Transparency Builds Confidence

One of the most significant obstacles to customer satisfaction is uncertainty. Customers often obsess over what could go wrong, from whether they’ve chosen the right options to whether the company is telling them everything they need to know before they commit. When customers feel unsure or feel left in the dark, their anxiety quickly morphs to dissatisfaction or even lost sales—even in circumstances where nothing has actually gone wrong. This inclination towards worst-case assumptions shouldn’t surprise us given the widescale decline in customer service happening everywhere. Once bitten, twice shy.

So, what can small business owners and managers do to reduce this anxiety and ultimately build up customer confidence?

Sharing Information

To begin, your business should always be transparent. But real transparency is much more than being honest when customers ask the tough questions: it’s also being proactive with the kind of information they should know, even when they don’t think to ask. Potential challenges or limitations, delays or complications—it’s critical that you are upfront with your customers. The more well-informed they are, the less likely they are to worry or second-guess their decisions.

Indeed, information is power, and you should always seek ways to make your customers feel empowered. Knowledge enables them to make informed decisions. On the other hand, if they are left wondering without any reassurances, then doubt—and anxiety with it—are inevitable. So, always make sure you provide detailed information about products and services, including their performance and known challenges, and how you will be there to help them when things go wrong. That’s how you instill confidence and curtail buyer’s remorse and post-purchase stress.

Guarantees

Speaking of, your commitment to be there when problems arise is also hugely important. You can accomplish this through satisfaction guarantees and liberal return policies because offering a safety net shows customers that you stand behind your products or services. It also signals that you understand and empathize with their concerns, that you are willing to give them the time to make sure their decision was the right choice. When customers know they can get help or make an exchange without hassle, they can choose without hesitation.

Build your company’s reputation with your commitment to satisfaction. This safety net reduces perceived risk, making it that much easier for customers to commit to you.

Strategies to Beat Uncertainty

Uncertainty breeds anxiety, which in turn erodes trust. When customers feel uncertain about a product—or your company at large—they are likely to buy. Even if they do, they are more likely to experience buyer’s remorse. Conversely, a business that goes out of its way to assure customers that they are making smart, informed decisions is much more likely to learn their trust and loyalty.

A few simple strategies can go a long way to setting their minds at ease. Frequent updates on delivery status, proactive communication about delays, or even providing usage tips after a purchase can demonstrate your commitment to the customer’s experience beyond the initial sale. This is a great way to build a sense of partnership, and customers love feeling like they’re in the loop.

How to Evaluate Your Company’s Performance

Don’t make the mistake of simply assuming your company is doing enough to reduce customer anxiety. It’s not enough to self-evaluate: you must seek outside evaluation, perhaps from a customer-service consultancy or mystery shopping company.

Here are a few areas a consultancy can help you assess:

1. Customer Feedback: Are your customers receiving the information they need? Do they feel informed and confident when interacting with your brand? One of the surest ways to get this answer is to have your mystery shopping company use customer feedback surveys to solicit customer opinions. A consultancy can then collate that data and present it to you in a digestible yet still nuanced format.
2. Employee Perceptions: How do your employees feel about the company’s culture regarding information sharing and overall transparency? They should know best, as frontline employees have their fingers on the pulse of customer opinion. Moreover, they are themselves a direct reflection on how transparent a business truly is. If your employees are uncertain or do not feel empowered with the right information, your customers are going to pick up on that, too. A consultancy can help you gauge employee satisfaction regarding internal communication and external transparency.
3. Execution of Practices: It’s one thing to say your company values transparency; it’s another to execute this vision effectively. Mystery shoppers, for example, can test a variety of scenarios to confirm whether your team communicates consistently, clearly, and transparently. This knowledge will provide you with the roadmap to improvement, and a customer service consultancy can help you implement and test those changes.

If you truly want to ensure your business is reducing customer anxiety, then you should engage the services of a world-class customer service consultancy like The Brandt Group. We can help you gain valuable insights into how your company performs in key areas like proactive communication and transparency. From customer and employee feedback to testing employee transparency and assessing execution, our mystery shopping services can help you build the trust and confidence your customers need to feel secure in their purchasing decisions. Our leadership training courses can teach your managers how to actualize on that information to take your company to new heights. So, let’s build your company’s brand identity together. Contact us today!