Consumer behaviour change #3: “My health is my priority”

Number three of my consumer behaviour changes after COVID series is called “My health is my priority”. COVID-19 has not only changed the way we work and carry out our life in general but it has also made people re-think about their health and it has spread a very important message: the fragility of our life!

I would also call this behaviour a sentiment because people are contemplating what their life priorities are as they are coming to the conclusion that they cannot rely solely on their healthcare system but they should prioritise health over anything else. As businesses, we are realising that amidst this growing global health crisis, we can definitely do more for our customers and employees out there. This means that health experiences will be on-demand and also health should be considered in every experience provided by a brand. As a result, every brand will become a healthcare brand and this goes further than installing safety measures imposed by local regulations. Health consciousness will increase in the next few years and should be taken into consideration regardless of the size and sector of a company. Every company in every industry now has an impact on the health of humanity and on the health of their customers.

As we are riding this coronavirus storm many consumers struggle with fear of the unknown and the number of people suffering from anxiety is expected to be incredibly high as we come out of lockdown. Coronavirus is leaving a traumatised society according to Prosper Insights.

• 33% are anxious about contracting the coronavirus and the 18-24 year old are most anxious 36.2% followed by 65+ 33.7%
• 35% worry about running out of household cleaning products followed closely by fresh produce 34.8% and fresh meat/poultry/fish 31.5%

Cleanliness is becoming a preoccupation likely to stay along with sanitisers remaining a daily way of life. I remember reading an article by the Insider talking about the cleaning obsession of Naomi Campbell and how people were ridiculing her for it. If this was a crazy thing to do before, now it will become the “new normal”. Are masks going to stay? Maybe yes and maybe we need to provide them to customers visiting stores, restaurants, cinemas etc.

Sentinel Healthcare is a new start-up in the US that uses an app to monitor consumers health remotely. This is a company that very quickly responded to the crisis by developing a fever tracking app involving connecting a wireless monitor that sends real-time updates about individuals to the medical systems healthcare provider, GP etc. Providing this personal solution not only appeals to the consumers’ desires to have their health tracked but it also lowers the data sharing barriers that consumers and patients have been worrying for some time. 

What should businesses do about it? 

Run an experience health check, not in terms of how healthy your CX is (also that) but in terms of how you can eliminate the concerns of your customers. With the new cleaning, safety and security issues you will need to start accepting the “end” of your old customer experience. You should now consider developing an experience that is frictionless, convenient, digital, omnichannel but also more than ever, safe. COVID-19 is reshaping new habits and lifestyles for everyone and you should figure out ways to win customers that now have new mindsets. If you are a retailer it is about time to offer healthier products by providing both alternatives: healthy and less healthy. If you are a restaurant or a coffee shop you will be challenged in making healthier food providing calorie consumption information for each dish and perhaps offering a whole set of healthy menus. As mentioned earlier in this article, we are not only talking about our customers’ physical health but most importantly we should consider the importance of mental health. If you are a media company you should start thinking about offering mental health programs and this is something that all social media giants should do as well, regardless of the age groups. The mental health consequences of this pandemic are only starting to show up in 2020 but what will they be in the coming years? 

There might be a huge increase in suicides from people who are having and will have financial struggles during and after COVID. If you are in the financial service sector how can you help the mental health of your customers? This is not only a humanitarian crisis but also the deepest economic crisis after the Great depression. This is your time to consider what role your product and service can play in the “health economy” and build this into your brand as either a core part of it or a part of the promise. Re-thinking and re-shaping your customer experience considering the “health factor” will build and strengthen a very important CX dimension that I talked about in my previous article here and here: TRUST, the queen in Customer Experience.

We really want to give our customers a break. Have you been thinking about how your business can have a positive impact on the health of your consumers? 

More consumer expectation changes in the next article. If you missed my latest customer experience webinar: “Adapting Customer Experience in times of COVID and beyond” you can watch the replay by registering your interest here.

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Originally published at www.thesmartercrew.com by Ilenia Vidili

Ilenia Vidili is a Customer Experience expert, international speaker and entrepreneur. She has over ten years of experience researching the (r)evolution of the digital era and successfully helping businesses across the globe in a variety of industries.