COVID-19 has forced service providers to change the way they communicate with clients and customers. From healthcare providers to retailers, offering services remotely has been the key to survival for many. Even before our world changed, remote healthcare and customer service were becoming more common in some industries – and for good reason!
In this blog, we’ll look at industries that have successfully adapted to offering services remotely, and the benefits of making this switch. We will also explore how call center training for your employees could help your business thrive during the pandemic and beyond.
1. Psychology and Counselling
COVID-19 has put even more pressure on psychologists and mental health professionals. They have been required to adapt to continue to provide essential services to their patients. Because of services that existed before the pandemic, as well as changes made in response to patient needs, mental health professionals have been able to continuer providing care to patients.
Understandably, the pandemic has led to more people experiencing mental health difficulties. For these people, as well as existing mental health patients, treatment could not be put on hold due to lockdowns and self-isolation.
The pandemic led to a rise in calls to crisis lines in all corners of the globe. Telephone counselling is an effective service because it offers benefits that face-to-face consultations cannot provide. For example, it allows patients in urgent need of support to access emergency counselling services quickly. Additionally, the mental health knowledge and exceptional communication skills of telephone counsellors have changed lives for the better.
Other areas of psychology have also needed to adapt. Without being able to conduct face-to-face consultations, psychologists and patients have been communicating remotely. Remote consultations have made it easier for people living in remote areas to access psychology services. They have also helped people who live with mental health conditions that make face-to-face communication challenging.
2. Customer Service
For years, many businesses have found success offering customer service remotely. In fact, as the online retail industry grows, the need for qualified remote customer service professionals will only increase. Business from the largest multinational corporations to the smallest online boutiques have discovered the many benefits of providing remote customer service.
Some businesses rely solely on remote customer service, like call centers, while others use a combination of remote and face-to-face, depending on their size and business model. One benefit of utilizing remote customer service is that they are often cheaper than face-to-face teams. They save the cost of renting out bricks-and-mortar stores for customers to visit. Instead, team members can work in either an office or from home. This is an especially useful benefit for smaller businesses, or those that are just starting out.
In addition, remote customer service call centers help customers receive support quickly. Customers value the convenience of receiving support through a simple phone call. Further, in current circumstances, clients often do not want to or are not able to attend a physical store, or contact center, to receive support.
3. Healthcare
As the world faces uncertainty through COVID-19, providing efficient and reliable access to healthcare services has never been so important. However, risk-averse patients, practice restrictions, and government policies have made offering in-person healthcare services difficult.
Remote consultations have allowed patients to continue to seek healthcare from their regular provider. They have also allowed healthcare providers to monitor symptoms and recovery of COVID-19 patients without coming into direct contact with them, reducing the chance of the disease spreading further. These consultations, often conducted by video or phone, have allowed doctors, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, and other healthcare professionals continue to provide their much-needed services to clients.
Before, during, and after COVID-19 restrictions, remote consultations have been useful for both healthcare practitioners and their patients. Firstly, like remote psychology, they have allowed specialist healthcare providers to consult with people in rural areas. Rural patients may not otherwise have access to the care they need. In addition, people with chronic health conditions who cannot visit doctors in person regularly have been able to consult with healthcare providers from the comfort of their own home.
Though the healthcare industry cannot rely solely on telehealth long-term, offering remote consultations makes high-quality healthcare accessible to more people.
How Can Remote Service Delivery Benefit Your Business?
Remote service delivery can bring many benefits to both service providers and clients. Regardless of your industry, equipping your employees with remote customer service skills will benefit your business long-term.
Firstly, offering customer service remotely expands your potential customer base. Interacting via telephone, video, or other face-to-face alternatives means that you can reach customers and clients all over the world. This includes clients who live in areas with limited in-person access to the service you offer. Providing only face-to-face services limits your potential customers and clients to locals. That’s bad news for both you and those who benefit from your service.
In addition, offering remote service delivery means that you can recruit employees from anywhere in the world. If the right applicant lives in a different city, or even a different country, offering remote services means that this is no longer a problem. You will now have access to the highest quality applicants from anywhere in the world.
As we have experienced this year, we can never quite foresee what the future will bring. It’s important to be prepared for all possibilities. Ensure your employees receive training in remote customer service skills, like phone customer service, video communication, and email and social media etiquette, to prepare your organization for a digital future. They will also be prepared to work from home in a future that relies less on formal office spaces.
What’s Next?
If you think that offering services and consultations remotely could work for your business and want to learn more, you’ve come to the right place! Careerline Courses offers online courses in Call Centre Training and Telephone and Online Counselling. Each of these courses requires only 20 hours of study to complete and will provide you and your employees with invaluable new communication skills.
Want to learn more? Get in touch with our team today HERE >
