If your goal is to build solid, trustable relationships between your brand and your customers, The Company-Customer Pact may be one of the most inspiring manifestos to get your company back on track.

Photo credit: Andres Rodriguez

The set of guidelines and "social contract" proposed in The Company-Customer Pact, suggest that the winning approach brands and customers should follow to manage their business relationships in a sustainable way is one based on trust, trasparence and honesty.

What about you? Do you think The Company-Customer Pact could really be helpful to help companies and customers deal with each other, and engage mutual trust relationships, or do you find these kind of social contracts just a collection of good intentions with no practical application in the way business is carried out?

Give this short set of guidelines a good read and let me know what you think.

Here all the details:

Intro by Daniele Bazzano

The Company - Customer Pact

The Challenge

We, customers and companies alike, need to trust the people with whom we do business.

• Customers expect honest, straightforward interactions where their voices are heard.
• Companies work to inspire brand loyalty and deliver satisfaction while trying to understand their customers better.

It is evident that we all have a crucial stake and responsibility in transforming the adversarial tone that too often dominates the customer experience.

A Call For Shared Responsibility

Along with open, authentic, communication comes the mutual responsibility to make it work.

As each of us is both customer and employee, we share in the rewards and challenges of candor.

By adopting these five practical measures, we can together realize a fundamental shift in our business relationships.

Companies

1. Be Human

   

   Use a respectful, conversational voice, avoid scripts and never use corporate doublespeak.






2. Encourage Employees to Use Their Real Names

   

   ... and use a personal touch.






3. Anticipate That Problems Will Occur

   

   ...and set clear, public expectations in advance for how you will address (and redress) issues.






4. Cultivate a Public Dialogue With Customers

   

   ...so they feel they are being heard and to demonstrate your accountability.






5. Demonstrate Your Good Intentions

   

   ...by speaking plainly, earnestly, and candidly with customers about problems that arise.

Customers

1. Be Understanding

   

   Show the respect and kindness to company reps that you'd like shown to you.






2. Use Your Real Identity

   

   ...and foster your long-term reputation with the company.






3. Recognize That Problem Will Occur

   

   ...and give companies the information and time required to competently address issues.






4. Share Issues Directly

   

   ...or through a forum where the company has an opportunity to respond, so it can work with you to solve problems.






5. Give Companies The Benefit of The Doubt

   

   ...and be open to what they have to say.

Our Pact

By working together in these ways, people build long-term relationships that lead to trust, strong communities, and sustainable business.

We, as companies and customers, support this call for a change.

Support the pact at http://www.ccpact.com

Originally written by the Get Satisfaction Team and first published as "The Company - Customer Pact" on February, 8th 2008.

About the author

Get Satisfaction is a company which tries to establish a direct connection between people and companies that fosters problem-solving, promotes sharing, and builds up relationships. A neutral space where companies support customers, exchange ideas, and get feedback about their products and services.

Photo credits:
The Company - Customer Pact - Get Satisfaction
The Challenge - Herbert Kratky
A Call For Shared Responsibility - Irina Tischenko
Companies - grki
Be Human... - Alistair Scott
Encourage employees... - Liska Biometry
Anticipate that problems... - IreneK
Cultivate a public dialogue... - Ron Sumners
Demonstrate your good... - Lisa F. Young
Customers - IreneK
Be understanding... - Yuri Arcurs
Use your real identity... - njnightsky
Recognize that... - Anthony Hall
Share issues... - Marcin Balcerzak
Give companies... - Luis Azevedo
Our Pact - Yuri Arcurs