Customer service and the global pandemic

The pandemic has been one of the most transformative events in modern history. Life in the UK has changed fundamentally, and nowhere is this more evident than in the world of work. Two years of COVID-19 have altered not only the way we work but also our attitude towards the very concept of work itself:

• 37% of UK adults worked from home at some point in 2020. By September 2021, this had risen to 50%.
• Nearly half of UK employees want to work from home permanently, and 40% of businesses plan to implement hybrid working by 2023.
• Employees of all age groups reported a better work-life balance when working remotely, and almost 80% of businesses cited improved staff wellbeing as a key benefit.

Changes in retail were customer-driven

However, things were different in the retail sector. Stores remained open, and colleagues continued going into work, often at considerable risk to themselves.

The nature of retail work changed temporarily due to social distancing and other safety measures, but the biggest changes were in the expectations of customers. Shoppers had new priorities and began to seek a very different kind of shopping experience:

• In 2020, 57% of shoppers chose where to shop based on the ability to social distance.
• A further 37% prioritised convenience above all else.
• Customers were less willing to travel, making 22% fewer shopping trips in 2020.

This new focus on safety and convenience can also be seen in the rise of online and omnichannel shopping. 87% of UK adults made an online purchase in 2020, and e-commerce accounted for 36% of all retail sales in November 2020.

Click & Collect also became a dominant force. By allowing customers to minimise time spent in stores, the service perfectly captured the mood of the time. 80% of stores offered a Click & Collect service in 2020, and Click & Collect revenue is expected to reach £10 billion by 2023.

Will these changes last?

It’s not surprising that customer priorities changed in 2020. The real question for retailers is whether these changes will be permanent. Data from last year presents a mixed picture. On one hand, it appears that shoppers are eager to return to in-store shopping:

• 66% of consumers expect to return to their normal routines in 2022.
• 94% of shoppers say their finances have either returned to normal, or will do so this year.
• 41% of customers are keen to see items before they buy them, and 16% are looking forward to shopping socially again.

Get to know the post-pandemic shopper. Read our report here:

However, it seems that customers will also retain some of the behaviours and expectations developed during the pandemic:

• 20% of UK customers plan to continue shopping online after the pandemic.
• Over half plan to use Click & Collect more, and 61% have increased their use of self-checkouts.
• 70% of customers have switched to different brands, and 14% have lost all sense of brand loyalty.