Pandemic Compounds 2020 Hurricane Season

April Wiita poses a probing point in a new Contact Center World piece: As the Pandemic Continues: Is Your Customer Service Ready for Hurricane Season?

Wiita has a grounded perspective to answer it. As vice president of Customer Success at Working Solutions, she is leading clients’ on-demand contact center workforces through the coronavirus pandemic, as she’s done for hurricanes, such as Matthew, Michael and dozens of others.

The 2020 hurricane season began June 1 and runs through November 30. This year, experts predict more storm severity than normal.

Preparation is everything, Wiita believes: “In our line of work—ensuring nonstop customer service—we run the numbers, calculate the odds and allocate resources on paper and in real time. Figuring out ‘what if’ and ‘then what’ scenarios gives clients a measure of comfort and a sense of control when planning business continuity.”

The ongoing COVID-19 crisis compounds the situation. Wiita advises having backup to your backup—with built-in, customer-service capabilities that can shift work to remote resources as needed.

“The last thing any business needs now is stuck-in-place solutions that can’t be mobilized,” she says.

The last thing any business needs now is stuck-in-place solutions that can’t be mobilized.

Read the entire piece to learn the right questions to ask.