Trust. It’s something that isn’t easily come by. Many people are naturally suspicious or cautious so in all aspects of life, we can’t expect to win their trust easily. This is something you will understandably associate with your business. You will have taken a long time to cultivate customer trust in your brand, perhaps by taking steps to prove the value of what your business can offer.
After building trust, the last thing you want to do is anything that can turn your customers against you. Sadly, it can only take a few moments for them to lose their trust in you, despite the many months it may have taken to build their trust in the first place.
Trust can be lost when the following occurs.
#1: Lawbreaking
You probably aren’t a hardened criminal but there could be times when you are tempted to break the law. You might step into your car after drinking too much, for example, or you might put your foot down if you’re in a hurry to get to a business meeting. As discussed at Forbes, you might also break business laws unknowingly.
Should the media break the news of your criminal act your customers will sit up and take notice. While you can minimize criminal charges against you with the aid of a good attorney, such as a legal representative from the JacksonWhite Criminal Defense team, people might still struggle to forget the crime you were accused/convicted of.
The answer? Be law-abiding of course. Make every effort to brush up on business laws in your area, as well as any other law that could affect your status as a business leader if you break it.
#2: False promises
When people buy a product from you or use one of your services, they will have certain expectations. These expectations will be based on what you have promised them. But if the final result isn’t what was promised, you can expect an outcry. Angry phone calls and emails can be expected, as can negative reviews on business review sites. There might also be a backlash against your business on social media.
You will lose the trust of your customers if you make false promises, and as word spreads, you will lose the trust of potential customers too. So, do the right thing by the people who use your business. Be honest in what you offer them. And don’t make a promise that you suspect you won’t keep. These are some of the promises you shouldn’t make, so take note, and be mindful in all aspects of your marketing.
#3: Bad associations
It might be that you’re doing nothing wrong at all. But what about the people you associate with? We are thinking of supply companies that may not be entirely reputable or dishonest people you might partner with in business. We are thinking of your employees too. They could bring down your business if they engage in criminal activities or if they offend your customers in any way.
Be mindful then. Commit to research before using supply companies and be diligent with background checks when partnering with others, or when employing new staff. If you do associate with the wrong people, take the necessary next steps before your brand is sullied. One such step might be to remove yourself from them entirely. This might sound extreme but above all else, you do need to protect the reputation of your business.
#4: Data breaches
Sadly, businesses are still at the mercy of cybercriminals, as these statistics show. This can have dire effects for the businesses in question, not only because money is sometimes stolen but because customer data is stolen too. This data is sometimes used to target customers, through theft, blackmail, and further hacking attempts. Needless to say, their trust in your business will soon diminish when they learn the data breach is the cause of their problems.
To protect both your business and your customers, you should do all you can to secure customer data. You will reduce the chances of a data breach if you do, meaning you won’t have to appear red-faced when explaining what has happened to either your customers or the media.
Finally
If you do make a mistake, don’t try to hide it away. Be honest, apologise and make amends to the people you have hurt. This is one way to win back trust if it is lost. But also take steps to ensure you don’t lose trust in the first place. The reputation of your business depends on it, so in all things, never be complacent.
