How can professional services providers build trust amongst clients through reviews? We asked Alicia Skubick, the Chief Customer Officer at Trustpilot for advice.
Trust is the cornerstone of many professional services, particularly in industries such as legal and accounting, where clients must trust their chosen experts implicitly as they’re handling sensitive data. Whether it’s managing a firm’s financial records, consulting them on strategy, or forming contracts, professional service providers have a responsibility to safeguard confidentiality, whilst delivering stellar advice and consultation.
Edelman DXI’s1 2023 Global Accountancy Trust survey found that 89% of respondents trust their chartered accountants. But in the professional services industry where the stakes are high, errors can have catastrophic consequences. So providers must work to not only grow, but maintain trust. This is not just a professional courtesy – it is a necessity.
There are three key elements that professional services firms can implement to be in a constant state of trust-building: clear communication with clients, listening to feedback with empathy, and actively implementing change and improvement based on client needs.
Clear and consistent communication
The first key pillar to growing and maintaining trust is effective communication. Any content that services create should be tailored, informative, and help clients use that service effectively. However, firms should exercise caution and only reach out at the appropriate time. Over-communicating could jeopardise the goodwill and relationships already built. An Adobe2 study found that 39% of respondents distrust a brand that communicates, so a fine balance should be struck.
Companies should ensure communication materials are personalised for the specific audience and consistent with the firm’s purpose. In doing so, content should be tailored directly to the client’s desires. This form of customer-centricity can go a long way to increasing trust by demonstrating the care and value providers place on their users.
Listen to client feedback with empathy
To build trust with clients, professionals need to first understand how to cultivate positive relationships. To nurture a strong relationship, they must demonstrate empathy and commitment to understand each client’s situation. They should stay attuned to client concerns and perspectives and resolve any conflicts or issues swiftly and effectively.
Social and media listening can be a highly effective tactic for this. By diving into conversations in traditional and social media, either in response to the provider’s posts, or those written by clients, professionals can understand the feelings of client segments and uncover their real needs, desires, and pain points.
Many customers also rely on positive or negative feedback before making informed decisions about hiring service providers. Customer reviews play a powerful role in building trust and reaffirming a firm’s commitment to outstanding service. According to a Total Economic Impact™ study by Forrester Consulting for Trustpilot, 98% of businesses believe reviews enhance brand reputation, and 95% find it helps attract new customers.
For professional services firms, it’s essential to create an open and transparent forum by displaying all reviews, including negative ones, to foster trust and demonstrate a commitment to supporting clients in stressful situations like financial audits. It reassures customers and potential future clients that there is nothing to hide and that when concerns are raised, they are addressed and dealt with appropriately. Nearly seven in ten (68%4) consumers trust reviews more when they see both positive and negative experiences.
What’s more, negative reviews can be very valuable to businesses. They can help them better understand client attitudes, identify common grievances, and make necessary improvements to business practices and operations.
Engage with reviews and implement improvements
Marketing teams in professional services firms should actively engage with reviews to help build trust. Engaging demonstrates that a firm values individual customers and can improve based on critical feedback. When firms demonstrate this level of care, it helps resolve concerns and improves service quality, leading to greater satisfaction.
But what’s best practice when it comes to engaging with them? Companies should aim to respond within 24 hours to show they are genuinely listening and place importance on feedback. Responses should be professional, empathetic, and solution-focused in tone. Avoid defensiveness and shifting blame, as this can damage credibility both in the long and short term.
Online reviews left on platforms such as Trustpilot are more than just words. They are blueprints for building trust, improving business practices, and delivering growth. Feedback, even if negative, is valuable insight about clients to understand how they feel about the service. Firms can then use these analytics to proactively address their concerns and desires, improve their business, and better service clients, leading to increased sales, customer retention, and ultimately, growth.
Trust is critical for professional services, and maintaining it requires ongoing effort and transparency. Actively listening to clients, embracing and engaging with feedback, and improving off the back of it can build stronger relationships whilst reinforcing a reputation for reliability and expertise. Whether addressing criticism with care or leveraging positive testimonials to showcase excellence, these can show an unwavering commitment to client satisfaction to foster loyalty.
Alicia Skubick is Chief Customer Officer at Trustpilot, the global consumer review platform that brings businesses and consumers together to foster trust and inspire collaboration. Previously Chief Marketing Officer, Alicia is now responsible for Marketing, Brand and External Communications and Customer Experience.