Honesty really is the best customer care policy. Find out how you can get your customers to trust you.
If you didn’t offer a particular service, would you say that you did anyway? Would you say you were open a certain time when you were not? Or that you accepted a particular type of payment even though you didn’t?
I used to work for a company that did just that. Everyday the owners of this business were flat out dishonest. Why? Just to get people in the door.
But in essence all they managed to do was waste people’s time and upset them. The owner’s never had to deal with the backlash of irate customers. The employees were left to handle the mess.
Many times employees actually had to lie to the owners and say they lied to the customers. Crazy, right? Not a very healthy environment. And it’s one of the reasons I don’t work with them anymore.
It’s also one of the biggest mistakes a business can make. If your customers don’t trust you, how can they comfortably refer their friends to you? How can your employees feel confident about promoting you?
What should you do instead?
Why not try being honest? If you’re honest you build trust. Not destroy it. Even if that means you lose a customer because you can’t service them properly. They’ll appreciate you helping them find someone who can. And they’ll remember that when someone they know may need your help.
And in an economy like today’s, trust is extremely valuable. Because it allows people to feel good about what you do.
What happens when people feel good about your business?
They promote you of course. And these people are far more credible than anything you could say about yourself. This is why testimonials are very important on your website.
Testimonials give people a chance to see who you work with. Potential customers try to put themselves in their shoes. They ask themselves, “Is this person like me? Do they have the same problem I have?”
This is why it’s best to use full names, credentials and pictures if possible. Pictures are extremely important. Again potential customers are looking to see if they fit in with your business.
Now you may be thinking, do people really read testimonials?
The answer is yes. If they’ve got some substance to them. Have you ever read user reviews on Amazon? But when they’re only trite, glowing remarks people develop what I call, “Testimonial Blindness.” Much like the ad blindness many of us have today.
How do you avoid “Testimonial Blindness?”
One way is to allow your testimonials to overcome the obstacles a potential customer may have. There was some type of hesitation on the part of your current customers before they chose to work with you. Ask them what it was.
Most likely someone else will face the same obstacle. If a satisfied customer can put their mind at ease, you’ve just made it easier for a potential customer to do business with you.
But remember, it all starts with honesty.
And a great service of course. But if your customers don’t trust you, they won’t be willing to promote you. It’ll be all that harder to get repeat business. And attract other customers you’ll enjoy working with.
Do you have testimonials on your website?
Start collecting them now. And use them strategically to support your copy. You’ll also learn a great deal about your business and how your customers perceive you. That’s never a bad thing!
About the Author
Dave Charest is the owner of Case Ace Copy, a copywriting company for small businesses.
