Prioritize customer service now more than ever

One of the most impactful aspects of our firm's COVID-19 response has been an increased emphasis on customer service. Dating back to March of this year, with changes to the IRS calendar, volumes of legislative rule changes, and anxiety-inducing economic uncertainty all hitting our clients at once, we knew we'd be faced with unique challenges related to meeting the growing needs of our clients during the pandemic. Faced with the challenge of balancing new tasks like PPP (Paycheck Protection Program) consulting and payroll tax credits with normal tax-season obligations and business consulting, we set the goal of raising the bar when it comes to customer service and communication, so our clients would know we had their best interests at heart at all times. We have found that even when the balancing act is difficult, a customer-first mindset eases stress and achieves better outcomes. 

You’d be hard-pressed to find a business that doesn’t value its customers, but tough times put many things into perspective. As companies have adjusted to operating during the COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting economic fallout, prioritizing customer service has become more important than ever.

Without a strong base of loyal customers, and a concerted effort to win more market share, your business could very well see diminished profit margins and an escalated risk of being surpassed by competitors. Here are some foundational ways to strengthen customer service during these difficult and uncertain times.

Get management involved

As is the case for many things in business, key messaging requires buy-in from the top. Encourage your management and/or ownership group(s) to regularly interact with customers. Doing so cements customer relationships and communicates to employees that cultivating these contacts is part of your company culture and a foundation of its profitability.

Moving down the organizational chart, cultivate customer-service heroes. Post articles about the latest customer service achievements on your internal website or distribute companywide emails celebrating successes. Champion these heroes in meetings. Public praise turns ordinary employees into stars and encourages future service excellence. At our firm, we dedicate time in our weekly huddle to a "Customer Service Message of the Week," where we share a way to improve the customer experience, and ask a team member to bring an example highlighting that tip to the following week's meeting. We also shout out customer service WOW moments during those meetings. 

Just be sure to empower employees to make timely decisions. Don’t talk about catering to customers unless your staff can really take the initiative to act accordingly. Give your team the rope to make impactful customer service decisions, and let them know you support them. 

Continue to adjust

By now, you’ve likely implemented a few adjustments to serving your customers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Many businesses have done so, with common measures including:

• Explaining what you’re doing to cope with the crisis,


• Being more flexible with payment plans and deadlines, and


• Exercising greater patience and empathy.

Continually reassess your approach to customer service and make adjustments that suit the changing circumstances of not only the pandemic, but also your industry and local economy. Seize opportunities to help customers and watch out for mistakes that could hurt your company’s reputation and revenue.

Don’t give up

This year has put everyone under unforeseen amounts of stress and, in turn, providing world-class customer services has become even more difficult. Keep at it — your extra efforts now could lay the groundwork for a much stronger customer base in the future. Our firm can help you assess your customer service and calculate its impact on revenue and profitability. If you'd like to provide us with feedback related to our own customer service, you may do so here: Wilson Toellner CPA "Client Experience Survey"

© 2020