Recently, a client reached out to me, concerned that their customer service was slipping. Due to supply issues, they weren’t fulfilling orders on time, and customers were complaining. Some had even started to source their products from other vendors.
The company began surveying customers using the Net Promoter Score (NPS) survey, which measures the likelihood that customers would recommend them. Obviously, with missed shipping deadlines, customers were unlikely to give a high score.
As we continued our discussion, I concluded that the problem wasn’t customer service. The problem was becoming a lack of trust. If a customer receives something late once, maybe it was a mistake. If it happens more than once, that’s a pattern of inconsistency that will erode trust. So, my recommendation was to do a trust survey.
I’ve written about how to create trust with customers in the past. I’ve quoted my friend and trust guru David Horsager, who says, “A lack of trust is your biggest expense in business.”
So, with that in mind, I’ve come up with several questions to use on a trust survey. I suggest using just one or two plus an open-ended question. You can use a numerical scale, such as zero to 10 (like NPS), one to 10, or one to five. For the purpose of this survey, we’ll use one to 10, where one means “I don’t trust you at all” and 10 means “I completely trust you.”
- On a scale of 1-10, how much do you trust that we will always do what’s right for you as our customer?
- On a scale of 1-10, how confident are you that we will deliver on what we promise? (What you promise can include product quality, on-time delivery, or any other commitment you’ve made to your customer.)
- On a scale of 1-10, how much do you trust us to consistently deliver the same level of quality and service every time?
- On a scale of 1-10, how confident are you that if something goes wrong, we will make it right?
And as mentioned, consider including an open-ended question, such as:
- Why did you give us that score?
- What’s one suggestion you have that would create a higher level of trust?
- What’s the biggest reason you trust (or don’t trust) us?
Trust is the foundation of every great relationship. A trust survey doesn’t just tell you how your customers feel about you today. It gives you the insights you need to protect loyalty tomorrow. If your customers believe you’ll do what you say, admit mistakes, fix mistakes, and always act in their best interest, you’ve earned something more powerful than a sale. You’ve earned their confidence.
