SmileyAnswers is the leading reseller of the HappyOrNot® customer survey reporting system in the United States, Canada and the UK.
As the world continues to take on the challenge of Covid-19, there is hope that the end of this pandemic is getting closer. Vaccines continue to be administered and more is learned about the virus to better manage its impact. As more businesses open up, we felt it was a good time to go through some words to help you manage and improve customer and employee experiences. Within the seven words listed below, more areas can be explored to capture customer and employee sentiment. With so many changes through this pandemic, it is such an important time to understand how others feel about their day-to-day perceptions. Make sure your organization has a way to constantly engage with people to improve experiences and lives.
Individual words can be powerful to better understand customer and employee journeys. The words allow you to be more focused on how another person feels and how to improve their emotions and experiences with that word and focus. After reviewing current trends, we feel the following 7 words are important for you to measure as we continue to move through Covid-19.
Safety
The pandemic has consistently elevated safety concerns. It is important to note that this elevation is both at the conscious and subconscious level. As an example, we visually see mask wearing and social distancing when visiting businesses. What is less known is that the subconscious is seeking clues as to the safety of the surroundings. Visual inputs along with the four senses are constantly heightened when a person has safety on high alert.
As you look to redesign and monitor experiences, review how the five senses are engaged along a journey. Perspective take, monitor, and measure how safety is interpreted at important touchpoints. Two examples to illustrate this point include cleanliness and individual health. Cleanliness has always mattered. However, with Covid-19, it is a higher level and of more concern to customers and employees. Recent research into restaurant visit criteria shows that customers will pay twice as much per month for restaurant’s that meet cleanliness standards.
Covid-19 has also raised the alarm for individuals to take better care of themselves. Wellness takes a higher priority for both customers and employees. Consider this important aspect as you redesign experiences moving through and out of this pandemic.
Certainty
The pandemic has raised the levels of uncertainty dramatically across the globe. Each person has their own level of adaptation to this uncertainty. Being uncertain increases disempowerment. Covid-19 has impacted the certainty of physical health as well as individual sense of self. Losing the freedom of choice can be very difficult for people depending on their personality. As a way to cope, emotions can be used to get through uncertain events. Organizations should not be surprised at a wider range of emotions during this pandemic. As an example, anger is used as a way to bring more certainty to a person. Being patient and compassionate goes a long way during this pandemic to improve customer and employee experiences.
Digital
Staying home for both customers and employees has accelerated the trend towards digital experiences. The lockdowns forced individuals to go online and complete needed tasks. Routines have been developed and the emphasis of “Digital first” has increased. This means that organizations have to put more resources into improving the digital experience to match the needs of both customers and employees.
As businesses open up, this routine of the digital experience will continue. Customers are expecting the physical experience and digital experience to match one another. High friction between the two will negatively impact your business. Resources will be needed to monitor and measure how customers are experiencing both physical and digital in the same journey.
Convenience
Covid-19 has caused many to feel more fatigue due with the constant use of energy to manage this pandemic. Being on high alert and changing routines drains energy. As a result, customers and employees have cherished organizations that make life choices more convenient. For many, convenience is the deciding factor on where a person does business. Expect this to continue past Covid-19. When we as individuals find life easier through convenience or with technology, going back in time to expend more energy is not efficient. Constantly look to improve how energy is used by both customers and employees. Consider doing a customer and employee journey map to find ways to improve this important aspect.
Expectations
As daily routines have changed for people, their expectations of the world around them have also changed. This change in expectations has been constant as it has been a roller coaster in terms of whether we are moving forward or backward with this pandemic. Each person manages and adapts differently to these constant changes. As individuals, we try to predict the world around us. When we are in routines, this becomes easy on the brain and requires less energy. When events happen that are not predicted, we react to adapt to the situation at hand. Managing customer and employee expectations to drive positive results are important in time of stress. As you redesign experiences, measure and understand expectations. This measurement has to be constant to match the constant change in human expectations around you.
Community
How both customers and employees view organizations continues to change. Does the organization do more than just sell products and services? Are they responsible to their communities, are they building sustainability in the local environment, do they stand up for important social values? This trend was already in place before the pandemic. It has accelerated due to how society has had to “work together” to get through this pandemic. Empathy and protecting the community has inspired more thinking and desire in this area. With 24-hour social media and news outlets, organizations that do not take this seriously can pay a hefty price. Having a strategy that integrates purpose and meaning for customer and employees can truly impact your organization now and going forward. Make community engagement a daily part to constantly learn how customers and employees feel about your business.
Technology
The last word to improve customer and employee experiences is technology. Market forces have driven innovation to help us adapt to Covid-19 by using existing and new technologies. Those who have harnessed and helped others adapt to changes resulting from the pandemic are more successful. As you review your customer and employee journeys, also review how technology can be implemented at important touchpoints. As mentioned, the digital experience is becoming more dominate. Customers will look to the digital world to find your organization and make a decision on whether they will move forward with you. Use technology to match the words listed above. Provide more safety, certainty, community, and convenience. Also note that as other organizations use new technology, customers and employees will expect your organization to do the same. Research how other organizations are using technology to better understand how customer and employee expectations are changing.
Wrapping it up
Although we are seeing more progress towards ending this current pandemic, it will be with us for the near future. Trends have changed throughout this last year as people look to adapt to the new world we are living in. To improve experiences and lives, organizations need to be on top of how people feel about this change. Because the world has changed and it is less predictable, individual expectations and perceptions are changing quickly. This drives the importance of having communication to learn how people are interpreting the world around them. Consider using the seven words listed in this post as a way to help others and improve the human experience.
Bring safety to help others feel better and reduce the stress they have. Find ways to bring certainty from an uncertain new world we are living in. Know that the digital experience is even more important for both customers and employees as they look to manage Covid-19. To help manage personal energy, people are looking for convenience. Make life simple for others by driving more convenience at major touchpoints. Monitor and manage expectations as they are changing quicker now as people attempt to adapt to changing news and routines. Help others feel connected and build community both for your customers and employees. Lastly, use technology to improve experiences as well as measuring if you are being successful in your design. Improve experiences by measuring how people feel at important touchpoints. You can measure at digital touchpoints, physical touchpoints, or both! By taking charge and being proactive, you can listen and learn to positively impact both individual experiences and lives.
About SmileyAnswers
SmileyAnswers is the leading reseller of the HappyOrNot® Reporting System within the United States, Canada, and the U.K. HappyOrNot® has over 1.5 billion feedbacks to date and is a leader in capturing the real-time insight of customers, patients, and employees. With the recent addition of the Smiley Link and Smiley Digital, SmileyAnswers is in the unique position to capture a whole journey Live by using the Smiley’s for both digital and physical touchpoints. Organizations can “listen” to how people feel at all the important touchpoints. After capturing real-time feedback at these touchpoints, organizations can then “learn” what and where the hidden pain points are to make immediate positive changes. Finally, successes can be shared with Live Sharing, Social Sharing, digital boards, social media, email, power points, and more. This process can be repeated daily throughout the year to constantly improve human experiences.
