Why Loblaw Used Compassion As the Cornerstone Of Our COVID-19 Response

By Janet Lin

Even when most businesses went into lockdown in response to COVID-19, Canadians still needed to feel there was somewhere safe they could go to get food, medications and other essential products. As Canada’s leading food and pharmacy retailer, Loblaw had a big role to play in responding to that need, but it involved a lot more than simply keeping our doors open.

Our leaders recognized that amid fear and uncertainty, clear and transparent communication was vital. That was why consumers began to see detailed and transparent updates from us via email, mobile app and other channels, and why we did the same thing for our own team.

Within Loblaw, we not only had to think about those working in the checkout aisle or stocking shelves. For our colleagues who handle everything from customer support to operations, we were like many other organizations in having to tackle a large-scale — and immediate — shift to remote work.

Fortunately, we had already made investments in cloud computing and software-as-a-service tools, including Salesforce, which eased this transition considerably.

While we had to expand our network capacity, all those who needed to log in from home were able to do so within a week’s time. That meant we didn’t have to stagger employees to access IT resources in shifts, but could instead maximize productivity across our entire organization.

When you put yourself in your colleagues’ shoes, of course, you have to recognize that some of them might never have used a laptop for work before or accessed their work from home. Training had to be quick but also comprehensive — all while we were seeing a massive spike in commerce of between 300 and 400 percent.

Keeping Calm, Staying Connected And Looking Ahead

What made this work was a shift in mindset as to how we would function as a team and making the most of the technology we have available.

This not only included using tools like videoconferencing but thinking about the overall approach to internal communications, which was just as extensive as the messages we were bringing to customers. Our leaders began a daily update from our President that went to all our colleagues, for example. If there were people who didn’t use a laptop or computer regularly for work, it would be printed out and posted within our stores and offices.

We also began having leadership calls twice a day and weekly huddles among teams that focused on three major areas. First, we wanted to ensure everyone remained calm as the crisis continued to unfold. Second, we wanted to stay connected to each other and to the customers we serve. Third, we wanted to make sure we were always looking forward — recognizing that we may have some changes that span years, not weeks.

Salesforce helps us deliver on all these areas. A good example would be programs like PC Optimum, where our call centre agents receive urgent questions or complaints about their points balance. Customers don’t need any extra stress amid COVID-19 and with the use of Service Cloud we have made a single change that enables more than 600 agents to give them the help they need.

Salesforce technology lets us move seamlessly across cases coming in from the web, e-mail and other channels, keeping us connected to customers regardless of where our agent colleagues are working. This becomes extremely important given that our call centre supports multiple brands including Loblaws, Shoppers Drug Mart and others.

The volume of inquiries during the pandemic also led us to create more rapid-fire innovations like a chatbot that answered anywhere between 20 to 30 per cent of the questions during the COVID-19 peak that might have otherwise taken up our agents’ time.

Compassion During COVID-19

One of the most important ways we looked forward was in recognizing that those who lost their jobs during COVID-19 may also have lost their insurance coverage. That’s why we formed a powerful alliance with Salesforce, Deloitte and Bayer to create a portal through Shoppers Drug Mart’s Speciality Health Network where customers were able to get free access to an expensive medicine to treat high blood pressure.

While digital transformation is a marathon and not a sprint, we were able to develop and launch what we called our “Compassionate Portal” in only three weeks. The purpose of this portal is to provide funding support to patients who have been prescribed medication and are experiencing financial hardship caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The portal is powered by the Salesforce platform, specifically the Health Cloud, which allowed us to be both proactive and quick to deliver help to Canadians who really needed it.

Although much of the Canadian economy is now reopening, we don’t know how long it will take for a COVID-19 vaccine to be developed and distributed. That makes it all the more urgent that businesses take the time to have a good and robust plan that takes into account multiple what-if scenarios to protect the safety of employees as well as customers.

We have already seen that the pandemic has accelerated digital transformation on the consumer side, where click and collect options have become an expectation. As we develop our roadmap for 2021 and beyond, we know we’ll need to continue investing in digital transformation to provide an experience that customers will not only demand from us, but that they’ll appreciate and enjoy, to achieve our company purpose – to help Canadians Live Life Well