Contactless Service is the New Norm

Here's how you can meet your customers' expectations.

Expand Your Contact Us Options 

Historically, most local businesses have depended heavily on face-time with their clients. From the beginning of the customer relationship to the end, sales meetings, design consultations, estimates, and so on, were usually done in person. But we’ve been forced to learn not all of these face-to-face meetings are strictly necessary. 

Home remodelers, interior designers, landscapers, even cleaning services can handle their preliminary customer interactions by phone or video conference. 

Review your company’s contact options and check your website's Contact Us page. Are you giving your customers a variety of options to reach you? Phone is a standard contact method, of course, as is email. But savvy local businesses are offering even easier ways for contact, like live chat via their website, Viber messaging, and video conferencing. 

These days, consumers are looking for the easiest way to reach you without an in-person meeting. 

For some service providers, like home remodelers, it may be challenging to handle anything beyond the first customer contact without an in-person meeting.  Challenging—but not impossible. 

Home remodelers and similar businesses rely on bringing their customers in for a showroom tour. During these visits, customers view product samples, explore various displays, and start considering plans for their own projects. 

Rather than scheduling your customer for a showroom visit during your normal business day, when other customers or staff may be present, consider setting up a private tour. Designate a few hours each week for scheduled private visits, when your showroom is closed to other customers and staff. This will put your customers at ease and allow them to move freely around your space without other people milling about. 

Perhaps carving out time for private appointments isn’t feasible for your business. In that case, consider offering a virtual tour of your showroom. Technology makes it possible to provide your customers with a comprehensive, 360° virtual tour of your space. You can then punctuate the tour with a one-on-one video call to answer questions and discuss next steps. 

There’s no shortage of tools out there for businesses that are looking to accommodate their customers' needs and create a contactless experience. 

Like any kind of technology, these business tools run the gamut from very basic to extremely complex. On one end of the spectrum, you’ll find simple tools like online payment services and video conferencing applications. These tools are straightforward, easy to set up, and can make the customer journey more convenient for your client. On the other end of the spectrum, you’ll find elaborate industry-specific software and high-end hardware that may help you work with your customers remotely. 

Ultimately, the tools you choose to implement should have the direct result of helping your customers. If the technology is so complicated that you can’t use it properly or your customers can’t figure out how to navigate it, then you’re really just defeating the purpose. 

Put Your Customers First 

While mask mandates and social distancing requirements are over in most areas, many consumers have made the personal decision to continue wearing a mask, limit their time in crowded places, and so on. 

You may find yourself with a customer who prefers to wear a mask during their interaction with you, opts out of shaking hands, or asks you to maintain some social distance. Regardless of your company’s stance, if your customer wants to take extra precautions, let them. It costs you nothing to honor your customer’s choices in these situations and in fact, it’s just good business. 



Remember, if you don’t make your customers’ preferences a priority, they’ll find one of your competitors who will. 

Need help with marketing your local company in the face of a changing business landscape? Give Locallogy a shout. We can help!