Within the last 48 hours, we have been asked by clients to help them develop a customer communications plan in response to COVID-19 and, specifically, recent announcements from governments in Europe and the U.S. to close retail destinations, restaurants and other public places until the spread of the disease is under control.
To help other organisations during these unprecedented times, we have shared 10 suggestions you may want to incorporate into your customer engagement program:
- Develop a communications strategy. If you haven’t done so already, establish a central team that will set and coordinate communications. This includes key messages about possible location closures, such as opening and closing times. This will also enable you to quickly communicate when your mall will re-open, keeping customers informed.
- Constantly stay in the know. During a crisis, internal alignment is important so schedule a daily, and sometimes twice daily, internal meetings or calls to ensure that you and your colleagues are aware of the latest corporate and government guidance that may need to be sent to customers.
- Focus on what is important to customers. Keep your messaging simple, helpful, and easily actionable so there is no confusion about what you are trying to communicate. Now is not the time to promote products and services unless they are for the public’s good.
- Pick the right communications channels. When you are ready to communicate to customers, determine how you will engage such as by email, website, mobile or social media – or all four – depending on the preferences of your customers. Regardless, ensure that your communications are compliant with privacy regulations.
- Create a dedicated Coronavirus web page. In a quickly moving situation, having a centralised location where updates and the latest information can be compiled is key to avoiding confusion. When you send communications to customers, across different channels, point people to a dedicated landing page on your website about how you are responding to Coronavirus and what you are doing to mitigate risks to the community.
- Now is the time to over-communicate. If anyone is suspected of having caught Coronavirus at your mall, it’s important to proactively communicate to customers (and staff) about the facts and what you are doing to alleviate any concerns customers. Transparency is the best medicine for building trust in your brand.
- Know your customer’s sentiment. Keep on top of what your customers are saying about your brand by monitoring social media, looking for any erroneous communications that may damage your reputation. This is an opportunity for you to also identify and respond to questions or concerns customers may have posted online.
- Be loyal, too. For some customers, customer loyalty points mean a lot so don’t forget to communicate what they have earned in the past can be used in the future. Therefore, you may want to inform customers that all points will still be available when the mall opens, which may mean temporarily updating your usual points expiry rules.
- Don’t forget your tenants. What you communicate to customers should also be shared with your tenants. Don’t forget them because your customers are likely to ask them for information about what’s happening at your locations, so take the initiative here to avoid any confusion.
- Help when and where possible. Provide your customers with more than just information about Coronavirus and what you are doing about the disease. Go further and help people adapt to changes in their lifestyles by hosting online events including tips and advice from experts.
Should you have any questions, or require any communications support, now or in the future, please contact me directly at lance.mercereau@coniq.com.
