With virtually endless options at their fingertips, your customers are going to choose businesses they feel deserve their trust. So how do you earn and keep that trust? If you’ve struggled to find concrete answers to this equation, we’ve got you.
Think about all the different ways you interact with your audience and what problems you solve for them. Is your messaging clear and consistent? Is it accessible and helpful? How are you following through on your promises and showing the results? Whatever your industry, applying these concepts to each interaction pays off.
First impressions are crucial, and your online platforms have to make that first impression count in a matter of seconds — not minutes. According to Forbes, if your website isn’t ticking the following boxes, it’s probably time for a refresh.
Now that your potential customer is interested, you can continue building trust through a commitment to transparency. Most users have learned some degree of caution when interacting with companies online, and look for proof that they aren’t taking unnecessary risks.
Remember that your mission statement and values may be a big part of why your customers choose to do business with you. Supporting relevant causes can help you earn customer loyalty and engage with your audience on a more personal level.
According to a breakdown of a 2022 Salesforce survey, "Customers expect businesses to not only meet their needs but to do so responsibly. In fact, 68% of customers trust companies to act with society’s best interest in mind."
As technology continues to reshape how we interact with customers, the quality of these interactions is crucial. It will either build trust with them or drive them to one of your competitors.
According to new global research from Calabrio, “Both consumers (97%) and contact center managers (98%) agree that customer service interactions have an impact on whether consumers stay loyal to a brand.”
But according to the Calabrio research, there is a disconnect between what managers and customers think about customer service quality. Even when an overwhelming majority of managers believed their customers’ needs were being met, customers disagreed. Less than half (45% or fewer) of surveyed consumers felt that their expectations were being met in the following areas:
This indicates that while emerging tools like AI chatbots can help simplify customer service, you shouldn’t expect them to solve all your problems. It’s still essential to engage with customers so they feel heard and understood by real people.
For those interacting with customers on the front lines, there’s no substitute for comprehensive training and good documentation.