The customer is no longer a singular king, but an influential community. Earning and keeping trust has become a proactive, everyday job

Late last year, I was with an MNC team in Germany to talk to them about earning trust in emerging markets. They were getting into digital marketing in a big way but were not sure about ground realities in countries like India.

Palm-sized influencers

In Europe and the US, mobile is just one of several and not necessarily the primary device one used to connect to the rest of the world. In India, it is mobile first. The user may be barely literate but knows enough to operate the mobile, consume the constant stream of information and is readily influenced by it. Whether it is the weather forecast, the latest revelation about a political leader or a new scandal about a film star, they take the mobile to speak the truth and waste no time in “forwarding” the gospel.

That means the customer is no longer an identifiable king. He is a community. Lose the trust of one and you could lose the loyalty of thousands by the time you spot the fire and call the brigade.

It may take just one emotional outburst, one indiscretion on the part of an otherwise invisible employee in one of your several-hundred outlets to tarnish your reputation built over decades. Simply because mobiles can transmit the “visual evidence” in minutes without bothering to present the other side of the story.

Distrust respects no walls

The hospital may offer surgical skills unmatched in the world, but a little thoughtlessness at the billing counter is more likely to go viral. You may have worked hard to earn the trust and the reputation you deserve, but you cannot afford to lay back to enjoy the harvest. Earning and keeping trust is an everyday job and you need to keep at it proactively.

That humble mobile is not all evil. You may use it to share data and market intelligence effortlessly. It can help you improve efficiency across the organization. It can help you keep up a conversation so that your customers remain engaged even when they are not spending money on you.

Technology will continue to spring surprises. Who thought the telephone would one day fit into your pocket and do almost everything another wonder, the computer, can? Yet, it will remain a tool to earn what matters—trust. No matter what your designation, department or demographics.