Survival of the fastest – There’s no new normal

Our customer conference, What’s Next 2020, features a keynote speech from Gerry Brown, known as the Customer Lifeguard. Gerry is on a mission to save the world from bad customer service. He will talk about how you can breathe life into your customer service operations and customer experience strategy by ensuring that your strategy, people and technology are aligned to provide positive outcomes for your customers and colleagues.

With over 35 years of experience in the customer service industry, and key roles with UK & North American customer service organisations and technology vendors, Gerry is also a published author, speaker and consultant. His broad experience in customer service, customer experience, contact centre, & CRM deployments, for a range of market segments will offer our attendees valuable insight.

We spoke to Gerry about his views on consumer behaviour since the crisis and what evolutionary organisations have done to keep their foot on the accelerator.

How would you differentiate companies that have thrived through the pandemic?

COVID-19 is the mother of all wake-up calls and it’s taken a wrecking ball to any concept of normality. But many companies have slept through the alarm.

At the same time, progressive organisations have reacted more swiftly, positively, and effectively than others. They were more prepared, with agile leadership, engaged, empathetic, flexible employees with innovation seeping from every pore, who rose early to survive and flourish in a continuously changing world. It’s survival of the fastest to adapt.

Are these companies now on the front foot as we emerge into a “new normal”?  

I’d actually say that the companies talking about a “new normal” have missed the fact that evolution is a journey, not a destination. They are hoping that once they’ve arrived at the “new normal” things will be just like they were in the old days – early 2020.

In reality, there is no new normal. This year, just like any other, consumer behaviour has evolved and companies need to adapt and keep pace with that.

What will you explore in your session at “What’s Next? 2020”?

In the session, we’ll explore the key elements that evolutionary companies have adopted to keep their eyes on the road and their foot on the accelerator, to take their customers and colleagues on the journey to successful and sustainable customer engagement.

We’ll look at the organisations that have embraced the holy trinity of business change – People, process and technology, sharing some examples.

We’ll also look at the vital role that customer experience and employee engagement, supported by a well-tuned orchestra of technology enablement, is playing in to deliver personalised and memorable experiences for all stakeholders.

Hear more from Gerry Brown…

The Customer Lifeguard will be speaking at our “What’s Next? 2020 Conference” – his keynote session is sure to inform, inspire and entertain in equal measure.