CXFilipinas

Disabled travelers are experiencing hostility, anxiety, and humiliation from the TSA agents and customer service treatment with them. Wheelchairs broken in transit, airport escorts who never show up, children with autism separated from their parents at security gates and pat-downs that felt like sexual assaults are the most common complaints.

https://www.npr.org/2021/11/09/1049814332/despite-calls-to-improve-air-travel-is-still-a-nightmare-for-many-with-disabilit

Despite calls to improve, air travel is still a nightmare for many with disabilities Congress told the Transportation Security Administration and airlines in 2018 to improve air travel for people with disabilities. But TSA data and stories from flyers suggest little has improved.

80% of new customers are after brands that are easier to do business with, make them feel more valued, and appreciate them as people. Organizations with the best CX proactively identify and resolve customer issues, rather than waiting for them to tell you. They also use customer personas (a fictional character created to represent a user type that might use a site, brand, or product in a similar way) and journey maps to their advantage.

https://www.cmswire.com/customer-experience/3-ways-to-center-your-business-around-customer-experience/

Make Customer Experience the Center of Your Business Operations For customers, the experience your brand offers is just as important as the product.

Customer retention can increase profits by 25% to 95% according to research. Consumers of today want a more holistic view of their financial information, more control over their finances, more product choice, higher personalization, and data protection. BaaS or "Backend-as-a-Service" has been increasingly utilized to cater to the personalized needs of bank customers which some cleverly turned into "Banking-as-a-Service."

https://www.finextra.com/the-long-read/292/utilising-banking-as-a-service-for-personalised-propositions

Photo credit: M2P Fintech blog, "Banking As A Service-Redefining Financial Services" | Medium.com

Supply chains worldwide are buckling under the COVID19 pressure. While other retailers will absorb the impact of the supply chain crisis, 59% of them will be passing the burden to the consumers by increasing the prices. There will be fewer sales and promotions as well this holiday season.

https://www.retailcustomerexperience.com/news/retail-leaders-supply-chain-will-spike-prices-cause-product-shortage/

Retail leaders: Supply chain will spike prices, cause product shortage Every retail leader polled in a First Insight survey expects supply chain disruptions to affect prices, promotions and sales, according to a press release. The survey was conducted by First Insight and the Baker Retailing Center at the Wharton School…

As of date, a vaccine mandate is yet to be imposed on the Philippine labor force. But high officials are considering it and some even pushing it to take place.

At a time where the attrition rate is at its highest in America, many wonder if the vaccine mandate can make matters worse. On the contrary, increasing numbers of employees would prefer to work for a company with such health and safety measurements in place. How is vaccine mandate related to strengthening employee engagement?

https://www.triplepundit.com/story/2021/vaccine-mandates-employee-engagement/729861

Vaccine Mandates: An Employee Engagement Tool? A recent survey has suggested that vaccine mandates could be one way for employees to score trust engagement and loyalty from employees.

Happy Friday, everyone!🥰 Last Tuesday, October 5, 2021, we celebrated the Global Customer Experience Day. 🎉 Every first Tuesday of October is established by the CXPA - Customer Experience Professionals Association as the Global CX Day and has been officially acknowledged by the US Congress!👏

But we at CXFilipinas believe that every day should be CX Day! 🎈❤️

Championing CX often means proving its value and fighting to get people on board." These 50 fresh stats can help you strengthen your resolve to keep pursuing CX interests for your organization such as Forrester's study shows that customers are 2.7 times more likely to spend more when companies communicate clearly, or that 90% of B2B buyers will turn to a competitor if a supplier’s digital channel can’t keep up with their needs according to Avionos research.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/blakemorgan/2021/10/04/celebrate-cx-day-with-50-fresh-stats-that-prove-the-value-of-cx/

Celebrate CX Day With 50 Fresh Stats That Prove The Value Of CX Companies and customers have faced unimaginable changes and challenges over the past two years and made customer experience more crucial than ever before. To celebrate CX Day and the importance of CX in all companies, here are 50 fresh statistics that prove the value of CX.

