In this time of a COVID-19 shelter-in-place lifestyle, the way consumers interact with businesses has quickly transformed from in-person to virtual, propelling organizations to rethink their customer engagement plans and install better security measures. The silver lining for those organizations working tirelessly to keep operations going and deliver what their customers need today is that those same organizations are preparing for an even better tomorrow. How they respond in the days and weeks ahead will form a critical impression with their customers and lay the digital-first foundation they will need to be successful in the long term.
It is no surprise interactions between consumers and the organizations they engage with have become increasingly digital in the last few years. Today, however, we are seeing the focus on enabling these virtual interactions skyrocket. The consumer preference for speed, ease of access, and convenience has turned into critical consumer demand for business as usual in times when things are all but usual.
While consumers shelter-in-place across the globe, they are increasingly looking for and expecting the ability to get necessary things done without having to leave their homes – from online shopping to telehealth-based doctor appointments. Organizations have no choice but to look at how they can engage with customers virtually and at scale, for example asking retail employees to become virtual sales agents in an effort to manage the dramatic increase in the new digital-first world in which we now live.
This process is not without challenges.
The growing rate at which fraudsters are taking advantage of increased online activity, and consumer fear, to prey on unsuspecting victims, is alarming. In fact, fraud related to the coronavirus has cost Americans $13 million+ so far in April. Many large financial institutions and retailers who run big contact centers to support customer service have had to move operations remote, which comes with new requirements. Add this to the fact that organizations’ employees are themselves dealing with the personal challenges from COVID-19, all while facing some of the most substantial historical volumes of customer inquiries and requests.
The silver lining for those organizations working tirelessly to keep operations going and deliver what their customers need today is that those same companies are preparing for an even better tomorrow. How they respond in the days and weeks ahead will form a critical impression with customers and lay the digital-first foundation they will need to be successful in the long term.
We have spent the last several months talking with our customers to determine where Nuance can help as they embark on the journey of solving for the now while future-proofing their strategies. Nuance has put together a library of resources and arranged for several expert Q&A sessions to answer organizations’ questions and help them strategize how they can best help their customers and employees – now and in the months ahead.
Nuance is proud to be helping customers overcome the very immediate challenges they face. At the same time, we are partnering with those leading organizations to assist in answering the crucial questions about what comes next, so we can all emerge from this crisis stronger than ever.
