Logistic customer service process in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic

Purpose: The main purpose of this article is to recognise whether changes in logistic customer service made by the surveyed companies after the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic differed depending on the size of the company, the type of business and the role that the surveyed enterprise played in the supply chain. Design/methodology/approach: The results of empirical research conducted on a research sample of 250 companies are described (in the section concerning logistic customer service). The research was carried out in the second quarter of 2021. Findings: The processes taking place in enterprises to which special attention was paid and those which were the most important for enterprises from the point of view of logistic customer service are indicated. The changes in logistic customer service made after the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic are outlined. Research limitations/implications: In the face of the ongoing pandemic, business representatives’ perception of logistic customer service may change over time. It is therefore worth repeating the research described in this article in the post-pandemic period in order to conduct a comparative analysis that may be a source of an interesting scientific discussion. Practical implications: Indicating the scope of the changes in logistic customer service made by enterprises during the COVID-19 pandemic may constitute the basis for enterprises to compare their activities with those performed by the enterprises participating in the research. These changes can be implemented to gain a competitive advantage. Social implications: Building awareness of the need to introduce changes in a company’s operations during the COVID-19 pandemic is a necessary element for creating new standards in the area of logistic customer service, for which not only economic values, but also ecological and social values are increasingly important. Originality/value: The processes taking place in enterprises and affecting customer satisfaction (which translates into a company’s profit) during the COVID-19 pandemic have not yet been thoroughly studied due to the course of the pandemic and its duration. This article is addressed to managers dealing with logistic customer service.