E-commerce giants like Lazada and Shopee saw a “huge uptick” in sales of essential goods and hobbies-related items during the pandemic. At least 37% of the Philippines’ digital service consumers were new to online services when the pandemic hit, but 95% of these consumers are expected to continue using online channels even when the pandemic will ever be over. What are the must-knows for a new online seller to hit the ground running?


bworldonline.com/in-navigating-e-commerce-new-online-sellers-need-help-too/

In navigating e-commerce, new online sellers need help too - BusinessWorld WITH mall shopping now a distant memory for many, how has the process of enticing customers to buy your wares changed in the e-commerce age?

One secret to withstanding the " " is to hire people other employers overlook. Bitwise Industries, for example, provides paid apprenticeships to marginalized communities and specifically "recruits workers from historically disenfranchised communities and systemic poverty." Nationwide Mortgage Bankers or NMB, on the other hand, has a different strategy: create roles for the people they want to hire, rather than finding people to fill pre-determined positions.

https://fortune.com/2021/08/09/best-small-medium-workplaces-2021-bitwise-great-resignation-recruitment-retention/

Why the Best Small and Medium Workplaces aren’t worried about the ‘Great Resignation’ Many employers are facing a hiring crunch—a fight to find and retain talent as business picks up and job openings soar.

Since the start of the pandemic, 32% of Asia-Pacific consumers have reached out to business support via messaging for the first time, 50% of businesses offer messaging because it provides faster time-to-resolution, and 42% use it to provide 24-hour support. The B2C e-commerce platform SHEIN, for example, earned a 73% decrease in first-response reply time and a 50% increase in the number of Instagram messages customer service agents could respond to in one hour because of conversational support.

https://aithority.com/machine-learning/why-conversational-tech-is-transforming-the-customer-experience/

Why Conversational Tech is Transforming the Customer Experience Conversational experiences are just one part of creating an ongoing relationship with your customers, writes Zendesk's senior executive.

Due to the pandemic, more companies big and small became more conscious of their employees' health and mental wellness. But a new rigorous study by Harvard University and The University of Chicago revealed a surprising result that employee wellness programs neither make workers healthier nor save companies money.

https://www.inc.com/jessica-stillman/employee-wellness-programs-harvard-university-chicago.html

A New Study Suggests Employee Wellness Programs Are Pretty Much Useless Employee wellness programs neither make workers healthier nor save companies money, says new research out of Harvard and the University of Chicago.

In the , employees would want the flexibility of being more productive with a work-from-home setup but also want in-person interactions. "The 'hybrid' is emerging as an essential way of doing business going forward," says Desmond Dickerson, Director, Future of Work, Microsoft. Twitter also saw the advantage of offering remote work as a permanent setup as they can hire talents across the country or even internationally.

Are we looking at the for white-collar jobs in the Philippines?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RC_PXR660l8

How a rise in remote employment may impact post-pandemic work life Unemployment claims dropped again Thursday, and this week may also bring a clearer picture of what's happening with the job market. As more Americans get vac...

"The COVID-19 pandemic has forever changed the way people access healthcare. Digital health and well-being solutions are at a distinct advantage over traditional programs when it comes to data collection, analysis, and action. Through the power of information and advanced data science, each employee’s path can be personalized to drive the greatest potential participation and the highest level of success." - J. Kevin Porter, Employee Benefit News (EBN)

https://www.benefitnews.com/opinion/emerging-employee-benefit-trend-digital-health-and-well-being

Emerging employee benefit trend: Digital health and well-being Employees already spend more than a third of their waking hours on a device, so why not meet them where they’re at by offering interactive, easy-to-access digital health and well-being options.

Did you know that 20% of work-from-home employees are said to be lost and battling through loneliness? Tracy Cote, Chief People Officer at Zenefits talks about how business owners can keep their remote workers engaged especially introverts.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ul6rVSwg8Qs

How to Keep Remote Employees Connected during a Pandemic Tracy Cote, Chief People Officer at Zenefits, reveals quick tips on how small business owners can keep remote employees engaged to help improve employee rete...

It's now easier to send CXFilipinas a message.

Identifying and developing new organization leaders and managers who can replace previous key players when they leave, retire, or die should always be a prime priority for every company. But because of the unpredictability brought on by the pandemic, succession planning became even more critical.

