Being perceived as unreliable or unfair is a sure way for a service company to lose the trust of its customers. I’ve learned that truth from 40 years of conducting research in the fields of services marketing, service quality, and health services. Companies that serve customers who are in a state of stress are especially vulnerable to losing customers’ trust when they perform poorly.
How Service Companies Can Earn Customer Trust and Keep It
Companies that serve customers who are in a state of stress are especially vulnerable to losing customers’ trust when they perform poorly. That’s what happened on April 9, when, before United Express Flight 3411 left Chicago, security personnel dragged a ticketed customer out of his seat because he wouldn’t agree to take a later flight to make room for a late-arriving airline employee. United Airlines broke six rules that service companies should heed: solve service problems before they reach the customer; honor customers’ “perceived contract,” not the company’s legal contract; identify the few crucial “nondelegable” decisions that must be kicked up to a senior manager; be generous when you absolutely must break your service promise; include an explanation with an apology for a service failure; and use realistic slogans.