A woman in Boston had used the same plumber for 20 years. On a recent service call, one of his workers had left a mess behind.
Knowing that such behavior was outside of the norm, she called the owner and was told that someone would be back the next day to clean it up.
No one came, so the woman found a new plumber.
The Mess Wasn’t the Problem
Does it seem a bit drastic to end a 20 year business relationship over a little mess left behind?
Perhaps, but that is not the reason this woman ended the relationship.
“He said he would do something, and he didn’t do it,” she said. “That made me nervous. He offers a guarantee on his work, but if he doesn’t do what he says then how do I know he’ll honor the guarantee?”
Whatever the reason was that this small business did not send someone back to this customer’s house is irrelevant.
The damage has been done, and the customer feels that she can no longer trust this business.
Many Closing Shop
With businesses closing left and right, many consumers are left wondering if the people that they do business with will disappear without warning.
This is especially troublesome when money is required of the customer up front, before a service or product is provided. This is where trust in business comes in.
Trust is of the Utmost Importance
Establishing trust and a good business reputation has always been important, but now it is more important than ever.
So how does a business go about convincing current and potential customers that it is a good idea to trust in their business?
Keep Your Word – ALWAYS
The best way to establish trust in business is to keep your word no matter what.
One florist promised a certain price on a special order of flowers. Between the time she took the order from the customer and placed the order with her vendor, the price had shot up.
The florist barely broke even on the deal, but she kept her word. “It would have damaged my chances of getting future business from this customer had I called her back to adjust the prices. I did tell her what happened, though, and I think it made her realize that she could count on my word,” said the florist.
Promises must be kept. If it costs your business then so be it. Learn from such mistakes and move on, but never go back on your word.
Return Calls – PROMPTLY
Another way to gain the trust of your customers is to treat them like they are important to you. This includes returning phone calls promptly.
If customers are left hanging for days or weeks it will make them wonder if they should call you the next time they have a need. This will also tarnish your business reputation.
Fix Mistakes – RIGHT AWAY
If your business does make a mistake do not try to make excuses and NEVER try to place the blame back on the customer.
If you make a mistake, just apologize and then fix it as soon as possible.
In today’s economic climate it is more important than ever to maintain customer’s trust in your business as well as creating a good business reputation. Treat them right, and they will be much more likely to stick with you for the long haul.
