Breaching the trust thermocline
How to avoid a gradual erosion of trust by maintaining consistent communication, engagement, and managing expectations.
Hi,
I think about trust a lot; probably too much. I think about trust with my wife, my collaborators, and my customers all the time.
Maintaining trust with customers is a critical part of building a sustainable career. Customers don’t just invest their money in a brand. They also invest their time, energy, and emotional engagement in the products they create.
Often, customerss stick with companies for years, or even decades, building up a ton of trust with them. We often take that trust for granted, but it’s not given. We are constantly gaining and losing trust with our customers.
If that trust erodes too much, customers may walk away from our brand, leading to a collapse in sales, engagement, or even word-of-mouth recommendations.
This can happen suddenly, often without warning, but it doesn’t occur after one bad incident or overnight. In fact, it’s a gradual process, and understanding how to avoid breaching the trust thermocline can help entrepreneurs build and maintain long-term, loyal audiences.
What is the trust thermocline?
A thermocline is an ocean (or other body of water) layer where the temperature changes rapidly. In this layer, the water temperature decreases much more quickly than in the warmer layer above or the colder layer below.
In the same way, trust in an brand can seem solid until one small, seemingly minor event triggers a rapid decline.
However, if we look closer is becomes clear that this sudden decline didn’t actually happen suddenly. Instead, it resulted from the slow build up of small issues over time.
I came across this concept through this John Bull thread here, which explores how customer trust doesn’t erode in a predictable, linear way but rather builds up until it reaches a tipping point, at which trust suddenly collapses.
Bull highlights how businesses often fail to notice this tipping point forming because it happens over time through small, seemingly inconsequential actions.
Customers won’t abandon you after one missed deadline or a controversial decision, but over time, these small frustrations can add up to them breaching the thermocline layer and abandoning your brand.
I am petrified of this layer, though I didn’t have the language to describe it until now. I’m obsessed with making sure people have a great experience with every interaction so they don’t ever come close to that thermocline level.
Every time we have to delay a launch or do something we know will irritate our audience, I fear we get closer to that layer and work extra hard to make it right with people.
Avoiding the trust thermocline
I don’t want to get alarmist about this because frankly it takes a pattern of breaches to break through this layer, but it’s also why we need to be cognizant of it now. Buoying yourself and preventing this erosion is easier than the almost impossible task of pulling people back from the breach later.
Here are some easy ways to make sure you stay far away from the thermocline layer.
1. Consistency Over Time
Customers are forgiving of the occasional misstep. What they dislike is inconsistency over the long term. One (or more) missed release isn’t going to hurt you, but if people can’t trust you will ship, they will eventually turn away from you.
2. Communicate Early and Often
Most customers are patient when companies are upfront with them. If you have to delay a release or make a major change, give your customers a clear explanation. Proactive communication allows people to stay invested in the journey and makes it less likely that they’ll reach a breaking point. Remember, customers don’t expect you to be perfect. They just want to feel included and valued. And if you’ve built up goodwill over time, customers will overlook small issues.
3. Respect Customer Expectations
Your customers trust you to deliver a certain kind of experience. This doesn’t mean you can’t evolve, but it’s important to manage transitions thoughtfully. Explain why you’re making a shift, and maybe offer your existing customers a sneak peek to bring them along for the ride. Additionally, if you’re going to break your brand promise, consider starting a new brand to explore it.
4. Engage with Customer Feedback
Customers reach the trust thermocline slowly, so pay attention to early warning signs from your audience. If customers are expressing dissatisfaction with certain elements, whether in reviews, comments, or emails, don’t brush them off. Addressing concerns early can help prevent those small grievances from building into larger ones. Think of it as fixing a leak before the dam bursts. That said, happy customers won’t make their opinions known very often. I can count on one hand how many customers reach out and tell me when they like something, and yet they always buy the next thing. When they are unhappy, though, they will make their dissatisfaction heard.
5. Bond with your customers
Preventing a breach requires understanding your audience on a deep level. Share insights into your process, your struggles, or your future plans. Bring them into the fold, so they feel emotionally invested again. Customers want to support brands they feel connected to, and if you show that you’re listening and engaging with them, they’ll likely give you another chance.
The trust thermocline represents a real risk, but it’s important not to let the fear of crossing it paralyze you. One mistake won’t lead to a loss of customers, nor will it cause them to abandon you tomorrow. Trust is built over time, and so is its erosion.
It’s the accumulation of unresolved issues that leads to a breach. But as long as you engage with your customers consistently, communicate openly, and respect their expectations, you’ll avoid crossing that critical point.
Additionally, what you measure you manage. So, if you’re aware of how your customers feel and make real efforts to maintain their trust and work in their best interest, you’ll have a lot of leeway.
Trust is not a fragile thing, but it needs care and attention. By understanding that the process is gradual and focusing on long-term relationship building, you can protect your customer base and ensure that trust remains intact.
What do you think?
Have you ever noticed small frustrations building up with brand you once loved? What was the final straw for you?
How do you handle feedback when things don’t go as planned? Do you have strategies to rebuild trust if something goes wrong?
Reflecting on your own experiences what keeps you loyal to a brand, even when things don’t go perfectly?
Let us know in the comments.
