships becomes dire. An increasing number of businesses are majorly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. During these uncertain times, maintaining trust and loyalty is difficult.

However, companies that are willing to fine-tune their services as per the government imposed guidelines are better placed to serve customers. Delivering personalized customer experiences is one way to build trust and win customer loyalty. In this article, we will take you through the basics of building long-lasting customer relationships during the pandemic to keep your business up and running.

Talk To Your Customers

Stay in touch with your customers. Show them you care about them even if they are not doing business with you during this time. A small token of appreciation for your customer’s patronage will reinforce the connection they have with your brand. This difficult time we all find ourselves in is an opportunity to show that you care for your customer’s well-being and gain their mindshare.

eCommerce sales seem to be bucking the slowdown trend with leading players experiencing a huge surge in sales as shoppers adhere to social distancing guidelines. By communicating with customers through various channels, retail businesses can maintain a healthy relationship with them. With the looming fear of economic uncertainty, customers are avoiding unnecessary purchases. It highlights the need for marketers to add value to consumers’ lives through their products and services. They can convey this message via different mediums and stimulate responsible spending.

Create Offers That Best Suit Them

Personalization is the key. Unpredictable challenges are an impediment, nevertheless, businesses can still engage their customers with the right offers at the right time. Delivering personalized experiences throughout the customer lifecycle can effectively drive sales. eCommerce businesses are increasingly gaining traction due to COVID-19. It is an opportune moment for B2C enterprises to boost their customer interactions and significantly accelerate revenues.

56 percent of consumers are showing interest in the ways brands are helping out communities in response to the pandemic. Their solidarity is resonating with customers and strengthens the belief they have in their favorite brands. Adding personalization on top of it can build healthy customer relations. Personalized offers play a critical role in not only increasing sales but scoring brownie points too. Maintaining a healthy bottom line in the time of crisis is a tricky problem that requires informed and smart decision making to roll out offers and discounts. Stay at home essentials like coffee, breakfast cereals, baking ingredients, fitness equipment, and books are in hot demand as people are trying to keep themselves occupied and entertained.

A survey by Forrester in 2017 about customer experiences fits well in the present times. It clearly depicts the connection between customer experience and customer loyalty.

Show Your Brand’s Human Traits

Companies that tirelessly work and cover the last mile to deliver products to their customers often go unnoticed. However, during these grim times, it is important to highlight your efforts. Businesses working hard behind the scenes to safely deliver various products to customers are worthy of applause. As a business you must, therefore, use social media channels to tell customers the critical details about their operations. It will create an emotional connection between your business and customers as they will get an idea about the efforts you undertake to fulfill orders.

Showcase the best practices your business is taking to ensure the safety of your employees. Reiterate it to your customers to earn their trust and reassure them about your company’s priorities. Since health concerns are at an all-time high, conveying the safety measures you have in place can be reassuring for your audience.

Skellam | You Smart Marketing Partner

Marketing and advertising strategies need fine-tuning to meet customers’ demands in a post Covid19 economy. Being a smart marketing automation platform, Skellam eases the burden of interacting with customers through its suite of AI products and custom solutions. Our solutions deliver smarter customer engagement to win customer loyalty. The smart AI algorithms engineered by our AI and data science team enables you to engage new and existing customers with offers that meet your bottom-line targets.

If you are looking to increase your brand value with the help of technology, drop us a line at [email protected]