There are so many ways a company can gain my trust.
They can stock the items they say they have on sale.
They can be open during the hours that are posted on their front door or at their website.
They can ensure that their marketing message is consistent from their website to the check-out experience.
They can promise that when they say that customer service matters to them, their employees actually behave that way.
The important thing to keep in mind is that trust is earned and can only be earned over time. The good news is, if you play your cards right trust can build quickly. The bad news is, you can lose a customer’s trust with the next encounter. Each transaction matters and that is why it is so important to monitor what’s happening in your organization with mystery shopping programs, customer surveys, focus groups, and other forms of customer feedback.
When interacting with your customers, in even the simplest of exchanges, keep these three things in mind:
- Be present. Really focus on what your customer has to say. No multi-tasking. No impatient body language signals. No rushing the conversation. Show up for the exchange. Customers know when you’d rather be somewhere else.
- Be vulnerable. Open up to your customers by having an open mind and heart. Vulnerability is the opposite of being protective. Relax and let the interaction unfold. Vulnerability makes for a more open exchange.
- Always give more than you get. If a customer asks for something from you, give them what they asked for then give them something unexpected. The generosity will come back to you a thousand times.
Remember: Trust is earned and can grow quickly if you apply the above behaviors to each customer transaction you have.
What makes you trust an organization?
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