Every December, I write a blog post with the customer experience trends for the next 12 months. One of my trends this year was ‘every company will become a healthcare company’. I didn’t have a clue back then what the situation in the world would be today. Our health has become our key priority. Wishing someone a healthy 2021 sounds very serious this year. Every organization in the world is currently re-thinking their processes and their customer interactions to make sure they are in line with the safety measures implemented in different markets around the world. Today, every company is a healthcare company.
Safety is only the beginning
Most companies are now in full preparation of a new start for their company. Every country in the world has specific safety restrictions. Entrepreneurs and their teams are showing the highest levels of creativity and flexibility ever to cope with the current context. It usually comes down to organizing your company for a six-feet or 1.5 meter economy. Adhering to national safety restrictions is a condition start up again so companies are doing everything that is necessary.
Coping with the safety guideline is not the hardest part; guaranteeing a pleasant customer experience is more difficult. It can start with small gestures. For instance, if you need to organise a waiting line outside of your store it would be a nice touch to make sure you have umbrellas available. When your teams return to the office creating a cool and funny set of mouth masks can bring a smile to people’s faces. Appoint ‘safety shouldn’t be boring’ people in your team. Find ways to cope with the safety measures in a customer- and employee-friendly way. The most important asset during this phase is your personal enthusiasm. Every time I go to the store, I notice it: people are SO friendly these days. If we can keep this boost of personal passion and positive energy, we can make the experience for customers really nice, even with the current limitations.
Have a positive impact on the health of your customers
When I say that every company is becoming a healthcare company I mean this goes further than installing safety measures. It actually means that companies will think more about the health of their customers and their employees. Health consciousness will increase in the next few years. If you are a retailer, you can influence the health of your customers by guiding them to the healthiest products. Make sure that you have a healthy alternative next to every unhealthy item and perhaps it would be even better if that healthy alternative were cheaper. If you work in the media industry maybe there are ways to help people with their mental health by setting up programs that offer personal coaching or by organizing yoga classes. Companies working in the food industry will be faced with the big challenge of making food healthier in the next few years. New entrants in the food industry often play exactly that card. Think of companies like Beyond Meat, Impossible Burger or Greenway in Belgium. All these companies market plant-based meat that is better for the planet, but at the same time it is also a lot healthier. Think of the financial services industry. There is a strong correlation between people with financial difficulties and health-related issues. How can a financial services company break that negative cycle for this customer group?
We are evolving from a world of healthcare towards a world of health. Every company, every industry has an impact on the health of humanity and that of their customers. How can your organization put customer health on the agenda and have an impact there?
