In the post-pandemic world, customer expectations are higher than ever before. No matter if they’re reaching out via an online chatbot, an Instagram DM, or on Twitter, they expect a personalized interaction—not an automated response. In this new environment, marketers are grappling with which resources and technology to use to provide the best customer experience possible.

On October 6th, LiveWorld, a digital agency specializing in social media and technology solutions, gathered a virtual panel of experts at Social media as the new service differentiator: Boost reputation and drive loyalty, to discuss a social program they launched at Rite Aid to engage more meaningfully with customers online.

Check out the main takeaways from the program they executed, and our discussion about it, on the 6th:

1. Forge external partnerships for added support

Nicole Bohorad , formerly of Rite Aid, described a few of the struggles her team was facing during the pandemic—replying to customer inquiries during East or West Coast off-hours, gaining expertise in healthcare and pharmacy crises, and creating streamlined processes that everyone could follow.

“I knew a partner like LiveWorld would know how to escalate and triage, and also upsell, for example, different customer interest questions and concerns.”By utilizing a partner for their expertise and added capacity, Nicole and her team could turn their full energy toward learning from LiveWorld’s program insights and improving the lives of their customers.

2. Flexibility is your best friend

When dealing with a variety of unpredictable scenarios, adaptability is key. “When we were creating the [program’s] playbook… we knew that it needed to be a living document,” said Ashley Heyward, of LiveWorld. “We needed to be able to pivot very quickly… [and] scale up and down as needed.”

Every time there was a change, it was easy to understand immediately what it was and which processes it impacted by creating a system that had flexibility built into it.

3.Turn misinformation into an opportunity

Misinformation is everywhere on the internet, especially during an unprecedented global pandemic where many consumers felt panicked, confused, and alone.

“The whole idea of having to deal with misinformation during this time was new,” said Pam Flores of LiveWorld. “We had to be very careful and cautious.”

However, by identifying what areas are suffering from misinformation and providing more messaging and campaigns to give correct and useful information in those areas, businesses can position themselves as a thought leader and source of truth in their industry.

4. Create a tagging structure

After they saw a 62% increase in engagement on social media, Rite Aid implemented a tagging structure to identify customers across channels. Nicole explained that in this way, they were able to integrate accounts, so that no matter where a customer reached out (whether by phone, social media, or email), they knew who they were talking to.

Additionally, they used the tagging structure to identify which issues had the most inquiry volume. Understanding the most pertinent topics in real-time allowed them to take immediate action—opening the store earlier for eldery shoppers, making it easier for people to get their COVID-19 test results, and providing more easy-to-access information on vaccine availability.

5. Prioritize human touch

Regardless of what industry you’re in—whether it’s healthcare, retail, finance, etc.—customers still want to feel like they’re interacting with a human being, regardless of how much more efficient and seamless technology makes their overall experience.

“We have gotten to the point where we all have bought enough tools,” said Jason Liebowitz of LiveWorld. “But people want a human aspect to it.”

Curious to learn more about our discussion with LiveWorld and our expert panelists? Access the full event content by filling out the form at the top of this page.