From Broken Promises to Lasting Relationships: Restoring Customer Trust

??Taking the Heat: I have been yelled at, had customers slam doors and storm out of meetings, demand replacement of the project lead and team, and been micro steered by customers all due to lost confidence in the relationship. ??Unhappy customers, trust evaporating, overcommitting and underdelivering, unclear scope, late projects, poor quality & performance, I have experienced it all leading the business with customers across Ireland, The Nordics, Southeast Europe and Kenya. ??

I have had to negotiate significant penalties, with global customers professional procurement firms, and been excluded from bids for new business, all very painful experiences in the life of a customer lead and for the team.

I have also unexpectantly won new business, when competitors have broken trust, in one case a competitor's unethical behaviour had surfaced after the business was awarded and the decision was reversed in our favour.

Trust is really the cornerstone of any business relationship, and when weak or absent will impact all key financial metrics, revenue, margin and timely cash collection.

Here I share my advice on a step by step approach to Restoring Customer Trust:

• Start by 'Putting the Moose on the Table' as one of my dear American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) board colleague likes to say, act quickly and get all the customer frustration and anger on the table, ask open questions, dig deep on what are the major pain points, show empathy and understanding and most importantly admit mistakes made. This takes courage but giving the customer real time to voice all their concerns is the first step on moving forward
• Think about who is best to do these interviews with the customer, do you need to bring in an independent senior manager or external consultant, has the relationship reached a low level where this is the best approach?
• Document the customer feedback and reshare it with the customer so they can confirm that all has been captured correctly, this will be the basis of the improvement plan which will need a handshake with the customer
• Share the customer feedback openly with internal stakeholders, be transparent, acknowledge the issues and the effort and time it will take to transform the relationship
• Develop the customer satisfaction improvement plan with a focus on key actions in the short term with owners, deliverables and deadlines supported by key stakeholders. Plan how to report and share progress internally and with the customer, through regular meetings and updates
• Review the team, it may need need strengthening and changes, a fresh start can help move forward in the process including a lead refresh
• Get team buyin to the change, focus on internal partnerships to give a consistent excellent customer experience, be clear that past mistakes cannot be repeated and ask all to be open when they have concerns, and encourage early warning signals on risks
• Say NO to overcommiting, become a reliable and consistent partner, avoid responding to bids outside of your key competence area, for now focus on building Goodwill with the customer, supporting them on key projects and successes. Celebrate any small wins as a step forward in the relationship.
• Finally, deliver on all commitments, deliver, deliver, deliver and as the customer lead, manage proactively risks in projects and proposals, transform the relationship to one of trust and long term sustainability.

Rebuilding customer trust is difficult, takes commitment and taking the long view, but you can restore customer confidence over time. The satisfaction I have got from leading and transforming customer relationships has been one of the highlights of my career thus far, coming back from the brink to being a trusted partner that customers will act as reference for it highly satisfying so the investment is definately worth it.

If you have some niggling concerns about a key customer act now, engage and be proactive, it will be highly appreciated!

And for some futher inspiration see interesting article INSEAD Executive Education

https://knowledge.insead.edu/marketing/unlock-full-value-your-business-relationships

And... If you would like to explore how I can help transform your customer relationships checkout Makace AB