Customer Trust; How To Earn It and Increase Brand Loyalty.

Quickly, let me tell you a story of betrayal. It was the annual Trade Fair event at the youth camp and all food and drinks vendors had sold tickets to help them know how many servings they would deliver. After a nasty experience with a vendor the previous year, I wasn’t going to get any of those tickets; not until a close friend talked me into buying her Crispy Chicken and Fried Yams, let’s say I was just excited about the option of home delivery. On the day of the event, I waited endlessly for my meal but didn’t receive it until I went to her tent. She apologised for not being able to get my food to me as promised, with the excuse that she had so many people to attend to. I wasn’t so angry yet, but when I took the first bite on my Chicken, it was half-cooked; that was the last straw. Till date, for no reason would I buy a prepaid ticket for a meal, or believe any vendor at the annual Trade Fair. 

Not only did I lose my trust in my friend, but I also extended it to other businesses in her industry. Today, many potential customers out there are sad and broken because a business they once held in high-esteem failed to deliver on their Big Promise. 

 

You Should Try These 4 Ways To Earn Customer Trust

Earning your customer’s trust is hard enough, but what’s even harder is fixing it when it gets ruined. Trust is an essential ingredient in any business, boost your trust bank with these tips. 

Don’t Just Be A Receiver, Be A Giver Too

It takes a lot for someone to trust you with their time or money. Each time you put out your product or service, you want to make money, and probably satisfy your customers. However, each time a prospect sees your marketing message or product, they actually see money leaving their pocket and it terrifies them. That’s why they shut you out. These people want you to invest in them as much as they invest in the scalability of your business.

Don’t Over-Promise and Under-Deliver

Customers are very good at holding on to words so be really cautious of every value you promise them.  Just like my friend in the story, she had promised me not just a nice meal, but also home delivery; however, she failed at both. That’s exactly what most businesses find themselves doing. All in the name of closing a sale, you assure your customers of a quicker project delivery date, more customer support than you can handle, and other benefits you think will get them attracted. Remember, while you are trying to attract new customers, you should also be working on retaining those who have previously patronised you. In addition, it is better to under-promise and over-deliver; it impresses your customers and earns you their loyalty.

Humanise Your Brand

This is where the effect of your personal branding comes in. Although you are a company, people want to feel like they are speaking with an individual who understands their worries and can help them out. It is always advisable to be a friend before being a salesman; some brands are beginning to adopt this, especially with chatbots and when running email marketing campaigns. Your brand can also do better.

Gather More Customer Testimonials

As much as you are working hard to get everything else right by improving your product and customer service, prospects want to have a quick feel of what other people have experienced during an interaction with your brand. Asking for a testimonial from a past client isn’t as difficult as it might seem; learn how to do so here.