5 Tips for Managing Customer Services and IT during the pandemic

The pandemic has catastrophically affected all sorts of industries worldwide. But most importantly, small businesses have suffered the most amount of damage. In terms of finances and management, up-and-coming companies have faced constant issues and have struggled to sustain adequate revenue generation. With customer service moved to home offices, months-long closures and businesses conferences and meetings going solely virtual, it has become difficult for corporations to ensure smooth management of all departments and business affairs. Most importantly, there has been severe concern regarding data security and reliability as companies now have to rely mainly on remote work. 

Let's get into some practical tips on how to handle customer services and IT during the pandemic.

1. Provide Access to Advanced Software and Tools

With COVID cases on the rise, head offices have had to shut down, and companies had no option but to resort to a work-from-home system. As employees operate from their homes, they access the company database from their own electronic devices. As a result, companies run the risk of data loss through cyber attacks and hacking. Hence, it is crucial that businesses assist their workers in providing them access to verified software that store data securely. Moreover, a fast virtual private network (VPN) can also ensure that sensitive data remains off-limits to external hackers.

2. Outsource Cloud Services

With the advent of technological advancements, more companies have begun leveraging the cloud instead of sticking to obsolete data storage and protection methods. However, if you belong to the latter, now is a great time to increase your cloud footprint significantly. There are numerous benefits of doing this:

• Save Additional Costs: Outsourcing cloud services allows your company to save on additional costs for maintenance.

• Your Data is Backed-up: In case of disasters resulting in massive data losses, having your data stored on cloud applications ensures that you can quickly recover it.

• Centralized Network: The data is present on a centralized network that allows employees to access it from any gadget at any time.

3.  Encourage Employees to Polish Soft Skills

Soft skills refer to excellent socializing abilities and a deep understanding of emotional intelligence. When it comes to customer services, having a solid grasp of soft skills comes in handy as it permits more pleasant conversations with customers. It, in turn, results in qualified leads. Furthermore, employees with good communication skills also allow seamless teamwork. The pandemic has led to an increase in remote work. Hence having excellent soft skills is a must to enable regular communication between employees and managers.

4. Make Customers Your Primary Priority

In current times, it is even harder to communicate with your customers, take proper note of their demands and address their desires. Therefore, it is crucial to develop virtual campaigns that permit the sales team to reach out to as many customers as possible. You should also ensure that your employees have the correct software and skills to craft interactive posts that encourage more customer engagement.

5. Promote Empathy

These are uncertain times, and for many employees, it has been hard adjusting to new systems. The IT departments usually work around the clock to make sure that workers feel as little hassle as possible adapting to the new virtual software and applications. Hence, workers must display empathy towards their efforts; after all, a small compliment can go a long way.

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