BANKING ON TRUST
There is with in all of us, a “Bank of Goodwill”. Whether we know it or not, we add goodwill to, or withdraw our approval from, this “bank account” depending on how things are going. We do it with families, friends, clubs, organizations, and it can be translated to almost anything.
It applies to businesses, big ones and small local ones. Some people or groups we automatically open the account with a large amount of “Good Will”, some start off in the negative balance range. It is entirely individual to each of us. But as a group, it has tremendous impact on who we like or who we trust. They go hand in hand.
A client’s perception of your business and whether you met their expectation can be influenced by something as simple as how requests are handled. Interaction with your employees can color their attitude toward your business and being a repeat client.
How you distinguish what is occurring, is how the “total balance” is reflected in “bank balance”. Everyday, each action and each person working in with you is adding or subtracting from the balance in “The Bank of Good Will” customers carry in their heads.
When trust is high, and expectations are being met these are “deposited” to the account increasing value. When questions are answered, fully and in a way that can be understand, another plus to the “bank” account. Lots of little things add up to large additional deposit sums. Without even knowing it, every day that goes by, when it is a good one, and no bad event, no crass or tacky behavior by an associate - a plus goes in.
Everyday business, just answering the phone, having someone respond in a respectful manner, smiling at a customer and thousands more daily interactions can generate large deposits to the “Bank of Good Will”.
Occasionally, there is a hic-cup, something negative occurs and a withdrawal is made. Sometimes there is a bigger problem, and the withdrawal is larger. These withdrawals, negative things, that decrease balances in the “Bank”, are not the creation of any one person or one occurrence. Rather they are an accumulation.
It is actually hard to overdraw the account because we, as people, have a huge degree of respect & trust for our neighbors. It’s very American to be forgiving. But when there is a steady drip, drip, drip of problematic issues, the account balance begins to enter dangerously low balance territory. There is a direct correlation between Good Will and its currency - Trust. Damage one - you damage the other.
Make your business a BILLION DOLLAR BALANCE in the BANK OF GOOD WILL!
