3 questions to... Cordula Gudduschat

How do you manage customer relations in a period of crisis?

Today, the most important thing is to communicate with our customers, be empathetic, transparent and honest with them. The message they must hear is “We are here for you.” That’s why we must maintain ties by all methods possible: emails, SMS, WhatsApp, dedicated sites, telephone, etc. That way, we can provide them with personalized responses, updates about the situation, and our services and strategy during the crisis. We can, for example, let them know that they can still contact the technical service, that a particular plant has to shut down temporarily, and explain why.

The worst thing would be to communicate badly or not at all. We must be very careful, especially with communications that are already in the pipeline, as they might be perceived as inappropriate in a time of crisis and undermine our message: for example, a product launch or a conventional relationship satisfaction survey.

Customers are facing many difficulties. How can we help them?

We have a duty to understand the difficulties our customers are facing at present, to be there to listen to them and help them, which explains why we need to communicate with them as directly as possible.

Each type of customer has specific difficulties and needs. A trades professional may have cash flow problems, a major distributor might be more concerned about our ability to keep up the supply of products. So, we need to be flexible and adapt our communication and solutions to the reality on the ground during the crisis.

For example, many Group’s distribution brands have developed drive-thru facilities so their customers can collect their orders without breaking health safety rules. The number of worksite deliveries has increased and the range of products available online has been extended by many brands.

How can we help customers prepare for the post-crisis situation?

In a period of crisis, customer relations and experience are more important than ever. Correctly managing the current situation is an excellent way to boost loyalty and prepare for the future. Dealing with the crisis also means thinking about the future once it is over. Standing alongside our customers today lets them know we will be there for them tomorrow. We need to reassure them and prove to them that we are already thinking about the post-crisis situation. It’s up to us to talk to them about the recovery, the solutions we can provide them, whatever happens in the meantime. We must foresee their needs and difficulties.

Listening to our customers during this time should also enable us to detect any threats and opportunities that may arise from the crisis. Preparing properly for the future means keeping a close eye on the markets, our customers’ new needs and the potential opportunities ahead in what promises to be a very different environment. That is how we will best answer our customers’ needs and how we will find new growth drivers.

During a period such as this, if we want to maintain ties with our customers, we must above all manage to maintain ties with our colleagues and teams. In so doing, we will manage the recovery as best possible with our customers.

Photo Credit: © Jean Chiscano.