What are the roles that require succession planning? How do you chart success for high potential employees? Read on to find out.

https://www.hrexchangenetwork.com/hr-talent-management/articles/succession-planning-in-the-new-normal-preparing-for-a-changing-workforce

Succession Planning in the New Normal: HR's Guide to Evolving the Workforce Succession planning may seem like a luxury at a time like this, but it's the uncertainty of futures that should make succession planning a top priority for every HR team in 2020 and beyond.

How can VUCA (Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity and Ambiguity) of the late 1990s be resolved by the VUCA Prime of 2007 (Vision, Understanding, Clarity, Agility) in the business world? Can the VUCA leadership skills and strategies help to provide meaningful Customer Experience and Employee Experience at this crucial time of the pandemic?

Read on to know the interesting take of Mary Jane Valero PhD, a seasoned organizational leader and CX and EX specialist.

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/using-vuca-prime-reshape-customer-employee-new-normal-valero-phd/?trackingId=kqUCJYB9R1KrmIMVYIDTDQ%3D%3D

Using VUCA Prime to Reshape Customer and Employee Experiences in the New Normal | by Mary Jane Valero PhD | LinkedIn Published: March 1, 2021. Five years ago, I was invited by a retail and distribution company to talk about VUCA in the context of Customer Experience (CX) in their annual national conference. I remember being so passionate about the topic that I even did a mystery shopping series, weeks before my ta...

Love ordering food online? Or want to start up a food business but does not have funds to build your store? The latest trend in the food industry is what they call "ghost kitchen" (aka dark kitchen, virtual kitchen, or cloud kitchen), a cooking facility that produces food for delivery but has no dining area for customers.

Despite the COVID19 restrictions, this method allows small businesses to start with a small investment and lesser risks. Is it worth a try in your area?


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Dt4biV7pto

How Covid-19 Accelerated The Rise Of Ghost Kitchens Ghost kitchens are kitchens designed for delivery-only businesses, without dine-in areas or customer facing storefronts. The pandemic has ravaged dine-in eat...

As we continue to navigate through the this 2021, most employees and other members of the workforce still have to battle it out in everyday transport. What are the best ways to protect yourself and others when commuting via public utility vehicles or ride-hailing services?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M6CfIrpARXE

Transportation best practices during Covid-19 Best Transportation practices during COVID-19

In 2021, "more businesses will become platform-driven digital business and use of these technologies will continue to rise."

Automation will:
- Automate routine, repetitive, predictable tasks
- Unlock tactical benefits
- Strengthen operational efficiency
- Increase accuracy of platforms
- Improve user experiences across ecosystems
- Drive cost efficiencies and realignments

"In an increasingly uncertain future, businesses will continue to gravitate towards solutions that make them more resilient and agile."


financialexpress.com/industry/technology/looking-ahead-clouds-reign-to-continue/2170496/

Looking Ahead 2021: Cloud’s reign to continue 2021 tech predictions— king cloud, IoT and the technologies of the new normal

Marks and Spencer, Dan Post Boot Company, and rue21 benefited in using "research and predictive analytics to both better deal with their shoppers and position their stores, products, and brands."

How can local retailers acquire and use customer experience data to generate sales?

https://www.forbes.com/sites/warrenshoulberg/2021/01/13/actionable-data-from-customer-experience-analytics-helping-retailers-to-get-better/?fbclid=IwAR38jwfsPcb60sjru5GspwlnWMhkrd6q3L_POVIYxv8bre5a7NDiEVZx74g&sh=452d19b51e3

Actionable Data From Customer Experience Analytics Helping Retailers To Get Better Rather than rely on after-the-fact customers surveys or other techniques more brands are analyzing experiences in buying, branding, products and even employee skills

A restaurant in Rome, Italy, Retrobottega, struggled without the influx of tourists during the pandemic. But they cleverly adapted their business model by focusing more on the locals and selling raw ingredients from local farms to customers that the restaurant actually uses in their food.

What can restaurants in the Philippines, especially those who use locally-grown ingredients, learn from them?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ioApONGVDkw

How a restaurant survives without tourists during the coronavirus pandemic Like many Roman restaurants, Retrobottega adapted its business model during the coronavirus lockdown. Owner and chef, Giuseppe Lo Iudice, reflects on how the...

𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐂𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐒𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐜𝐞

Customers made difficult adjustments and decisions last year and most service providers tried their best to still connect with their best customers. This new year, as we continue to co-exist with the virus to survive and thrive – we will definitely see the steady rise of competitive digital platforms and experience various forms of contactless service from major food and transportation providers.

Because of the current condition, excellent customer experience became more challenging as companies strive to strike a balance between hi-touch and hi-tech strategies. Here's a quick rundown of the most visible ones to customers:

· Since talking in enclosed areas is discouraged – the majority would have signages and/or QR codes for instructions. Keen attention to branding and marketing merchandising materials is most essential.

· The visibility of frontliners and support personnel is another factor. The concept of uniforms has evolved as utility is now the keyword – plus the perception of cleanliness. The use of the right face masks, face shields, and PPE-like garments are now the latest trends.

· Choice of protective barriers is critical too. Some prefer plastic while others use acrylic – or even glass dividers. Aside from the impression of seriousness in ensuring safety – this should be chosen carefully as it somehow gives customers an idea of the company's financial standing.

· Payment mechanisms should be a peak point of the customer's experience now. It should be fully digitized as much as possible to reduce contact – and should be seamless too.

· The layout and seating capacity are given the most attention. It is telling of how organized and customer-focused a company is. On one hand – it hopes to attract more foot traffic and on another – it needs to ensure all customers feel safe while having their full experience. Reduction to 50% capacity is definitely a huge challenge for food and other service industries but it is doubly difficult for the transportation sector. This must be well-planned and well-executed.

These are just five of the most obvious strategies companies employ to remain connected with their customers. But the greatest measures of CX – especially during this time – would be in the human touch – greeting, smiling, and thanking customers. When the instruction is contactless – with less talk and with smiles hidden behind masks (only the projection of a happy-to-serve voice remains 😊) – companies must exert more efforts to let customers feel that the experience they will get is safe, thorough, and thoughtful.

Given all these – a new CX Charter of Standards – regardless of company size and industry should be mapped. Digitizing while also humanizing the delivery of services is no longer a strategy to future-proof an organization. It is what companies need right now. It is how customers want to connect with their providers today.

Need assistance on your new CX Charter of Standards? CXFilipinas can help design and deploy what will define or redefine how you connect with old and new customers this year and beyond. Reach us out at [email protected].

The changing customer behavior impacted by COVID19 pushed the third-largest bank in the Netherlands, ABN AMRO, to enhance their financial advising ways through Microsoft Teams

What can local banks learn from them?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fuua5TjPfKg

ABN AMRO differentiates its omnichannel customer experience using Microsoft Teams Headquartered in Amsterdam in the Netherlands, ABN AMRO’s 17,800 employees serve retail, corporate, and private banking clients. ABN AMRO builds on its reput...

To adapt to the changing consumer behavior impacted by COVID19, Starbucks turned to contactless service, closing 400 stores in high-risk areas and switching to 'To-go' and 'Pick-up Only' service. Starbucks also had its partners (employees) covered by willingly paying them as some of them had to stay home.

How can we adapt to the same business model with local businesses and organizations?



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l3TFkPSXEOQ&t=141s

How Starbucks is adjusting to life and business with COVID-19 Last week Starbucks announced it would be closing up to 400 stores in the U-S and Canada over the next 18 months. At the same time, they're also shifting...

With all the news on job layoffs, retrenchments, job cuts and company closing down, sharing where to find the next opportunity is a big help.

If you know someone with skills matching the description below, tag/mention them, or if you yourself are interested, shout it out in the comment section so we can connect them to the companies in need of these talents.

Zappos, an American online shoe and clothing retailer, is known for their unique yet fun company culture and their relentless pursuit of giving memorable customer experiences. What can we learn from their best practices and their simple motto: "to live and deliver WOW"?
Zappos.com
Zappos Insights
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ecb8n4uupus

The Zappos Brand & Customer Service Spotlight | Zappos Stories The telephone was invented by Alexander Graham Bell on March 10, 1876. The first conversation was probably less than 10 seconds long. He said to his assistan...

