Guide to Determining Your Credibility With Your Customers

Ask Your Customers

Many business owners assume their customers are happy with the services or product they provided. The absence of complaints does not indicate that people are satisfied with your company. Failure to actually ask them for feedback can be disastrous. If you don't know how they really feel then you have no idea what they are telling their friends and family about you.

I recommend: Conducting independent, third party telephone surveys of a sampling of your customers.  There are many companies that can do this for you.  I recommend BoxFreeThinking as they are good at creatively exploring your needs and implementing solutions.  Be sure the person being interviewed knows they will not be identified to you.  People are also much more likely to be honest over the telephone than in person.

Search the Web

Many business owners fail to search the web for what people may be saying about them. This is free, fast, and a critical step in determining if there is any bad buzz going around about your company. Remember what people are not willing to tell you to your face they sure will be willing to tell the rest of the world via an on-line review.

I recommend: 

Simple searches in any major search engine such as Google, Yahoo, MSN, Ask, etc...

Review your Referral History

The customers who reffer you to their friends and family are great indicators of their satisfaction. Review your company's referral history to determine if you are receiving referrals. If the answer is "no" you need to determine why by conducting independant surveys. If the answer is "I don't know" then you need to be sure you are keeping good track of your leads and where they are coming from. Also be sure to thanks customers who refer business to you. A simple thank you go's a long, long way in the credibility department.

I recommend: A simple system for keeping track of where leads come from.  If you are a pencil and paper type of person, get a notebook from Office Depot.  If you live in a more digital world there are countless ways to keep track of leads on your computer or palm pilot.

Review Your Competitor's Business

Sometimes if your competitor is growing faster than you despite the fact you offer superior services or products this can be due to a percieved higher level of credibility that the public has of them. Whether the perception is true or not does not matter. The perception is always greater than the reality.

I recommend: 

Determining if and why people believe another business is more credible than yours is key.  I recommend independant surveys as mentioned above with potential clients who contacted you but did not use your service or buy your product.