In the wake of recent large-scale IT outages, including those affecting CrowdStrike, the importance of maintaining active customer feedback programs during crises has become starkly evident. While the chaos of such events presents significant challenges, it also offers crucial lessons on the value of real-time customer insights, empathetic communication, and continuous engagement.
Here are my top takeaways for CX professionals to better understand how customer feedback can be harnessed to strengthen trust and improve response to crises.
Leveraging real-time insights during crises
The CrowdStrike IT outage and its impact on various sectors, including airlines and financial institutions, underscored the necessity of keeping customer feedback programs active during crises. With the disruption causing extensive flight cancellations and delays, the airlines that managed to maintain open lines of communication and actively seek feedback were better positioned to adapt quickly. Real-time feedback provided crucial insights into customer pain points, enabling these companies to reallocate resources effectively and prioritize recovery efforts.
While most airlines managed to recover from the IT outage relatively quickly, some airlines have struggled to recover, with many canceled flights and delays due to the outage affecting their systems. This scenario highlights the necessity of maintaining real-time customer feedback. By keeping feedback programs active during crises, companies can gather immediate insights into customer pain points and operational issues. This enables them to allocate resources more efficiently and respond proactively to emerging problems, ultimately mitigating the impact of the crisis.
Tailoring empathetic communication using customer feedback
Effective communication during a crisis is essential for maintaining customer trust and sentiment. The ongoing issues faced by some airlines illustrate the importance of tailoring communication to be more relevant and empathetic. Customers are more likely to remain loyal and patient when they feel understood and valued. By using feedback to gauge customer sentiment, companies can craft messages that address specific concerns and demonstrate genuine empathy.
During the CrowdStrike outage, for instance, the swift acknowledgment and transparency displayed by CrowdStrike’s leadership helped manage the narrative and mitigate misinformation. Although they did an excellent job communicating openly, there was reportedly a lack of rigorous pre-deployment testing, which revealed areas for improvement. Similarly, other organizations that actively engaged with their customers and adjusted their messaging based on real-time feedback were better able to regain trust and mitigate frustration.
Building trust through continuous engagement
Continuous engagement with customers during crises is crucial for demonstrating commitment and building long-term trust. The long-term impact of a crisis often hinges on how well a company engages with its customers throughout the recovery period. In managing customer expectations and repairing relationships, companies that provided regular updates and actively sought customer feedback were more successful.
Because of the widespread impact and financial repercussions of the CrowdStrike outage, the company faces significant challenges in rebuilding market confidence. This serves as a reminder that ongoing customer engagement, even after the immediate crisis has passed, is vital for restoring trust and loyalty.
Prioritizing key customers with VoC insights
Effective crisis management involves segmenting and prioritizing responses based on customer insights. During the recent outages, companies that used VoC data to identify and prioritize high-value clients were able to allocate resources more efficiently and address the most pressing concerns first. This strategic approach not only helped in managing immediate issues but also in strengthening relationships with key stakeholders.
For example, airlines that identified frequent flyers and business travelers through feedback mechanisms were able to offer more tailored support and compensation, thereby maintaining their loyalty. Despite its shortcomings, Crowdstrike showed a commitment to customer service during the crisis, allowing its high-priority clients’ systems to be re-enabled as quickly as possible.
Final thoughts
The recent IT outages serve as a powerful reminder of the need for robust customer feedback programs and crisis management strategies. By keeping feedback channels open, communicating empathetically, continuously engaging with customers, and prioritizing key stakeholders, companies can navigate crises more effectively and emerge stronger. Through these practices, not only can immediate disruptions be managed, but also loyalty can be built and/or rebuilt among customers.
