Customer trust has gone down in recent years. Think about your approach to other businesses. If you couldn’t trust them, for whatever reason, would you risk handing over your cash to them?
I assume that the answer is probably no. Customer trust is important to stay in business for the long run.
Because let’s face it, if the business in question had a bad reputation, or if you had a gut feeling that something wasn’t right with them, you wouldn’t want to run the risk of losing your money. Especially to a company that didn’t deliver a good service or product to you.
And so it is with your business. If you stand any hope of surviving in today’s competitive marketplace, you need to do all you can to earn your customer’s trust.
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Disappearing Customers
You see if you don’t, then there is no mystery as to why your customers are disappearing. They are leaving you because they don’t trust doing business with you.
So, with the above in mind, let’s look at some of the areas where trust can be weakened. Chances are, you will recognize some of these yourself, as they might be the reasons why you don’t do business with particular companies.
And they might also signify why your customers may have lost trust in you.
How To Build Trust With Customers and What Not To Do
#1: Your Website Leaves A Poor First Impression
Your website is the face of your business, but there are some pressing reasons why it might fail to earn your customer’s trust.
For starters, let’s consider the thorny issue of cybersecurity. If your website doesn’t have an SSL certificate, and if it hasn’t been verified safe, then your customers might not want to risk paying money through your online service.
You can overcome this issue by working with security companies to make sure your website is safe from hacking attacks. Then, you might include their credentials on your website.
You can then order an SSL certificate online, and submit your site to Norton or similar to verify that your website is safe. Again, you can then promote this on your site, and give your customers renewed confidence.
Neglect
The other issue around your website is neglect. If it looks rough around the edges, hasn’t been updated in months, and has broken links on each page, then your customer might associate your website with the rest of your business.
After all, if you can’t make an effort with your website, they might assume your product or service is equally as shoddy. Therefore, work harder to improve your website’s aesthetics and functionality.
You could hire a web designer to put something together for you.
Lastly, be sure to not have many ads or pop-ups all over your website. This is another reason people will leave your website quickly and lose trust in your business.
#2: Customers Have Lost Trust Because Your Customer Service is Poor
Let’s face it; would you use a business with poor customer service? We are guessing not, so consider the way you operate within your business.
If your customers leave you a message, how quick are you to get back to them? Whether it’s by phone, email, or live chat, don’t leave them hanging. The longer you withhold communication, the less trust your customers will have in you.
This is one of the top reasons customers have lost trust in a business today. It’s my number one pet peeve when I need something from a business. I want answers sooner than later! Be sure to engage with your customers nicely.
You should make an effort to communicate quickly with your customers, though if time is an issue for you, you should consider hiring people on your team to improve communication time or outsource to a call center that will take on some of the responsibility for you.
Another issue around customer service is your attitude. Your customers need to feel cared for. But if you have spoken to them abruptly, and/or brushed them off with a glib response when they have asked you a question, then you aren’t going to win over their trust.
No matter how much of a pain your customers are to you, it is important to remember that without them, you will have no business. They will quickly leave your business and possibly pass the negative word about you on social media and business review sites.
Your reputation will quickly go down the pan. Therefore, be respectful in all of your communications with them, even when they are making a complaint or dithering over a purchase, and focus on these customer service skills to gain your customer’s confidence.
#3: You Have Broken Promises to Your Customer
When you make and break a promise, you damage your reputation.
Your customers might not trust you again, and they will prove this by leaving you in the dust; using your nearest competitor the next time they want a similar product or service to what you are offering.
So, don’t write misleading product descriptions. Don’t promise next-day delivery if you know you can’t always fulfill this. Don’t offer to price match your competitors if your finances can’t bear the brunt of this.
You need to be honest on both your website and the marketing materials you produce for your business to gain trust.
Of course, we all make mistakes. You might make a promise with the best of intentions, and nine times out of ten, you might keep to those promises.
So, on those rare occasions that you do make a mistake, apologize to the customer, and put things right with a decent returns policy and perhaps the offer of a discount on their next purchase.
Final Word: Why Customers Have Lost Trust in Your Business
In business, trust is everything. To ensure success for your business then, take note of what we have said in this article. Therefore, do everything in your power to earn your customer’s confidence.
Your business will prosper if you do, but potentially fail if you don’t.
Have you lost trust in a business? Have you done anything that has lost the trust of your customers? I’d love to know about your stories in the comments below!
FAQs: Customer Trust Gone: Why and How to Get Customer Trust Back
Why does a poor website lower customer trust?
A website that’s slow, hard to navigate, or outdated frustrates users. When it looks unprofessional, customers think your business is unprofessional. They may also worry about security if the site doesn’t seem trustworthy.
How does poor customer service impact trust?
If customers feel ignored or mistreated, they won’t trust your business. Slow responses, unhelpful staff, or unresolved issues make customers think you don’t care about their experience.
What happens when a company breaks its promises?
Broken promises erode trust quickly. When you fail to deliver what you’ve promised, customers feel betrayed. This can lead to negative reviews and lost business.
What are the long-term benefits of gaining customer trust?
Trusted businesses see repeat customers, positive reviews, and strong word-of-mouth referrals. Customer loyalty means more sales and a solid reputation, which are crucial for long-term success.
