Home topics small-business-resources sales-and-marketing Business Tech Marketing Small Business Business Tech Here’s to 2018: the year of trust in business Alok Kulkarni December 22, 2017 In 2017, we’ve witnessed numerous Customer Experience (CX) failures that have damaged the reputations of some of the largest companies in the world. From long call waiting times after a number of severe outages, to poor customer service ratings, and other critical service failures, there are a number of lessons to be learned if brands are to set themselves up for success in 2018. According to an American Express report , 86% of Australian respondents had not completed a transaction or made an intended purchase because of poor customer service. Looking ahead, brands must prioritise improving CX or risk losing customer trust and loyalty. As customers begin to engage with organisations in omni-channel journeys more than ever before, staying ahead of the curve and delivering consistently perfect CX is crucial for brands to survive. Culture of transparency As we have seen over the past year, it only takes one mistake to lose customer trust. This was made especially evident with a number of data breaches that revealed millions of customers’ private details, at companies like Uber and Verizon. Customers want to be able to trust the brands they interact with, and it is therefore essential to stress transparency and communication across the board, especially as customers become increasingly concerned with the manner and speed by which an issue is responded to, rather than the fact