Podcast ¦ CX Files: John Devlin – Ascensos – Flashback To Day One Of The 2020 Covid Lockdowns

Key Take Aways

• The COVID-19 pandemic has acted as a catalyst for rapid business adaptation, particularly in contact centres and customer experience (CX) domains.
• Companies have shifted from traditional physical office settings to remote working models, often with over 600 employees enabled for home working within weeks.
• Organisational restructuring to support critical sectors such as healthcare (e.g., NHS) has been a priority, including repurposing office space to support social distancing and essential services.
• The crisis has accelerated digital transformation initiatives, with increased deployment of assisted technology and robotic process automation (RPA) to manage transactions remotely.
• Businesses are adopting new communication strategies, such as SMS alerts and virtual IVRS systems, to enhance customer interaction and manage increased or fluctuating demand levels.
• The pandemic underscores the importance of building organisational resilience and agility, with a focus on business continuity planning.
• Customer demand ebbs and flows across sectors: increased demand in essential sectors like groceries, contrasted with reductions in discretionary spending such as retail and hospitality.
• Companies are proactively supporting community initiatives, offering office space to NGOs and healthcare providers to facilitate social distancing and operational needs.
• Future operational models will likely emphasise the critical importance of remote working capability and digital infrastructure.
• The crisis has highlighted the need for incorporating risk management, particularly pandemic-related risks, into strategic planning processes.
• Digital transformation is anticipated to become a permanent priority, driven by the realisation that technology-enabled agility is essential for risk mitigation and operational continuity.
• Industry-wide, organisations expect to redesign their core propositions around enhanced resilience, agility, and digital maturity.

Key Statistics

• Over 600 employees were enabled to work from home within two weeks.
• Lockdown measures in the UK were initially announced for three weeks but were subsequently extended, with ongoing impacts through 2020 and 2021.
• The UK government imposed social distancing measures requiring two metres of space between colleagues in contact centres.
• A specific example cited support for the NHS and key worker assistance, including relief of office space constraints.

Key Discussion Points

• How companies responded immediately to the onset of COVID-19 and the shift to remote working.
• The role of technology, such as RPA and assisted channels, in maintaining operational continuity.
• The restructuring of teams and operations to adapt to changing customer demands and social distancing requirements.
• Support initiatives offered by companies, including providing office space to community and healthcare organisations.
• How organisations have managed fluctuating demand in sectors like retail, hospitality, and essential services.
• The potential long-term impact of COVID-19 on operational resilience, including the need for remote working and digital deployment.
• The accelerating role of digital transformation and potential acceleration of 5G adoption.
• The importance of risk management and the integration of pandemic-related risks into strategic planning.
• Implications for the future of CX and contact centre operations, embedding remote and digital capabilities as standard.
• How industry players are advising clients through the crisis and adjusting their service models.
• The influence of the pandemic in shifting perceptions of business continuity planning from reactive to proactive.
• The importance of agility in maintaining competitive advantage in an uncertain future.

Podcast Description

This podcast offers a reflective insight into the CX industry during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, featuring real-time interviews with industry leaders. It explores how organisations rapidly adapted to unprecedented challenges, embracing remote working, deploying new technologies, and reassessing their strategic priorities. The discussion emphasises the accelerated shift towards digital transformation, resilience-building, and innovative crisis management, providing valuable perspectives for senior managers seeking to understand the evolving landscape of customer experience and operational agility amid global disruption.