# How Customer Services Has Changed During Covid Author: Pal Sinha, Barnali Author URL: https://financedigest.com/author/pal-sinha-barnali Published: 2021-10-27 Category: BUSINESS Category URL: https://financedigest.com/category/business Meta Title: How UK Call Centres Adapted During Covid - Changes & Challenges Meta Description: Discover how customer service teams adapted during the covid pandemic, shifting to remote work, outsourcing, eLearning, and handling increased calls and URL: https://financedigest.com/how-customer-services-has-changed-during-covidhtml ![undefined](https://prod.superblogcdn.com/site_cuid_cm5qst7v3003gwirgwqtxn8i8/images/customer-service-team-sbi-300858770-1736837512820-compressed.jpg) With around 109,000 people employed by call centres in the UK, the nation was thrown a curveball when the covid pandemic hit in early 2020. Whilst we are used to busy call centres and customer services teams huddled in one large room, customer-focused businesses had to react and find new ways to carry out their duties without spreading the plague any further. With this in mind, customer service teams and call centres made a number of changes to keep within covid requirements. **The [Move From Office](https://www.financedigest.com/tips-for-moving-office-how-to-use-packing-boxes-efficiently.html "Tips for Moving Office: How to Use Packing Boxes Efficiently") to Remote** One of the most common and key changes to emerge during covid was the shifting of the virtual office to remote [customer services](https://www.financedigest.com/revolutionising-customer-service-three-sectors-that-are-leading-the-way.html "Revolutionising Customer Service: Three sectors that are leading the way…"). Customer [service agents were required to use their own computers or handed laptops by their employers and were taking customer service calls](https://www.financedigest.com/emergency-call-services-telcos-urge-eu-to-protect-telecoms-networks-from-power-cuts.html "Emergency call services, telcos urge EU to protect telecoms networks from power cuts") from the comfort of their own homes. For callers looking for information about their travel, phone bill or [energy supplier](https://www.financedigest.com/french-energy-suppliers-will-let-struggling-bakers-renegotiate-contracts-le-maire.html "French energy suppliers will let struggling bakers renegotiate contracts – Le Maire"), there was no difference and it was business as usual. Some have questioned the quality of phone calls, with unstable [internet connections and signal – plus the reliance of customer agents to have working computers](https://www.financedigest.com/we-researched-dfinitys-internet-computer-and-this-is-what-we-learned.html "We Researched Dfinity’s Internet Computer and This Is What We Learned") and a quiet place to take calls. But this provided a viable alternative until there was a gradual [return to the office](https://www.financedigest.com/are-we-witnessing-the-great-return-to-the-office.html "Are we witnessing the great return to the office?"). **Outsourcing** [Customer Services](https://www.financedigest.com/id-fraud-is-on-the-rise-can-financial-services-do-more-to-protect-their-customers.html "ID fraud is on the rise: can financial services do more to protect their customers?") For those companies unable to handle their customer [service teams](https://www.financedigest.com/brand-metrics-bolsters-client-services-team-as-brand-lift-measurement-booms.html "Brand Metrics bolsters client services team as brand lift measurement booms"), they looked for outsourcing. Today, there are a number of [companies who can handle your outsourced customer services](https://www.financedigest.com/italys-eni-sets-up-sustainable-transport-services-company.html "Italy’s Eni sets up sustainable transport services company") including basic roles of answering phones and responding to queries, to virtual receptionists, complaints handling and debt collection. Moneypenny is one of the most established in this space, followed by All Day PA and the recent emergence of [TieTa](https://www.tieta.co.uk/) who specialise in offering customer services for the finance and health industry. **Training Via eLearning** A further change during covid was the inability to carry out training sessions for large groups. And whilst Zoom and other [video conferencing](https://www.financedigest.com/how-to-create-the-perfect-video-conferencing-space.html "How to create the perfect Video Conferencing space") tools are useful for this, it can be limited to 50 people. Some eLearning platforms were well-equipped for this, including Udemy and Coursera, with other companies such as [RQC Group](https://rqcgroup.com/) creating specialist training courses for certain industries and helping employees follow compliance guidelines. **[Increased Changes](https://www.financedigest.com/landlord-tax-changes-predicted-to-increase-uk-rent.html "Landlord Tax Changes Predicted to Increase UK Rent") in Bookings and Redirects** The covid pandemic was also a very challenging time for [customer service](https://www.financedigest.com/video-collaboration-is-pushing-the-boundaries-of-the-customer-experience-in-financial-services.html "Video Collaboration is pushing the boundaries of the customer experience in Financial Services") teams, largely due to the massive increase in customer calls. Not only were industries such as events and travel inundated with [customers requesting changes](https://www.financedigest.com/talk-to-me-the-changing-face-of-customer-communications.html "TALK TO ME :THE CHANGING FACE OF CUSTOMER COMMUNICATIONS") to their bookings, flights and other arrangements, it was a challenge for companies to come up with new policies. For instance, firms who could not fully operate during [covid needed to react with new refund policies, changes in bookings and covid specific](https://www.financedigest.com/who-urges-china-to-share-specific-data-regularly-on-covid-situation.html "WHO urges China to share specific data regularly on COVID situation") clauses. Furthermore, other industries saw huge uptake in customer calls too, from households finally having the [time to sort out their insurance policies and wills – or whether they were frantically trying to book](https://www.financedigest.com/best-selling-books-of-all-time.html "Best selling books of all time") a grocery order through Ocado or similar. **This is a Sponsored Feature.** --- This blog is powered by Superblog. Visit https://superblog.ai to know more. ---