As a consumer, I am loyal to a certain brand of toothpaste because it works well for me. It is able to soothe my nerves, and I like its refreshing taste. This brand, known as Sensodyne, stands out for me because it is the only brand that can relieve my tooth sensitivity.
A company can build trust when it is easily accessible to its customers. It is important for a firm to be available to its customers and interact with them regularly. In this manner, it will be in a position to answer all their queries and concerns with regards to its brands. In this way, it will improve its trust and credibility with its customers (Openstax, 2018). It can do this using several approaches, including establishing a point of contact for all customer inquiries. Alternatively, it can organize an awareness event or even set up an online community where it can regularly interact with its customers.
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Another way that a company can build trust with its customers is by being honest and transparent. It should be open about its strengths and weaknesses. If a product is not right for a particular customer, it only fits for such a company to guide him or her to the right place. By being open, the company will build trust with its customers (Smale, 2017). This is because it shows that it cares about its customers and their specific needs and is willing to help them solve their problems.
Once trust is built, a company has ethical obligations to treat its loyal customers respectably to avoid damage to its reputation and credibility. The company is obligated to offer its customers the best services possible to retain its image. By offering better services, the company creates an element of customer satisfaction. All customer complaints should be handled with a touch of understanding and respect since they are most likely genuine. Additionally, a company should not ignore aspects of after-sales services and warranty, which have the capability of damaging its image and discouraging customers. It also goes hand in hand with protecting customer confidentiality, including the protection of their data. This is an obligation that will help a company either maintain or damage its reputation.
Consumers need to trust companies based on the reputation of such entities. A company that delivers high-quality services and goods should be trusted because it offers value to the customer. There are also other firms that have a good reputation and engage in community social responsibility initiatives that help communities to develop. Such companies need to be trusted by consumers. On the other hand, consumers need not trust companies that offer low-quality goods and services (Bedgood, 2019). Such companies do not have the interest of consumers at heart and are only interested in making profits. In this regard, consumers need not trust such companies because they do not offer any value to them.
Some consumers are more prone to be loyal, while others are not, depending on the circumstances in question. Suppose a customer believes that a company is offering better and higher quality services and goods, then he is prone to become loyal irrespective of pricing. On the other hand, there are others who are not prone to be loyal due to changing consumer demands and cultural shifts that make it nearly impossible to maintain brand loyalty (Llopis, 2014). People who are prone to brand loyalty are those who are unwilling to adapt to new demands in the market due to one reason or the other.
References
Bedgood, L. (2019). Brand Trust is More Important Than Ever for Consumers . Business 2 Community. https://www.business2community.com/branding/brand-trust-is-more-important-than-ever-for-consumers-02229321
Llopis, G. (2014). Consumers Are No Longer Brand Loyal . Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/glennllopis/2014/12/10/consumers-are-no-longer-brand-loyal/
OpenStax. (2018, September 20). Loyalty to the Brand and to Customers . Opentextbc.ca; OpenStax. https://opentextbc.ca/businessethicsopenstax/chapter/loyalty-to-the-brand-and-to-customers/
Smale, T. (2017). 5 Strategies for How to Make Customers Trust Your Brand . Entrepreneur. https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/289167
