Reconnecting the customer experience

Since the pandemic appeared almost 2 years ago almost everyone has had to embrace change or adapt many areas of their lives to get through these tough times.

During this period companies have had to rapidly adapt their business against the uncertain future and increase the rate of adoption in digital technologies. During these times it never been more important to help customers on this journey and we should always be mindful that people are working in the most challenging of conditions which could be directly impact their ability to do their job.

Even before the pandemic occurred most business would of been using some digital technologies to communicate using email, telephone, video conferencing especially if the the company has points of presence in different countries. The problem now is that it has replaced too many interactions we used to take for granted, we have become unconsciously disconnected and unaware of how these new behaviours have manifested themselves.

I pondered on this over the month of November and December about how this had impacted me personally and what changes I felt I could make to adapt more positively to the current working environment and the people around me.

I created a list of all the things I used to do prior to pandemic especially all the small details and looked at how I could improve my mindset around work and improve outcomes

1. Get back in the habit of wearing smart professional clothing
   During the pandemic I fell into this habit of wearing more casual clothing whilst I spent my days working at home.
   
   Why?
   To be more present
   Getting back into the habit of dressing as you would be in the office if a shift in mindset, you are mentally preparing for the day ahead and using a simple but effective form of discipline that gets you in primed for the day ahead and your interactions throughout the day.
   
   
2. Start using my webcam on customer and internal meetings
   
   Why?
   To be more present
   Turning the web cam on demonstrates a readiness and an openness and that you are ready to tackle the task at hand. This simple act shows presence and that no one is hiding. One of the benefits in being able to discuss tasks face to face is our ability to respond to body language and get a sense of how someone is really feeling. When we understand how someone is feeling we can subtly adjust or interactions to improve the outcome.

The status quo

When the pandemic started, the use of digital technologies was beneficial in our ability to interact, collaborate and stay connected, but digital technology will never replace our human need to be in the company of other people or groups as a way of identifying and have a sense belonging, meaning or purpose. The less we interact with other people in this way impacts the meaning it gives our work and also our purpose in the workplace. This gradual erosion of interactions can impact our motivations and relationships.

I hope you find this blog enlightening

TheProgressiveLifeCoach