Optimizing operations while preserving customer trust

With 61% of consumers saying that businesses actually make their lives harder, consumer skepticism directly hits your bottom line. To weather the storm, companies like Patagonia and Southwest use authenticity checkpoints to screen growth initiatives against core values. Rather than check-the-box exercises, these filters preserve the reasons that your customers choose you. The payoff? Organizations maintaining trust during growth can turn a 5% increase in retention into a 25-95% revenue boost. I recently worked with a client facing the classic warning signs: rising CAC, slipping conversion rates, and increasing pricing pressure. Despite this, they were hitting growth targets. So what was wrong? Their customers were losing faith in them. My client was not alone. Qualtrics research shows only 50% of consumers have confidence in the brands they do business with—a metric that hasn't improved since 2020 despite massive CX investments. My client realized it was a P&L emergency. Trust erosion is a vicious cycle that directly impacts unit economics through higher acquisition costs, shorter customer lifecycles, and vanishing price premiums. A small number of aggressive tactics had tarnished the credibility that made my client's growth trajectory possible. So they decided to create authenticity checkpoints—systematic filters that evaluate growth initiatives against core values. With hard work, their ACVs are rising, their clients advocate for them, and their CAC has stabilized. What makes effective authenticity checkpoints? Five critical elements: - Decision filters to evaluate initiatives against founding principles - Product validation processes that preserve core differentiation - Regular operational reviews to ensure a consistent customer experience - Values reinforcement for team members, beyond onboard - Structured forums to identify and address emerging vulnerabilities Implementing these checkpoints starts with three simple steps: audit your recent growth initiatives for authenticity impact, map your specific vulnerability points, and create accountability with dedicated resources and metrics. Read more here: https://lnkd.in/eJbTcVMa __________ For more on growth and building trust, check out my previous posts. Join me on my journey, and let's build a more trustworthy world together. Christine Alemany #Fintech #Strategy #Growth

Does automation in sales limit a brand’s ability to preserve customer value? Over the weekend, I made Avial (in the photo below) with the last of the vegetables at home. The ideal pairing? Adai (a lentil and rice crepe from Tamil Nadu). I had recently discovered a cloud kitchen nearby that delivered excellent Adais. My husband decided to order via Swiggy. We only wanted Adais, but the pre-set menu options bundled them with Avial. Past experience told us that specifying "no sides" in the app wouldn’t work. So, we called the cloud kitchen directly and asked if we could get just Adais. They readily agreed and asked if we wanted anything else in place of the Avial. We declined. They requested our order number on WhatsApp to ensure accuracy. Half an hour later, our order arrived—with two extra Adais as a goodwill gesture. This got us thinking: 📌 The App (an efficient and semi-automated sales channel) limited customization, possibly to preserve unit economics and manage operational efficiencies. But was it protecting the brand’s value by limiting choices? 📌 The kitchen staff (a human led marketing touchpoint) heard us, adapted, and preserved customer value, even though it wasn’t in the brand’s immediate financial interest and could deviate from standard operating procedures. If we had ordered in-person at a regular restaurant, a waiter (technically a sales function) would likely have adjusted to customer preferences, much like the kitchen staff did. Despite being a sales channel, they would have acted like a marketing touchpoint, reinforcing customer value and brand trust. So, does automation in sales—especially at the point of sale—help or hinder customer value preservation? How can organisations balance operational efficiency with customer value preservation? The ideal way forward could be a hybrid model where automation ensures efficiency, but human intervention provides flexibility. Apps could allow for customization within structured menus rather than enforcing rigid combos. Features like preference memory, AI-driven recommendations, and in-app customer support can help bridge the gap between automated efficiency and personalized service. This way, sales channels remain optimized while still preserving customer value. At the same time, companies should effectively train and empower frontline staff to act as brand custodians, ensuring that customer requests are met with thoughtful solutions rather than operational constraints. A hybrid order processing system, where customers can confirm modifications via WhatsApp or a quick call, could bring the best of both worlds. By aligning sales efficiency with marketing’s focus on customer experience, brands can protect both unit economics and long-term loyalty, creating a win-win for business and consumers alike. What do you think? Would you prefer an app or a human interaction for your purchases? #SalesVsMarketing #CustomerExperience #BrandValue #AutomationInSales

If you have to say "trust me," you've already lost. Here's how we built a company on the opposite principle. The moment those words come out, you know you're about to be sold something—probably something you don't want. In business, trust needs to be earned. For years, I've observed a fundamental challenge in our industry: Information asymmetry. When people don't have access to the same information, they can't make good decisions. This creates a world where inefficiencies multiply, costs remain stubbornly high, and customers end up paying more than they should. The real struggle isn't between different roles in the mortgage ecosystem—it's our collective battle against inefficiency, unnecessary costs, and the complexity that keeps rates higher than they need to be. When we started rethinking our approach, we made a fundamental shift in how we operate: Rather than telling people to trust us, we gave them a reason to. We built the Power Producer model based on one simple principle: Share everything. • Loan officers see raw pricing data • Everyone has complete visibility into their expenses • Each LO operates with full knowledge of what drives their costs Once our team understood exactly where their money was going—expenses dropped across the company. We've seen costs decrease by 50 basis points simply through visibility and the resulting increase in production. Without being told what to do, people start cutting unnecessary expenses, optimizing processes, and making better decisions. Why? Because when you trust people with information, they act like owners. They don't need micromanagement. They just need information.

