Customer service and the trust conundrum
By John Sanei on 13 April 2021
Throughout the world we’re seeing established and long-standing institutions under scrutiny for unethical practice or for abusing their power of authority. Take Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan, for example, speaking out against the long-established British monarchy. That would previously have been thought to be inconceivable. The #MeToo global movement took on people in powerful positions and exposed them as abusers, while individuals are taking on governments, religions and corporates around the world. The everyday consumer is no exception.
Traditionally, the interaction between customers and businesses was more about value exchange and less about establishing and retaining a long-term relationship. But, for the first time in our recent history, Covid-19 has forced corporates to shift their attention from the bottom line to retaining customers. Without a customer who trusts you, as many companies discovered, you no longer exist. As the world crashed to a halt with the pandemic, leading conglomerates suddenly found themselves competing for spend from a far more digitally savvy, conscious and selective consumer, often with uncertain and restricted resources.