A Crisis of Trust

A Crisis of Trust

Part 1: Poor Customer Service Lead to a Breakdown in Consumer Trust

As competition is increasing and the products offered in the market are increasingly varied, consumers become increasingly demanding. They not only look good prices and quality products, but also, a good customer service. They look for a friendly service, a friendly atmosphere, comfort, personalized service, prompt attention, etc. When a customer finds the product they are looking for, and also get a good service or care, they are satisfied, and that satisfaction leads them in becoming a loyal customer to that organization or service. But if a customer is dissatisfied and also get a bad service or care, they not only cease to visit, but most likely will speak ill of the bad quality and service (Hayes & Dredge, 2008, pp. 67-87). This is the reason why now in this competitive environment, it is essential to provide good customer service. Good customer service should be present in all aspects of the business where there is some interaction with the customer, from the greeting of security personnel at the entrance of the business, until the call answered by the secretary. For this it is necessary to train and train all the staff in good customer service, not only to those personnel who have regular contact with the customer, but to all the workers, from the charge of security, to the receptionist, to the general manager.

Controversies Breaking Consumer's Trust

The businesses at the road of success discovered the art of facilitating their customers in a way that they got delighted by the services. It is to anticipate the needs of the customers. It attracts new customers and retains and entertains the old ones. In recent years, many organizations from the government to banks (e.g. Barclays, Nat West, and RBS) which have been embroiled in controversies which have led to a breakdown in the consumer trust. There have been many issues and problems in the customer services of the banks mentioned above. This has resulted in acknowledgement of the fact that customer service is indeed quite significant for a business or service to excel (Zemke, 2009, pp. 67-78).

The banking sector has faced several controversies that has broken and shaken the trust of the consumers. These controversies where linked to well known banks namely Barclays, RBS and NatWest. The senior management and traders of Barclays were accused of tempering the interest rates for the purpose of bolstering their own profits. The investigation results stated that this was not a onetime act but was repeatedly done over the last four years. This was done merely for the purpose of increasing their profits and yearly bonuses. NatWest also was involved in a banking scandal (Peppers & Rogers, 2012, pp. 43-68). The fiasco of the RBS left some customers unable to view an up-to-date balance, payments such as direct debits for bills have not been made and some wages have not been received following a software ...