Customer Service Action launches coronavirus focused shopper survey
Coronavirus has changed our lives in a way we never thought possible. And many people are wondering – as our government prepares for the lockdown exit plan – what their daily lives will look like once restrictions are lifted.
Martin Newman has been working within the retail industry for more than 35 years. He is passionate about the high street and determined to put it back on the map.
To this end, he and his team at Customer Service Action have designed a survey which gives people the opportunity to express how they feel about shopping outside right now and how they’re likely to behave once the lockdown is lifted.
The data gathered (in compliance with GDPR regulations) will then help brands adapt better to their customers’ daily needs. RTIH is helping Customer Service Action spread the word about the initiative. We’re encouraging our visitors to complete the survey and share it on their social media accounts.
Check it out here.
Q&A: Martin Newman
RTIH: Tell us about yourself and Customer Service Action.
MN: I’m the consumer champion and have been working in retail for 37 years. I previously had the great privilege of heading up multi-channel operations for Harrods, Pentland Brands, Burberry and Ted Baker.
Customer service and customer experience have always been my passion and focus. I’ve written a best selling book about customer centricity, which was short-listed for business book of the year in 2019, and I’m currently writing my second one.
I set up Customer Service Action to be a force for positive change for both consumers and brands by giving consumers more of a voice to help find a resolution for their service related issues and by providing brands with the platform to deliver more transparent and efficient levels of service.
RTIH: Could you talk about your consumer survey, why you’re doing this and what you hope to achieve?
MN: I’m running the consumer survey because I want to take some of the guesswork and subjectivity out of what will happen next and how consumers will respond to the relaxation of lockdown measures. We’ve all got our own thoughts on it but I want to put some data and more importantly consumer insight behind changes in behaviour.
The goal is to be able to share this with retailers and other consumer-facing brands so that they can be better prepared to meet the need of consumers once they’re up and running again.
RTIH: Many people are predicting bad things for bricks and mortar retailers in a post-coronavirus world. More retail spend will shift online, many physical retailers won’t come back from what is currently happening etc etc. Where do you stand on this?
MN: Yes, e-commerce is currently huge. There has understandably been a massive uplift in sales online. This won’t last. However, when e-commerce sales soften, they will land at a bigger percentage of total retail sales. They were 20% before the pandemic and will probably land at between 25% and 30%. That’s a huge shift.
The high street and bricks and mortar stores still have a future. I see a high street that has a better combination of independent retailers alongside national chains. It will take some time before all consumers are comfortable going back into a retail store. However, there will still be a sizeable segment of consumers who currently can’t wait to get shopping again.
RTIH: How would you say UK essential retailers have been faring during the coronavirus outbreak. Are there certain things they could be doing better?
MN: Essential retailers have worked very hard to ensure our population is able to buy the fresh product, food, hygiene and other related products we need while we’re all in lockdown. And their employees, who have put themselves in harms way should also be loudly applauded.
Clearly the home delivery capacity has been stretched beyond existing capabilities, but that’s only to be expected. I believe we’ll see more emphasis in future on a more local supply chain, which will both help to mitigate the risk of something like the pandemic taking place again as well as shorter supply times.
Even if it means costs going up. The public are likely to be supportive particularly where there is the regeneration of industry in the UK as a result.
RTIH: What would you like to see Boris Johnson announce on Sunday and do you envisage the lockdown easing throughout May and into June?
MN: I would like to see a sensible, phased approach with some additional retail sectors and hospitality venues being allowed to open, albeit with reduced capacity. I’d expect some sectors to also return to work, albeit I don’t see a widescale return until June.
It would also be a real pick me up if sporting events were allowed to recommence behind closed doors. It would give us all something to look forward to at our ‘weekends’.
