The business landscape keeps changing, and we’ve got to keep up. One thing that’ll never change, however, is that it’s crucial to build trust with your clients. Considering that 73% of businesses today rely more on cross-selling to their existing base rather than developing new markets, it makes sense to do so.
After all, it’s easier to overcome buying objections with people who trust you than with those who’ve never dealt with you before. But now the question is, “How do we engender trust?” In this article, we’ll answer that question in greater detail.
Understanding Your Customers’ Needs
What makes you trustworthy in your client’s eyes? You’ll never know unless you understand them well. Learning more about their needs, pain points, and wants is only the beginning. You also need to find out what they view as good service, which is particularly important when considering customer service outsourcing.
For example, some customers want to shop in a store without the consultant “bothering them.” Others want that personalized attention. You and your team need to work out what your customers need and then treat them like valued visitors.
This will mean putting yourself in their position and acting with empathy, even when they’re being a little overdramatic. We can’t always give our clients what they want, but we should always let them feel that we’re doing our best to assist.
A quick example was from a bank branch we consulted at. One particularly difficult client would come in and berate the employees every time. Eventually, no one wanted to serve him because he was unpleasant. Our manager stepped in and suggested that everyone change their approach.
It was clear that everyone knew who the client was, because they tried to avoid him if they could. So, instead of trying to duck out when he came in, we suggested that they greet him by name in the queue. The change was immediate and, as it turned out, the client only wanted them to acknowledge he was a valued visitor.
Consistency and Reliability
Providing consistent and reliable service is an excellent way to build trust because your customer knows what to expect. They’ll come to believe that, even if you can’t resolve the issue, they can trust you to find an amicable solution.
Always treat consumers with high levels of professionalism and respect.
Transparency and Honesty
Customers accept that companies make mistakes. They’ll usually forgive errors as long as the company is honest. Tell clients what happened without trying to shift blame and then, most importantly, explain how you’ll fix it. People appreciate honesty because it’s aa sign of respect.
Empathy and Personalization
Your customers may feel many emotions when asking for support. If you can put yourself in their shoes and see things from their side, they’re more likely to feel understood and valued.
By empathizing, you can better understand why they’re acting the way they are and respond more positively.
When your clients see that you understand where they’re coming from, they feel you’ll provide a fair solution.
Timeliness and Responsiveness
Customers expect quick response times and solutions. A non-responsive support team or delays in resolution frustrate clients and erode trust. Therefore, it’s essential to aim for an immediate solution or to have a robust follow-up system in place.
Companies can automate email responses to acknowledge that they’ve received the message and advise the customer when to expect a response, Managing customer expectations in this manner reduces frustration.
Consistent Brand Voice and Messaging
A consistent brand voice and messaging across all customer touchpoints contributes to trust-building. The Consistency reinforces the notion that your brand is trustworthy and reliable. It also showcases the overall workplace culture, like whether the workers care to find a birthday gift boss present or the boss prepares some refreshments for their birthdays.
Quality Assurance
Building trust is an ongoing process. You must implement quality assurance processes to ensure you always deliver a high standard of service. You can use tools like call center analytics and customer feedback to ensure that your company consistently delivers or makes improvements as necessary.
Data Security and Privacy
Privacy concerns are a top priority for many customers today, with good reason. Companies must safeguard their customers’ information carefully as a breach will quickly erode trust.
This entails implementing good cybersecurity practices and protecting physical access to the data. Companies should also carefully vet potential employees for this reason.
Crisis Management and Conflict Resolution
Trust is often tested during challenging times or when conflicts arise. How your support team handles crises and conflicts can prove crucial, so it’s essential to have clear crisis management protocols and trained staff to implement them empathetically.
Wrapping It Up
Building trust is an ongoing process that requires some investment on your part. However, the benefit is that it builds loyalty and improves customer satisfaction. It’s a cliche, but dealing with customers as you’d like people to deal with you does work.
Acting consistently and professionally with empathy and integrity is the surest way to earn your customers’ trust.
