3 Steps to Protect the Employee Experience in Times of Crisis

Including how to support your team in delivering great customer experiences

3 min read

Designed by stockgiu / Freepik

With the SARS-CoV-2 virus and COVID-19 disease (commonly known as coronavirus) dominating the news cycle, you may be starting to contemplate how this unprecedented outbreak is shifting employee needs and customer expectations.

While some business sectors are more disrupted than others, for most this is a time of anxiety and concern. How do we lead our people through this crisis and keep morale up?

1. Start with - You Guessed It - Empathy!

Just like you, your team members are going through a particularly stressful time right now - at home and at work (which for many of us these days happens to be the same space).

We can’t expect our team members to be empathetic with customers if we’re not modeling the same behavior. Communication is key, especially with so many of us working from home now.

It’s easy to get consumed with putting out fires when the world is engulfed in flames. Make sure you put time aside to check-in with your employees. Ask how they’re feeling, what’s on their mind, how you can help. Listen thoughtfully and respond compassionately!

2. Listen to the VoE (Voice of the Employee) & Adapt Your EX Strategy Accordingly

You never know what your employees are going through until you sit down and ask them. Just like customers, they are constantly communicating their opinions and perspectives; if not to you, to their colleagues or worse, your customers! A single discouraged team member can create an unhappy work environment for everybody, so make sure they have an avenue to vent their frustrations.

There may be aspects of your EX strategy that appeared to be on track three weeks ago, but are no longer a priority now. How to move forward?

• Critically evaluate what you’re putting your employees through right now

• Reevaluate any planned changes to your EX

• Hit the pause button on initiatives, if necessary

• Communicate with purpose and clarity

3. Support Your Employees in Delivering Great Customer Experiences

They might be frontline agents in a contact center answering calls from anxious customers, nurses caring for their patients, or grocery store clerks checking out customers’ purchases. Whatever their role, as the human embodiment of your brand, this is a unique situation for them.

In addition to their own uncertainty and anxiety, worried customers can escalate stress levels for employees even further. Make sure your team is:

• Well supported (particularly if working from home, especially for the first time!)

• Equipped with the right tools & information

• Empowered to make decisions that benefit the customer & your company, without having to seek approval first

While CX may not seem like a priority at the moment, this is a defining moment for how your organization interacts with its customers - both potential and established.

Done right, it’ll pay dividends long term!