The coronavirus pandemic has upended the daily lives of people around the world, the economic effect of coronavirus has led to social isolation, unstable financial markets, product, and services shortages in some sections while others are no longer deemed essential.
In the early months of the pandemic, many companies and clients focused on later returning to the normal way of life. The majority are now contemplating a much different type of future in which remote working is normal, and ensuring the proper engagement of customers digitally is a top priority. Businesses are also accelerating and leaning towards innovation to become more resilient, safer, and agile.
In this article, we explore tips on how business clients can thrive and even navigate the effect of coronavirus.
Taking advantage of artificial intelligence
Clients may make use of chatbots and mobile applications. Several companies have developed artificially intelligent chatbots that can provide information about products or services and answer various Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ). Other services are accessible via user-friendly platforms such as WhatsApp in a robotic fashion, a good example is Zuri by Safaricom. This serves as a substitute to physically enquiring with the service provider, which in turn minimizes physical contact.
Digital payment options and revised transaction limits
An example of a measure that has been put in place by the private sector and the government to curb the spread of the virus is to minimize the use of cash. Several digital payment options are therefore in use and service providers such as M-Pesa have increased daily business transaction limits from Kshs. 140,000 to Kshs. 300,000 to allow multiple transactions in a day. Business clients should take advantage of this initiative and pay for services rendered remotely.
Use of secure checkout processes
Taking advantage of secure checkout processes is fundamental to avoid online fraud or data breaches while paying for items or services. For example, the use of patented tokenization technology encrypts client data by replacing cards with digital tokens. This helps with providing additional security and avoiding improper use of the account at other locations.
Digital conferencing applications
The use of digital conferencing applications such as Microsoft Teams, Cisco Webex, and Zoom to conduct virtual meetings with service providers or business partners is a substitute for face-to-face meetings. With the current restrictions, various firms have also opted to hold events online, these include unveiling and launching of new services that may include areas of interest to business clients. Virtual meetings and events are convenient more so for urgent meetings and users may connect seamlessly in different time zones.
Taking advantage of loyalty reward programs, price reductions, and discounts
Many companies have lowered pricing for their services, introduced loyalty rewards programs, discounts, and promo codes to incentivize clients. These initiatives are in place to avoid clients’ drop-offs, allow customers to save and recover from the economic impact of the pandemic. Business clients should therefore look out for such services and select those that are both valuable and provide a return on investment.
Online shopping
Clients may also benefit from changing their purchasing behavior and move to online shopping. It is convenient to use the various available platforms to shop for professional services in the comfort of their home offices. Consumers appreciate the convenience that comes with online shopping. Although the COVID-19 restrictions may have made online shopping appealing, it may become a long-term trend that will most likely continue in the post-pandemic future.
Agility and resilience are the new mantras for both businesses and their clients, these values are extremely important to weather the storm that is the coronavirus era.
“It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that is the most adaptable to change.” ~ Charles Darwin
1 thought on “TIPS TO HELP BUSINESSES CLIENTS NAVIGATE THE EFFECT OF CORONAVIRUS”
This is a very useful piece of writing. In this digital age, I’ve found that using Zoom and Skype to communicate with my clients, particularly those who are located abroad, has proven to be effective. Communication is becoming easier thanks to technological advancements, and I believe this is the path to take.