𝟓 𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐩𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐌𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐌𝐚𝐧𝐩𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐌𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐥 𝐃𝐢𝐬𝐫𝐮𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬
By Mary Jane Valero PhD

After eight months of being miserable (or extremely challenged) because of the pandemic – all businesses are now busy with planning sessions for 2021. Thing is, even the smartest folks can't predict what is going to happen next year or the years after. Everybody is on a waiting game for the vaccine which we all hope will allow us to at least enjoy some of the old normal ways of being and doing.

We are approaching the last month of 2020! The year is almost over – or for some, it is officially over as CFOs have already made projections of the yearend net income. But how about the 2021 forecasts?

If you are running, managing, or leading a business – what will you do? Fold up? Minimize locations? Focus on specialized segments? Digitize? Or combine all of these plus other strategies? Majority of business decision-makers would declare the need to significantly reduce operational expenses since the outlook is not too positive. But what do we actually reduce? Expenses on utilities? On rent? On office equipment and supplies? The most visible – with highest returns on cost savings is definitely what is dreaded by all businesses – reduction in manpower.

The biggest question – also the most difficult to answer is – who will the company let go? How do we identify the employees to forego? Should it be based on tenure – i.e. last in, first out or the other way around? On performance? On location? On position? On rank? On salary grade? And another – what to do with sick employees? This dilemma is upon all CEOs and HR heads!

Indeed, a very daunting task. Balance between company (its business) and compassion (for affected employees), fairness and future, survival and sustainability. And as I reflect on this – I remember the game of ‘pick up sticks’. The rule of the game is that no player should touch, move – or disrupt other sticks when trying to pick up one. It is quite simple but it needs a good strategy. When talking about manpower reduction – all efforts to ‘pick up stick/s’ should be like that – with zero to minimal disruptions. Which would we choose then – redundancy, retrenchment, or early retirement? In our context, we always aim for voluntary separations to avoid labor disputes later, which could be more expensive.

Simple rule and goal one might say. But the hard work really is on the strategy to avoid the disruptions. As an HR Head myself – who not only need to reflect but make this a reality, these are the important considerations – which fall under an overarching strategy of profiling the entire organization – an exercise that should be done regularly.

𝟏. 𝐒𝐞𝐭 𝐚 𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐭 – 𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐮𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐧𝐮𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐨 𝐤𝐞𝐲 𝐝𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧-𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐫𝐬. How many people can you keep? What figure are you comfortable with – considering the capacity of the organization based on the projected 2021 income.

𝟐. 𝐒𝐭𝐮𝐝𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐓𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐎𝐫𝐠𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐳𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 (𝐓𝐎) 𝐨𝐟 𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡 𝐠𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐩/𝐝𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧/𝐝𝐞𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭. Update Job Descriptions (JDs) based on new business priorities. Then identify the excess manpower of a team by reviewing tasks against JDs.

𝟑. 𝐈𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐟𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐨𝐥𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐛𝐞 𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐬𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐜𝐞𝐝. Compare the costs, effect on operations and impact on overall service delivery – especially if customer experience is a primary business strategy.

𝟒. 𝐑𝐮𝐧 𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐭𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐬 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐮𝐫𝐞, 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬, 𝐧𝐮𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐟 𝐞𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐨𝐲𝐞𝐞𝐬 𝐩𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐦, 𝐞𝐭𝐜.Use these sets of data in analyzing which teams to merge, share, increase/decrease in capacity.

𝟓. 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐬𝐞 𝐞𝐟𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐬 𝐚𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐠𝐮𝐥𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐲 𝐚𝐬 𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐛𝐥𝐞. It could be monthly, quarterly – or as often as there is significant information gathered. No business can definitely afford to just gather and review these evidences at the end of the year.

After doing these – you will have a clearer picture of your organization. Often, when we rely only on productivity – we may miss other important considerations. We could miss that there are actually vacancies which need not be filled; there are excess headcounts in other teams that can be upskilled and put elsewhere; there are duplicate functions in different teams; there are interim or temporary roles which should have been removed after automation projects went live; there are roles that are not fully optimized because of too much dependencies; and a lot more.

When you profile your organization comprehensively – you will know and understand it better. You will be in a better position to communicate very clearly to your employees – especially to those who will be affected by your manpower reduction initiatives. It will be easier to convince them that letting go of certain positions will help save and sustain the organization.

