How to Gain Your Customers' Trust

There has been a lot of talk lately about the concept of “Customer eXperience” – so much so that it already has its own abbreviation: CX. Today, it seems that everything is revolving around it, especially in service companies. Company managers of any sector and business are striving to improve customer experience and, in the process, turn it into a profitable strategy. It doesn´t matter whether it´s a bank, an insurance company or a supermarket, any company knows that their success is based on their ability to attract customers away from competitors and offer them the best possible experience to retain them as long as possible.

However, competition is fierce and boosting customer trust and loyalty is not an easy task. In a world dominated by social networks, consumers are guided more than ever by the opinions of others, because, obviously, those opinions are much more credible than any product ad of the manufacturing company could ever be. Therefore, as potential consumers, we read online blog reviews and comments trying to know what other customers think before purchasing a particular good or service.

It´s basically the ‘Word of Mouth’ principle taken to the extreme as a result of the Internet and social networks. Word of Mouth even has its own acronym in the context of marketing –WoM- which refers to the fact that companies should implement a great strategy to make as much satisfied customers as possible recommend their good or service to prospective customers, and social networks are an excellent platform for spreading their message and fostering customer trust. Things may even go a step beyond that. Sometimes, a group of especially satisfied and loyal customers are hired as ‘brand ambassadors’, who are dedicated to putting a particularly positive light on the brand and, by doing so, help to increase brand awareness and sales.

However, beyond setting out a good strategy, one thing is clear: companies that know how to establish excellent relationships with their customers will grow their business without having to resort to scams, drastically cut prices or offer special treatments. Obviously, those companies are good at what they do, but their main success lies in a traditional and simple concept: trust. If your customers trust you, then they will be loyal to you for life. Of course, that´s easier said than done. Building your customer’s trust takes time and a lot of effort. However, it´s perfectly feasible if both company managers and teams work together on three key pillars: service, coherence and transparency.

The Three Pillars of Customer Trust

1. Service matters. According to recent studies, about 83% of customers who trust a brand will talk about it to other people and 82% will continue to use it frequently. However, it´s not just about customers talking about the brand – it is about them talking positively about it. In this respect, life is unfair. Very few customers speak of when your company moved heaven and earth to serve them the best way possible, but they always seem to have the time to shout from the rooftops about that one time when your company was not able to meet a deadline or delivered a product that did not meet their expectations. This means that there are ‘brand ambassadors’, but there are even more ‘brand detractors’.

In other words, to gain your customers´ trust, you have to start by providing a great service. Companies should ask themselves: How would I like to be treated if I were one of my customers? However, studies show that quality service should be delivered naturally, without any strategic planning, because the more time you spend on planning the service, the less time you spend on actually giving it. Of course there will be times when our company is doing everything in its power without being able to solve the issue at hand, but we should always strive towards responsiveness, punctuality and quality in our service and customer trust will grow naturally.

2. Consistency creates harmony. Therefore, consistency and great service go hand in hand and it can be applied to all aspects of business:

All employees should provide the same levels of service.
The sales team should be equipped with the required tools and give the same answers to the same questions.
The company should follow a steady course with regard to its products and services, instead of constantly changing routes to try out new strategies or initiatives.
Measurement parameters should be used to determine whether or not a product, service or strategy is working. If it is not feasible, then an alternative plan should be available.

3. The concept of transparency should not be neglected with regards to its role in building customer trust. In theory, transparency should also arise naturally, without any specific efforts, but, in practice, many companies are not able to be transparent or do not even know what it means to be transparent. Customers are smart, better informed than ever and they can tell when they are being treated well and when they are being deceived. This means that when a company’s policy is based on sincerity, then its customers will feel appreciated and respected, and better accept errors when the company admits those errors instead of inventing poor excuses or, worse yet, pretends as as if they did not occur at all.

Customer Loyalty in the Document Software Area

Providing the best possible customer experience and fostering customer trust and loyalty becomes even more difficult when a company is part of a rapidly changing and demanding sector, as is the case with the document software sector. That area continues to be affected by the growing prominence of mobile and cloud technologies in business environments. Users increasingly choose cutting-edge technologies to create and request information in real time, across numerous channels and via different types of devices, regardless of where they are. This situation definitely entails a major challenge for any document software company when it comes to offering users a seamless customer experience. However, the opportunity is there and document software companies must persevere in their actions and strategies to build customer trust and loyalty through great customer experience.

Sources:

André Klein
Freelance Consultant for DocPath

maio 11, 2017 | *Blog Articles*, Customer Communications Management