How to build trust with a customer?

For a consumer to believe what you can deliver and use your services, you have to build trust throughout the customer journey so that they trust your message, product, and services you offer. It takes time to build trust, however on the flip side, it is easy to lose trust. Companies that have lost trust in the past will know too well that gimmicks and a handful of positive advertisements cannot undo the negative associations in people’s minds overnight. Trust cannot be forced and can only be earned naturally.

Here are four things you can do to build trust with your customer.

1. Under-promise and over-deliver

Consumers do not trust brands that do not deliver as they feel they have been lied to. When a customer feels they have been deceived or manipulated, the customer will likely part ways with the brand. The best way is to under-promise and over-deliver, for example, if it takes 2 days to deliver a product, tell the customer it will take 4 days to deliver. This way you will never run the risk of breaking your promises majority of the time.

2. Put 110% into customer service

When a customer is having issues with your product they are most likely to be in a fragile state and doubt may start to set in. During this time, if the customer receives helpful and memorable customer service, they will think that this brand is reliable. On the other side of the coin is that if your customer service drops the ball on sorting the issue, you may lose your customer and experience a dip in your reputation. Ensure that your customer feels heard and appreciated and go out of your way to make them happy.

3. Be more personal

With every single interaction with customers and clients, make your interactions seem more human than corporate; do not use scripts and do encourage employees to speak how they feel and engage customers like real people.

4. Honesty, transparent and communicate

To gain trust you will have to earn it, do not exaggerate claims and just be straightforward with your customer. Give your customer all the information they need from clearing pricing and even limitations. Do not leave your customers in the dark, be open and transparent about goals and processes and when things do go wrong, acknowledge the error proactively. If you are caught withholding details and neglecting the communicative side, the trust you have built could fall apart.

Summary

The relationship between the brand and the customer is so important to ensure repeated customers. A brand relationship takes time to build and a lot of time and effort. The more you put into the customer relationship, the more trust you build. Hopefully, these four points provide a good foundation for building trust with your customers.