If a tree falls and no one is there to hear it, did it make a sound? If no one is answering a customer service phone line, did a customer actually call?

Staff shortages are well-known lately, especially in customer-facing roles. But organizations need to figure out how to deal with this issue rather than pretending it doesn’t exist. Customers are well aware of labor shortages, but they are also aware that when they need to speak with someone at a business if anyone is around.

Meeting the needs of customers as well as a business may require some creative thinking. If your organization only has ten employees, then you must use them wisely. Automate where you can, streamline processes where you can, get rid of unnecessary actions where you can. Customers shouldn’t be ignored, and staff should not be burnt out. That’s the role of management, to solve this puzzle, not to throw their hands up and blame everyone else.

A well-known national chain’s customer service phone line rang for hours without anyone answering. Customers understand the current situation, but they also need their issues solved. You may not be able to have every call answered within five minutes, but don’t leave your customers in the dark. Give them an opportunity to contact you in other ways or let them know that your organization will contact them when an employee is available to speak. It isn’t good customer service to abandon and ignore your customers. If your organization isn’t happy to help your customers, some other business will be.