Maintaining high customer care under COVID conditions

Since the Coronavirus pandemic hit, businesses have been affected, with many having to close their doors, furlough staff and deal with loss of business. As an essential business, TJ has remained open during this time, but changes to the way they operate have been made to ensure the safety of their staff and customers. Abbie Spratt, one of TJ’s customer service assistants, tells us how they’ve maintained high customer care levels during lockdown… 

What has changed within your role since lockdown began?

My workload has increased as we have experienced more demand for skip hire, particularly from the domestic market. As people are spending a lot more time at home at the moment, they’re noticing all those DIY projects that need doing so they’re keen to book skips to get those jobs done. This has resulted in additional emails and phone enquiries, with many of these calls lasting longer than they usually would as some people calling in are enjoying the chance for a chat at a time when company is not as accessible.

What measures are in place at TJ headquarters to keep staff safe and well?

Daily staff numbers have been kept to a level that makes social distancing possible within the office and we all know that we must remain 2m away from our colleagues at all times. Our desks have been adjusted to ensure that everyone in the office has their own space. We have the NHS posters displayed around the premises to remind everyone of the official Government guidance and there are hand sanitising stations in every department, with regular use being encouraged. It’s really odd when it’s time for a cuppa as we can no longer make a round for our colleagues,  we just have to make our own individually, it’s very strange!

How are you ensuring a high level of customer service is delivered?

We are all giving 110% to make sure that we are doing all we can to provide our customers with what they need. We always endeavour to do this of course, but right now, we all feel the importance of pulling together even more as a team to support each other, step in if a colleague is having to self-isolate and help out with tasks when a department is short staffed. We’re all working hard to ensure all customers receive the high-quality service they’re accustomed to. This way, we hope they will keep coming back to us throughout the pandemic and beyond. We’ve learnt to communicate even better as a team and can now instinctively step in and help whenever it’s needed.

What changes have been made to the skip hire service to ensure customer safety?

We’ve put many stringent measures in place to ensure the absolute safety of our customers. When a skip is dropped off at a customer’s address, the driver no longer gets the customer to sign for it, they maintain their distance and simply ask for their name to record as proof of delivery. Drivers ensure that they maintain their 2m distancing at all times. We’re following all the guidance from the Government to ensure that each and every recommended precaution is taken. We’re encouraging online or card payments wherever possible to limit physical contact during this time also.

What have customer relations been like during this time?

As I said, many customers are keen to get a conversation going on the phone, which is great! It’s lovely to chat to all our customers and it gives you a great perspective of the different situations our customers are in. They’re also keen to tell me all about the home projects they’re taking on during this time, so at least one good thing is coming out of all this!

If you have a home project that you want to get on with, why not take advantage of our skip hire service to make the job hassle-free? Whether you’re re-doing the garden, clearing out the garage or undertaking some renovation work, we have a skip for every job! Our skip hire FAQ will tell you all you need to know and more, so get an online quote today!