Post-pandemic trends from a futurist: what consumers and employees want next

We’ve heard it a thousand times: “the pandemic is unprecedented.” And it’s true—COVID-19 has changed the lives of billions of people around the world and many of those changes are here to stay.

The good news is that the pandemic has also shown that many businesses are able to adapt and thrive. Bernard Salt AM, one of Australia’s leading social commentators on trends, business, and society, has a hopeful view for the future.

As he shared during a recent CX Moment with Zendesk, “It could be that the coming of the coronavirus separates the world as we knew it—flawed and with faults— to the world that we want.”

Salt is a futurist who helps businesses keep up with emerging trends. Here’s what he had to say about how the pandemic has changed us, what customers want now, and what you can do to successfully adapt.

[Related read: CX and COVID-19: What agile companies are doing differently]

Bringing business to the ‘burbs

The proportion of employees working remotely is higher than ever before. In fact, data from the Pew Research Center shows that 71 percent of employed adults are working from home, compared to 20 percent before the pandemic.

Salt explains that while some workers will return to offices after the pandemic, many will continue working remotely. As a larger proportion of the workforce remains at home, more people will shop in the suburbs, or near home, instead of commuting into central business districts.

“This is a vast social experiment where we are changing the narrative of urban life,” says Salt, who recommends that businesses embrace the shift to suburbs.

Salt suggests working near home instead of from home as the pandemic restrictions continue to lift. Given that the work-from-home life still contains many distractions for some households, Salt predicts that suburban shopping centers may consider housing smaller offices to shorten the commute for suburban workforces.

While this shift is good news for suburban businesses, Salt says that small businesses located in central business districts may continue to suffer. This is because suburban residents won’t drive long distances for services offered close to home. To thrive in this new scenario, question whether you’re bringing value to your customers—why should they choose you over a competitor?

Salt presented a harsh reality: businesses that failed during the pandemic likely already struggled to keep pace with trends and bring real value to their customers.

[Related read: How to support your remote team’s mental health]

New customers looking for new experiences

As in-person interactions become scarce, services have become increasingly digital. Salt shares that customers have become more tech-savvy—even among older generations. Customers are more open to digital services going forward, whether it’s a remote doctor’s appointment or getting customer support from a bot.

Consumers also have higher expectations for customer service. They want to streamline their lives and get support wherever they are and whenever they want it. In fact, Zendesk’s 2021 CX Trends Report shows that of the 40 percent of companies that added a new communication channel last year, 53 percent turned to messaging, including apps like WhatsApp and SMS/texting, which allow companies to reach consumers in channels they already use.

“Customers have lifted the bar of expectations for the digital transformation of many customer experiences,” says Salt.

Customers have lifted the bar of expectations for the digital transformation of many customer experiences.

[Related read: Embarking on a digital transformation? Here’s how to bring your employees along]