Customer trust

     Free daily tips, information and advice for people in small business
     from my lifetime of experience founding and growing several small businesses.

     The trust your customers place in you is extremely important. Trust is a bond between you and your customers. Trust results in repeat business and referrals.

     Building customer trust happens every time you fulfill your customer's expectations. Every job you complete and every product you sell can result in future business--from the customer and from their referrals. 

     I learned many valuable lessons from my father. When you do a job, he said, do it well and do it on time. I remembered this when I started my first business.

     Example: My first business was a graphic arts firm located in downtown Manhattan. My customers were brokerage firms, banks and insurance companies. These people wanted a supplier who could deliver art work and printed materials--on time and without errors. On my end, meeting difficult deadlines meant having reliable employees, the latest equipment, and setting up a 24-hour operation. With every job, we built customer trust. And the word spread throughout the Wall Street community. 

     In every business, large or small, delivering what the customer wants is critical to building a trusting relationship. When you drop the ball, you run the risk of losing the customer.

     The baker who delivers the wedding cake late has lost a customer. The landscaper who plants hostas instead of daylilies has lost a customer. The attorney who drags out the process of drawing up a will has lost a customer. The financial planner who misses big trends in the market has lost a customer. 

     Think about it. Bad news travels faster than good. When you betray a customer's trust, you've lost that customer. More importantly, you've lost all the referrals he might have brought you. 

     Keep it positive. Keep it right. And keep it on time. This keeps the focus on building trust. 

     After a lifetime in business, I spend my time nowadays writing and coaching people in small business. I'll gladly answer your questions at no charge--email me at AlWarr16@gmail.com and put BLOG in the subject line (so I don't delete). Your privacy is always respected.