Expert reveals ways to gain customer trust
Following some rather high-profile business scandals in the UK lately, a brand expert has dispensed some vital tips on winning customers’ trust, according to silobreaker.com.
Felix Stockle, managing director at brand consultancy, Landor Associates, appreciates that consumers’ current fixation appears to be ‘companies with broken reputations’ – particularly given the recent banking and horsemeat disgraces.
Fortunately, he’s also well placed to advise on combating suspicion and gaining trust. Writing for managementtoday.co.uk, Stockle offers several tips, beginning with putting the customer first. This ultimately means going to great lengths to please them, maintain a dialogue and build up a strong relationship. A customer that believes they are genuinely valued and cared about will come back for more – and spread the word.
Managing expectations is another key area, thus its crucial to keep company promises realistic to prevent under-delivery. It’s important that those about to go into business or start a franchise ‘walk before they talk’; promise must match reality, Stockle asserts.
Continuing, the expert says it’s important for a company not to try to be ‘everything to everyone’, as stretching personnel, resources and budget could “put you in danger of becoming ‘nothing to on one’ in the end,” he says.
Finally, Stockle emphasised the importance of offering value over low prices. In times of recession, he said, customers seek refuge in brands that are reliable and dependable – in other words, trustworthy. Providing good, consistent service is one of the ways to capture this.