FORRward: A Weekly Read For Tech And Marketing Execs
Firms Poised To Survive The Pandemic Aren’t Laying Off CX Pros — They’re Doubling Down
To cut costs, companies are laying off employees in customer experience (CX), customer success, and customer support. That’s a big mistake for three reasons. First, we have proof that improving CX increases revenue, lowers cost, and mitigates risk. Second, firms with a strong CX function have the customer understanding needed to weather the pandemic. Insights about needs and expectations are crucial to shaping process and policy changes when consumers and ecosystem partners need extra support. Third, customers who view products and services as dependable during this crisis will form an emotional connection that will be hard to break. Companies with CX pros who help put the customer at the center of their business decisions will have a head start on recovery. Instead of showing CX pros the door, partner with them to identify CX improvements that will lead you back to growth.
Don’t Succumb To Social Media Stockholm Syndrome
Social media is a mess, and marketers are complicit. What started as a community of friends and family has morphed into ugly environments where uninvited brands try to leverage social media in all facets, from social ads to influencers to buying/commerce to customer service to organic publishing. But our data reveals that only 32% of US online adults feel that brands/companies share interesting content on social media. It’s time for companies to cede control to the consumers who ultimately define brands on social media. It’s more important for brands to gather insights by listening to social users via regular monitoring and analyzing customer service, communities, ratings and reviews, and UGC feedback. And while you’re at it, don’t forget to stand by corporate values rather than fall on your social media sword. Marketers — and specifically, advertisers — hold the purse strings and have the power to stand up to the social networks when they misstep or when they don’t provide helpful measurement solutions from inside their walled gardens. We’re here to tell you that it’s OK to break up with social media.
Virtual Care Adoption Promises To Relieve Overburdened Health Systems But Not Without Risks
The pandemic is accelerating our prediction that virtual care will soar in 2020. Mount Sinai Health Partners, with its vast network of community physicians and hospitals spanning New York City and Long Island, recently partnered with Babylon Health to put digital healthcare in the hands of New Yorkers. Virtual care apps that allow patients to check COVID-19 symptoms and access telemedicine services offer promising consolation for at-capacity emergency rooms and doctors’ offices — but not without concerns. And our data shows that 23% of consumers lack confidence in their access to virtual care, including not knowing where to start. Self-triage continues to emerge as a new mainstay for effective digital-front-door strategies for healthcare organizations. Many vendors are offering discounted support during the pandemic and beyond to help provide care at scale.