18 February 2021

Organisations that make the right investments today can gain a competitive advantage after the Covid-19 pandemic is over. One way to achieve this is through prioritising three essentials that enhance the customer experience.

2:00 Min

Digital first

From telecommunication firms to food delivery services, companies are growing their digital capabilities. Successful firms have embraced new opportunities by laying the groundwork for transformation and better serving their customers. For example, car-buying (an industry heavily reliant on direct touch-and-feel services) now offers an immersive virtual experience with contactless car deliveries.

A contactless customer journey is the default

Health and safety precautions will continue for the foreseeable future, so companies can expect contactless experiences will added customer value. For example, early last year, the grocery retail sector had to quickly streamline online product sales, selection, and kerbside delivery services to improve the online shopping experience. Walmart merged its grocery and retail apps for a one-stop solution, increasing demand for deliveries and raised online sales by 74 per cent in Q1 of 2020.

Anticipate consumer feedback

Today’s digital investments allow better predictions of customer feelings for better response management. As travel has yet to re-emerge, airline brands have been preparing for when borders re-open including artificial intelligence to predict flight cancellations, allowing them to anticipate customer distress and offer immediate “surprise and delight” programs to help mitigate negative experiences.