Many years ago I was at a presentation from a large UK airline that had done some research on customer loyalty. One of the conclusions that has stuck in my mind was that customers are 11 times more loyal if you’ve solved a problem than if they’ve never had a problem with your service. I recall asking (tongue-in-cheek) if they employ somebody in baggage handling to deliberately “lose” random customers’ bags, for them to be able to find and return them promptly. I know that I was previously impressed when, on two occasions (both on late rescheduled flights) they quickly returned lost suitcases (one being delivered to my home by taxi later the same day).
About a month after that presentation I was at one given by a large UK bank that quoted similar research findings. The reinforcement is probably why I remember the 11x figure 30 years later.
Around the same time, I was looking into customer satisfaction research myself and there were result like: a satisfied customer will tell 4 people; a dissatisfied will tell 27. I’m not quite so confident with those figures trawled from memory, but they seem about right, enough to make the necessary point: we are more vocal about failure than success (especially when it relates to others). That’s not something confined to individual purchases or service. Consider what is reported in the media. For example, a politician may have served their electorate well of many years but one miss-step and they’re pilloried for not being perfect. Imperfect heroes are only acceptable in movies.
But I digress from the title of this piece. Trust – often said that it’s hard to win but easy to lose. Going back to the research mentioned at the start, it’s how companies (and people) respond to problems and failures that really determine their mettle.
Trust is only potential until a problem crops up, at which point the trust is affirmed or lost.
Thinly Sliced Cabbage 