It is so important to communicate effectively with your prospects and customers at this time, read on for some interesting facts from the early 1900s and ideas on how to manage customer expectations today during COVID-19.
What we can learn from the early 1900s
The advert below was printed in 1910, back then the world was suffering with outbreaks of diphtheria, smallpox and meningitis, yet the words feel oddly resonant given today’s circumstances.
“People who are in quarantine are not isolated if they have a Bell Telephone.
The Bell Service brings cheer and encouragement to the sick, and is of value in countless other ways.”
Advert for the telephone in 1910
When Spanish Flu broke out in 1918, for isolating communities around the world, the phone promised to help life to continue as normally as possible. One thing hasn’t changed and that’s our need to stay connected. We’re lucky that in 2020 that’s a lot easier thanks to all the modern communications methods we now have. However, back in the late 1910s and early 1920s, the use of the phone in your own home was still a luxury.
During times of quarantine in the early 1900s, the phone did serve as a means of keeping people going for a time, with businesses taking orders over the phone or education being provided via a call, there are definite similarities to today’s situation.
Newspaper article from 1918 reporting ‘Teaching by phone beats flu quarantine’
Back then radio had not reached its Golden Era, so the main way for people to keep in touch was via the telephone; and whilst automatic dialling had been invented it wasn’t yet widely rolled out and telephone systems still relied on human operators to make manual connections for callers.
Switchboard operators were vulnerable due to the cramped working conditions, they were hit hard by the flu. Reports from the time show around 1,000 telephone operators were off work along with 1,400 police officers in the UK.
With call volumes increasing and operator numbers depleting, The New York Telephone Company cut service to half it’s public payphones and sent letters to customers asking them to only use their telephone for emergencies.
They also ran newspaper adverts stating:
“DON’T TELEPHONE UNLESS IT’S ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY”
Michigan State Telephone Company also took out ads asking customers to limit calls so they could:
"Handle with promptness and dispatch the essential business of the community”
Maybe we should return to extremely polite telephone messaging like this!
2020 - The COVID-19 impact
Many of the items above ring true of the situation we find ourselves in today.
Companies across the UK at the minute are urging customers not to phone unless absolutely necessary, to help them manage high call volumes with limited staff.
Mortgage companies, banks, internet providers to name a few, are releasing updates online and moving to live chat and email as a preferred forms of communication.
If you have tried to contact some companies by phone recently, you might have noticed an update in their In-Queue Messaging to keep customers informed.
Customers are anxious
It is understandable that given the current circumstances, customers are more anxious. Everyone is getting used to a dramatic shift in our normal daily lives, a new work environment, new colleagues (who double as spouses or pets…) and of course looming fear of becoming furloughed or having financial worries.
During these times customers are seeking reassurance.
As a result now more than ever, communication is hugely important.
Whether that’s B2B, B2C or personal calls, we want to stay in the loop and feel connected. It’s great to see the mobile network providers are putting emergency measures in place and announcing benefits for key workers (EE) or supplying connectivity for the Nightingale Hospitals (Vodafone) and as well as keeping the rest of the population connected.
Whilst this is a learning curve for us all, your contact centre still needs to be represented appropriately and do everything possible to retain customers at a time where there is a huge impact to business.
So, whilst you might want to keep call volumes at a minimum to help staff cope under new pressures, what could your IVR Messages and In-Queue Announcements be telling callers, so they don’t need to speak with someone directly unless it’s really urgent?
Here are a few ideas:
Deflect callers to more appropriate channels - self service, live chat, email
Are you experiencing delays in services that customers should know about to manage their expectations?
Have you seen an increase in certain questions being asked that you could answer in your on hold messaging?
Do you need to reassure callers that you’re running as normal?
Are you completely closed for the foreseeable?
Are you doing something great to help your community and looking to raise awareness?
We’re in a lot stronger a position than the world was when Spanish Flu struck, we’re more resilient and advanced both in terms of health and technology but we still have to choose our words carefully to ensure we communicate effectively.
How can we can help you?
Steve Hindley
CX Consultant
Your contact centre IVR voice messages should be helping you manage call volumes at this tricky time…
If not then we’re here to help give us a call on 0800 852 7720 or fill out the contact form here