With the present pandemic set to continue to cause disruption to business and working practices around the globe, C&T Channel Matrix is ensuring that its team forms stronger relationships with its customers to support them through these challenging times.
“Since the start of the pandemic, our international customer relationships have never been closer,” said Simon Shenton, Managing Director at C&T Matrix.
For a specialist UK manufacturer with a global customer base and an international sales team, COVID-19 presented C&T with unprecedented challenges. Despite being grounded, C&T embraced technology to bring distant customers close and introduced new ways to communicate and collaborate. The impact has been positive with stronger customer relationships than before the crisis.
As an international manufacturing business, C&T exports 90% of production volumes to its global customer base. The sales team are used to spending extensive periods on planes or the road, travelling between their 150 international distributors and visiting remote customers. Conferences, exhibitions, and providing in-person technical support have contributed to winning and retaining long-term business.
The COVID-19 crisis showed just how quickly life can change. As well as a new routine, C&T was quick to embrace new communication technologies. They established online seminars and developed new technical animated simulations. Using video conferencing and newly installed software infrastructure, C&T partnered with customers and distributors to solve customer challenges and explain product technical specifications – all from home office working.
“The impact of this business transformation cannot be overstated,” concluded Shenton. “At the start of this crisis, we were concerned about losing vital personal contact with customers. However, video technology and online support have brought us closer to customers and reduced response times on occasions. For C&T Matrix, reducing the time associated with international travel has also helped to maintain business efficiencies and reduce costs.”