The real value of stable processes: peace of mind Customers don’t just buy molded parts. They buy predictability. They want to know that once they approve something, it’s going to run the same way next week, next month, next quarter. They want to send a PO and not worry about what they’re getting back. That peace of mind comes from process stability. And you don’t get that by chance it comes from discipline. Here’s what a stable process looks like from the customer’s side: - They stop asking for updated first articles. - They stop calling to ask why the color looks different or the parts feel brittle. - They stop hovering over the timeline. And here’s what it looks like on your floor: - You run the same mold with the same settings and get the same results. - You don’t need to babysit the machine because the process holds. - You know how to respond if something shifts and you catch it before it becomes scrap. That kind of control builds trust. It’s not about impressing people. It’s about delivering on what you said you'd do. Over and over again. So here’s the question: Is your customer confident when they place the order? Or do they mentally brace themselves for “something to come up”? Stability is what keeps them coming back. It doesn’t have to be perfect it just has to be reliable. #CustomerTrust #ProcessStability #InjectionMoldingOperations

The Payout Money Flow 💡 What if payouts transformed from a cumbersome process into a competitive advantage that delivers exceptional experiences for sellers while driving operational efficiency? By prioritizing streamlined compliance, fostering loyalty, and optimizing operations, marketplaces can unlock new growth opportunities 💳 Compliance is often viewed as a complex maze filled with acronyms like AML, KYC, KYB, PSD2, and the forthcoming PSD3. For many marketplaces, these regulations can feel overwhelming. However, they also present an opportunity for those willing to embrace them. The Payment Services Directive (PSD2) forces marketplaces to make a critical choice: should they be directly involved in the payment flow or not? To manage payment flows, marketplaces must obtain a financial services provider license. For example, EU-based marketplaces handling payments must acquire a Payment Institution (PI) or Electronic Money Institution (EMI) license, but this involves substantial regulatory and operational challenges. Imagine a marketplace navigating these regulatory waters with ease. Platforms can turn compliance from a burden into a streamlined process. With a unified integration layer that simplifies KYC and AML requirements, marketplaces can focus on what truly matters: fostering growth and supporting their sellers 🚀 For a marketplace to remain a preferred choice, payouts should be a cornerstone of your value proposition. Sellers, particularly those in the gig economy, often depend on real-time access to earnings. Delayed payments or hidden fees can disrupt their entire business and damage trust. Picture this: A seller eagerly awaiting payment for their latest sale only to find themselves caught in a web of delays and hidden fees. This scenario is all too common and can quickly lead to frustration and distrust. However, when marketplaces prioritize timely payouts and transparency in their processes, they create an environment where sellers feel valued. ➡️ Provide sellers with their preferred payout options. Sellers demand choice. Whether through cards, wallets, or bank transfers in local currencies, providing multiple payout methods is essential. ➡️ Ensure timely, predictable payouts. Delays in payouts can strain the seller-marketplace relationship. By integrating real-time, batch, and scheduled payout options, platforms can meet sellers’ demand for instant access to earnings. ➡️ Provide clear status reporting and commission breakdown. Transparency is invaluable. Sellers need clarity on what they are being paid, when they will receive it, and how much they will get after fees. Offering complete visibility into payouts builds trust and reassures sellers that they’ve chosen the right marketplace. Source: Payrails - https://lnkd.in/gNqd5eHu #Innovation #Fintech #Banking #Marketplace #PSD3 #FinancialServices #Payments #BNPL #PayOuts #Compliance #KYC #AML #Wallets 

CEO: “I can't take it any more. Support is drowning in 'Where is my order?' calls. Customers are frustrated. My CS team’s overwhelmed.” COO: “WISMO calls will bury our ops if we’re not careful. With our expanding parcel network, we have to tighten up our tracking notifications. No one likes waiting in the dark.” CEO: “You’re saying better visibility means fewer calls? We should dial in our tracking updates asap.” COO: “Exactly. If customers can see their package moving, they won’t call to ask if it fell into a black hole.” 💡 If you’re shipping large parcel volumes through UPS or FedEx, reducing WISMO inquiries can save hundreds of hours. Here’s how to do it: ✅ Display real-time tracking links – Give customers a front-row seat to their delivery journey. Confidence goes up, calls go down. ✅ Send proactive alerts – Don’t wait for them to ask. If there’s a delay, say so—early and clearly. ✅ Standardize packaging – A clean, consistent box experience reduces damage and builds trust. ✅ Monitor carrier performance – If on-time rates drop, act fast. Reroute volume or renegotiate terms. 🔍 WISMO isn’t just a customer service issue—it’s an operations drag. When customers trust your shipping flow, they stop reaching out. And your team gets time back to focus on real issues—not tracking down packages. 👇 What’s your go-to move to keep WISMO calls under control? #OperationsLeadership #LogisticsStrategy #UPS #FedEx #CustomerExperience #ParcelShipping #SupplyChainOptimization #WISMO