Of course, setting realistic timelines to accomplish all of these is critical as you need to inform different parties – the employees concerned; the employees’ union, if any; the governing Board; and the government regulators.

Again, when you look at your organization’s ‘sticks’ with a bigger view – you see how they are placed and you can pull out one, two, five, 10, 20 – or more sticks with strategic moves that will allow you to have very minimal or no disruptions at all.

Despite the pandemic, Thai Airways set the best example of understanding their customers and responding and adapting according to their wants and needs.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MsjWr3Dh3DM&feature=youtu.be

Thai Airways opens restaurant for customers craving in-flight meals Subscribe to our YouTube channel for free here: https://sc.mp/subscribe-youtube As Thailand’s ban on international commercial flights remains in place amid t...

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐖𝐎𝐑𝐊𝐏𝐋𝐀𝐂𝐄 𝐎𝐅 𝐓𝐎𝐃𝐀𝐘
By Mary Jane Valero PhD

The quality of services of all companies significantly evolved – either deliberately or by force – to adapt to the changing demands of customers due to the COVID-19 pandemic. After almost a year, organizations are even more baffled on what to prioritize for next year or what to really plan for considering that the days and months ahead are quite uncertain.

The more critical concern now for companies is how they can survive, remain afloat, and eventually move towards sustainability. The strategy a company should formulate must address both external and internal customers; in essence, achieving a strong balance between CX and HR efforts.

The 𝑾𝒐𝒓𝒌𝒑𝒍𝒂𝒄𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝑻𝒐𝒅𝒂𝒚 therefore needs to strategize around these 𝟑𝐏𝐬 in order to achieve Customer Engagement + Loyalty and Employee Engagement + Retention with the end goal of providing more visible and more concrete impact to the bottomline.

The first P corresponds to 𝐏𝐑𝐎𝐅𝐈𝐋𝐄 which is the anchor for customer intimacy – only those organizations which know their customers personally (i.e. intimately) – their needs and wants will survive. Companies must identify who gives the biggest value to them by customizing a formula to compute for the customer lifetime value. With the use of real-time and existing personal and transactional data, spending patterns, complaints or feedback and social media interests, companies can deduce insights to better understand what they really value and what is significant to them.

By knowing the customers deeply, one can easily deliver more curated contents, products, and services. Same should be done on the HR side, knowing the employee lifetime value and historical and current performance levels could help people managers easily decide on placement, selection, rotation, compensation, and trainings.

The second P is 𝐏𝐄𝐑𝐂𝐄𝐈𝐕𝐄. After all that happened, companies have to go back to their mission and vision statements and key commitments to customers. They need to ask if they are still aligned to what is valuable to the customers now that their mindsets and perceptions have changed because of the pandemic. Companies have worked on assuring the physical safety of customers and employees; they also realized the value of virtual channels hence increased their resolve to strengthen digital security to retain and win more customers.

If ‘perception is reality’ in service – customers must therefore have a recall of how a brand helped them through the COVID-19 crisis. Internally thru HR, companies must continuously align and realign teams on the need for support and manpower. Since the workforce has been profiled already (through the first P), HR can deploy and redeploy – from the pool of talents to keep up with the brand’s service delivery promise.

The last P is 𝐏𝐑𝐈𝐎𝐑𝐈𝐓𝐈𝐙𝐄. Companies should anticipate the customer’s need rather than respond only through a feedback mechanism. Learning and understanding the patterns when customers reach the company’s channels will help increase its commitment to being proactive. Gone are the days when companies apologize for delays in serving customers as they are on skeleton workforce onsite. There should be no more excuses especially now that people have more time to connect and complain. They also spend more time trying various channels plus – their attention span is considerably shorter due to home confinement and limited activities. On the HR side, companies should try to save more jobs by assessing competency gaps of employees to perform the current need (i.e. essential functions) of the company and addressing these with appropriate trainings and job immersions.

After storming – by responding to the threats and risks for both internal and external customers –– companies should now move to norming thru the 𝟑𝐏𝐬 (𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐟𝐢𝐥𝐞, 𝐏𝐞𝐫𝐜𝐞𝐢𝐯𝐞, 𝐏𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐳𝐞) – towards 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐳𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 and eventually – 𝐬𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲.