Is the Pandemic Causing Businesses to Be Less Efficient?

I just arrived home from a local NJ CVS. I'm well into the editing of my next book on communication and self-development, but I needed to run to the nearest store to buy my cats dry food. For my pet fans out there, you know the drill.

I went to the local CVS and it's been fine there for a while, but wow oh wow, things have changed. It seems as though management had a new idea and this time, well, they tried a little too hard and in that mix, it's causing confusion and customer rants.

Instead of one line, they created a series of two lines coming from two separate directions. Think of a road with cars coming from one way and another set of cars coming from the other way, but they're in one lane facing each other meeting in the middle at a stop sign. The stop sign is an opening to see who is next. This creates havoc and confusion of customers thinking who is next. No one knows. This also can cause customers to argue.

Once you get to the registers, you're elbow to elbow with the two people next to you so there is clearly no social distancing there. So why cause all that confusion in the lines going TWO ways instead of one? You're not really distancing people because at the register, you're shoulder to shoulder. There once was one efficient line and now there's a disaster story of two lines coming from two ways and everyone seems to be next.

I've owned a B2C business and I know it's tough for managers to figure out dilemmas. I have also built websites for the past 16 years so user experience is tremendously helpful. As an executive coach, process is everything. If the process is broken, things fall apart.

My statement is as such: With the pandemic in mind, please be considerate to not overthink everything. Look at your process. Pay attention to your customer journey. In many businesses, processes seem to be broken without a pandemic but with it, some seem worse off.

Does anyone else out there feel this way with their business? If so, are you brave enough to reach your hand up to say, "I need help in re-thinking my customer journey map!"

I'd love to be of assistance to business managers and leaders to help guide them through tasks which they know are failing and just don't know where to begin. And if you don't know, your customers will surely tell you in the end. Be set up so well so that doesn't happen.

Let's have a conversation. I'm not a big fan of the pandemic and I also think the word needs an "L" in it. I'm not trusting of the powers at the top at the moment, but I do trust my instincts on how to effectively help a business run on process and to help managers so that they don't set themselves up for failure.

Know what's wrong before your customers do.

Let's talk next week. Click here to schedule a virtual coffee.

Elizabeth Barry is an executive coach and marketing consultant with 20 years of experience coaching leaders towards success. She’s been blessed to curate 17 TEDx events from concept to completion including helping speakers write and share their talks for the stage. She has 6 books based on self-development and as a result of her work, clients are motivated, productive and happy. Elizabeth is a vessel of emotionally powerful love that will transform your business, career, communication and voice with positivity and inspiration. Learn more at www.thekindcommunicator.com