In today’s retail world, the reality is that everything can change within months, weeks or even a day. While creating an effective customer self-service portal has long been a priority for many, recent world events have made it infinitely more imperative. We’re talking, of course, about the COVID-19 public health crisis.
The pandemic has affected every consumer in some way, creating a host of reasons customers might be driven to contact a brand. Perhaps they need to suspend automatic payments, check location hours, or see whether curbside pickup is available. Maybe they have questions about the health precautions a retailer is taking within its physical storefronts or how recent policy changes might affect their shopping experience.
These and other urgent customer needs have translated into a staggering spike in the volume of customer service requests. This has made it necessary for retailers to begin implementing “self-service” solutions beyond stagnant FAQ pages, search bars that yield hundreds of results, or virtual assistants that don’t understand customers’ questions.