Shep Hyken
Think of the brands or companies you enjoy doing business with the most. What is it that makes you want to come back? Here are a few possible reasons:
- The product does what it is supposed to do.
- They have great customer service.
- They provide a great overall customer experience.
- You like the employees.
- The salesperson is knowledgeable and helpful.
- The website is easy to use.
- They always get back to you and are quick to respond.
- They are convenient.
- The experience is consistent. Every time it is great.
There could be many others, but they all feed into one important reason. You trust them.
While the items listed get you to trust a company, if you break it down, it’s really about delivering on expectations. Nothing on the list should be difficult to accomplish. These are the basic expectations customers might have with the companies they choose to do business with. With that in mind, here’s a short list that includes three must dos if you want to build trust with your customers – and they are within the grasp of any and every person or company:
- The product or service must do what it is supposed to do. This is table stakes and is the first reason on the above list. If what the customer buys doesn’t work or do what it’s supposed to do, it doesn’t matter how nice or friendly the service is. If they can’t trust that the product will work, they won’t buy it and they won’t trust doing business with you.
- The customer must enjoy doing business with the company. The word enjoy doesn’t mean it has to be a fun experience, although there’s nothing wrong with that. It means the company doesn’t provide an experience that is difficult or unpleasant. Customers don’t think about it, but what they want is the opposite of that. They are attracted to an experience that’s easy, hassle-free, and convenient. That’s what they enjoy.
- Customers must know what they are going to experience every time. This is where trust really starts. It’s all about consistency. The quickest way to erode trust is to create an unpredictable experience. One day it’s good, and the next day it’s not. If you add the word always to the list of reasons already mentioned, you start to understand the idea of taking basic expectations and making them always happen.
These three must-dos are the basics. They fuel the customer’s experience. How important is that experience? Our 2022 customer service research (sponsored by Amazon Web Services) found that 83% of customers trusted a company or brand more if it provided an excellent customer service experience. Create an experience that builds confidence and trust, and you’ll build a relationship that gets your customers to say, I’ll be back.
