Quick show of hands, how many of you trust the majority of airlines? My guess is most of you would agree that airlines are not very trustworthy. And why is that? Well, in essence, the seats are negotiable; it is very upsetting to find out that you are paying significantly more than the person sitting next to you for the same level of service. Also, there are non-disclosed fees that surprise many of us when we initially felt we were getting a good deal; “I’m paying what for that second bag!” I fly all the time and feel that most of the so-called “loyalty miles” programs are basically bait and switch; we’ll offer you lots of miles to fly with us but don’t offer very many seats for upgrades. How about when planes leave late…I for one rarely believe their excuses for tardy departures.
Think about your typical auto shopper and why they may believe there is a lack of transparency in the traditional auto buying process. Why would anyone feel good about buying a commodity like a new vehicle and paying more than their neighbor for the same product? Are there any fees that get charged at the end of an auto transaction that aren’t fully disclosed until the buyer is signing the final paperwork; if so, how does something like that make a new customer feel for what may be their last impression before driving off with their new vehicle? Advertising vehicles at a low price with a limited selection….
I believe it is time for auto retailers to conduct a transparency audit…how well do we disclose the fine print? How can we create a level of pricing that allows our customers to know that at a minimum they paid in the same narrow range as their next-door neighbor? A lack of transparency is not just s something that can diminish the customer experience, but it is also an inhibitor in the recruiting of more “transparency sensitive” Gen-Y and female associates. If you have a low level of trust with the airlines, you may want to think more about how your customers feel when entering in to a protracted negotiations process or find out non-disclosed charges at the very end of a transaction.