Coronavirus and Voice-of-Customer: 8 reasons why now is the perfect time to reach out and touch base
I know – you’re busy figuring out how your own business will weather the Coronavirus storm. You’re sending official communications to your customers and passing along breaking news about your supply chain, deliveries or services. That’s all good. You’re doing the right things.
When those customers or clients receive those notes from you there’s a good chance they’re sitting at home, having been asked by their companies to work remotely. Or they’re in an office with half the normal staff or less.
So what about the voice-of-customer (VOC) work you were doing or thinking about before Coronavirus hit and stopped the economy in its tracks? It’s hard to think of a worse time to “bother” your customers, right? Wrong. I can’t think of a better time to touch base.
Here are 4 reasons your customers won’t mind talking to you:
1. Your customers are home
First of all, you know your customers are in one place – whether it’s at their home or office. They’re in town. Everyone is. Nobody’s travelling. I’ve heard stories about people being available who are typically “never around” or “always out on the road.” Those people might actually have a little extra time even though that sounds counterintuitive. Pick up the phone and call them.
2. They need a break
If your customer’s been sent home or is working out of a scaled-down office environment, they might appreciate some variation in their day. They can only answer email or take part in group conference calls for so long. Talking to a vendor partner might be just what they need in their day. Would you rather they talk to you or your competitor?
3. They might have time to reflect
Getting out of the typical day-to-day grind can give customers new perspective. They’re able to step back and look at things differently, like how competitive their offerings are, how innovative they are or how balanced their new product portfolio is. You can help your customers with this assessment and probably come up with new ways to help them grow.
4. They care about you
It’s true. Everyone’s yearning to connect with those they know right now – whether it’s family, friends, co-workers or even vendors. It’s comforting to be in contact with anyone we have a relationship with, just to check in and see how things are going. So check in – with no reason or agenda. See how things are going.
And, here are 4 reasons you shouldn’t mind talking to your customers:
1. You’re home, too
Surprise – you’re not travelling, either. You’re not scrambling to make a plane, rent a car, check into a hotel or make it to the next appointment. You’re either in your home office or your office office…tethered to your computer. Why not call a few customers?
2. You might need a break, too
Forgive me if you’re in all-out crisis mode working 24/7 to react to issues brought on by coronavirus. Some of us are. But some of us may also be faced with periods of slight downtime – in between the madness. If so, mix it up a little. Go for a walk. Text your daughter. Call a few customers.
3. You might have time to reflect, too
Is this unprecedented period giving you an opportunity to step back and evaluate your own situation? How is your business doing – other than this temporary pause? Are your offerings competitive enough? Are you innovating enough? How can you use this time to learn some new things that could help in the future when we come out of this pause? You guessed it. Call a few customers.
4. You care about your customers
Be honest. Aren’t you wondering how they’re doing? They’ve been important to you. Maybe you’ve known them for years. Obviously they’re a source of revenue, but they’re also people who have their own families and struggles. Find out how things are going. See what’s up. Ask if there’s any way you can help.
Now, here’s how to take it to the next level
During your check in call – the one where you’re just calling to say hello and see how things are going – ask your customer or client if they might have some time in the coming days for a different kind of conversation. You might put it like this:
“So, while I have you on the phone, I’ve got a question for you. I know everyone’s pretty preoccupied with the coronavirus fallout, but I’m wondering if you might want to take a break for 30 or 45 minutes one day and help us with some new product development. We know we’ll come out of all this and we’ve been working on a few things, but what we could really use is your expert insight on a few things. We’d really love to understand even better some of the challenges you’re having to make sure we’re on the right track. Maybe this crisis could give us all a chance to reflect, think ahead a little and talk about a few things we don’t normally get time to focus on. Crazy idea, I know, but…are you game? What do you think?”
That’s it. Not much more. In your words and voice, of course. If they say no, you haven’t lost a thing. If they say yes, you’ve got a chance to ask some great open-ended questions about their goals and operations. If you get multiple inputs from customers in the same segment – and you might find a few trends.
Be bold, not bashful
Now is not the time to crawl into your shell and hibernate. Now is the time to get more in touch with your customers. Not with email or texts, and certainly not in person. Try the good, old fashioned phone. Or try video with a platform like Zoom. You have nothing to lose. At a minimum, you’ll get to say hello to someone you know, check up on them and make them feel a little better about their day.
It looks like Coronavirus is going to be with us for a while. But that doesn’t mean that marketing, market research, customer satisfaction, R&D or basic voice-of-customer work needs to end. Maybe it’s not the worst time to reach out. Maybe it’s the perfect time.