3 Big Reasons Why Customer Trust Has Gone Done Recently Share on X
She has 30+ years of experience in marketing/advertising with 12 years of experience in content marketing, social media, blogging, and SEO.
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So very well said Lisa!
And it’s truly amazing how, your excellent 3 tips
and overall strategies and proven approaches,
to both restoring and maintaining trust.
They are evergreen tips and can, and definitely should
constantly be implemented 24/7.
No matter how you primarily market or promote
your products or services.Be it on or offline.
Implementing your 3 extremely practical tips, is definitely
the way to go!Thanks so much for sharing them.
Hi Mark, thank you. I like that, “be it on or offline”. Which of these 3 tips do you use the most? Thanks for coming by Mark and I hope you enjoy the rest of the weekend.
Hello Lisa,
You have shared some great points that lead to poor user experiences and customers lost faith in you. The first impression is very necessary as it helps you to turn your visitors in a loyal customer. The first impression is the last impression. Customer service is also a key point for businesses to grow and establish them as successful and it applies in almost every business segment. Thanks for sharing these helpful tips here. Shared it on my social networks.
Regards,
Vishwajeet
Hi Vishwajeet, thank you. Oh yes, they always say that about first impressions whether it be ourselves or our websites. Poor user experiences are a killer on websites – I usually click off when I arrive on them. Thanks for coming by on this one and for sharing everywhere Vishwajeet. You rock at that! ?
OMG 1 star rating customer service kills all, Lisa.
BTW what’s going wrong with your push notification?
Not getting it these days
Hi Enstine, yes, I think that would surely affect customer service in other’s eyes. It’s still working, it woke up my husband yesterday when I published this one early a.m. Did you unsubscribe in error? I’ll be posting a new one again shortly. I’ll check in with you afterwards. Thanks for the heads up and have a great day Enstine.
Enstine: 1 star rating doesn’t have to “kill” you, if you do it in the right way. I am co-host of podcast that got a “1 star” review, and reached out the listeners and got back a favorable reply. We also mentioned the review on our show.
Hi Martin – good to know! And great that you were able to reach back and make a difference. That’s what it’s all about! Have a wonderful weekend Martin.
Indeed these are some good inputs on how you can lose trust with your customers.
My personal take is to be as honest, transparent, and helpful as possible. When customers ask questions I take time to create personalized responses.
One thing I’m struggling with is response time. But I guess that is the result of being your own support staff.
Thanks for the post.
Hi Mathias, honesty is a must. I believe the truth always comes out if not too. I used to say within 24 hours but I try to make it within 1 or 12 nowadays depending on how the message arrives to me. If it is an email I can take up to 12 hours. But a text or IM is much faster unless I’m in front of a client or teaching a class, etc. Thanks for coming by on this one and enjoy the rest of your day Mathias.
Hey Lisa! A fabulous read for sure! Customer Service is #1 in my book. If it stinks, I’m done. If they break their promise, or their product is not as expected, I’m done. Websites too, as you said, can play a huge factor. As consumers, we all want to be taken care of like the Kings and Queens we are and if we don’t get it, we can always protest (like most do nowadays) or just walk away. Thanks for sharing this!
Hi Bren, thank you! I love how airlines respond asap on Twitter for customer service. (Since you cannot reach them via phone!) But at least they have a place where you can get answers. I can’t stand landing on a website that you can’t read because the text is too small or fancy. I’m off of those in a flash. Thanks for coming by Bren and hope your week is starting out well there.
Hi Lisa,
Whenever I go to a new website and notice there is no https, I’m suspicious already. Then there is my pet peeve of pop ups. I can deal with an exit pop, or even a splash page if it has an X there clearly. But when I have to search for the x, I’m out of there. Too much going on visually gets me dizzy. So I do leave the page.
Customer service is so important. We can have the very best website in the world but it will do no good if you ignore people. We have to have some kind of system (or even outsourced) to be able to answer folks promptly. People want immediate results. We, as owners need to be able to suit their needs.
Excellent points my friend.
-Donna
Hi Donna, Oh yes, that too. Though if the are NOT selling anything it’s not as bad. I would not put my credit card in a site without the HPTTS. Oh yes, those nasty pop-ups that won’t go away. ! Agreed!
I think that is so true today about immediate responses. No one wants to wait anymore today Donna. Time is of the essence. Thanks for your input on this one and enjoy the rest of your day!
Renard and you said it, Lisa. First impressions count so much. I have no clue why people cheap out on their sites. I have a VPS, premium theme and really, BFP is super clean, simple and lean. Folks see what I offer and the site loads fast too. I can see no other way, as far as building my business. Invest money on the front end to earn trust and make money on the back end. Super post!
Hi Ryan, I would agree about those first impressions. So hard to get people to change their ways at times. Yes, your website is great – clean and fast. Easy to navigate. That’s what viewers want today. I can’t believe when I land on some major news organization websites full of pop-ups. Those can really drive you away today. Who has time to sift through them? Thanks for coming by on this one Ryan and have a great rest of the day. Stay cool there!
? Those are all fabulous points, Lisa.
First impressions do count and poor customer service can be detrimental to an online business.
Thanks Renard. Yes, those first impressions can make a difference. Have you ever experienced a really good or bad customer service? I tend to remember the best ones more than the worst. My best was a motel in Canada that bent over backwards for us and served a delicious homemade breakfast daily! Thanks for coming by Renard and have a great day!