By Sam Briones

For most businessman, when things start to go wrong in the business, and everything is not running the way it should be, it is almost instinctive to keep their customers in the dark. The common misconception is when you come clean with your customers, they might think of the glitches as signs of weaknesses and opt to go somewhere else.  In actuality, this is really not the case. Customers really appreciate honesty, and more often than not, businesses who remain honest are rewarded for it. Here are 5 excellent reasons why you should continue to stay honest with your customers.

1. Honesty creates trust. When you are honest with your customers, you immediately begin to create a relationship of trust with them. So many people appreciate businesses for telling it like it is. The rapport that you establish with your customers in this instance will do well to secure future relationships. Of course, customers will always want to go back to the business that they trust. They will feel like you are not misleading them, or are just out there to make a profit off them!

2. Word of your honesty is bound to get around. You may not know it, but your customers can be your best source for advertisement. When you have an honest experience with your customer, it becomes meaningful for them too. Naturally, they will tell their friends and family about it. This is actually the highest form of recommendation- a positive experience- and can definitely bring in more customers.

3. Honesty kills impatience and breeds understanding. Let’s say you’re in the service industry, like a restaurant, and a customer’s order is taking longer than usual. If you pretend that nothing is wrong, your customers will continue to be in the dark and speculate the reason for the poor service. They may begin to think the worst- that you were not doing your job! When you are honest, and tell them the actual reason why the food is taking long, then you open the door for sympathy and understanding. Annoyance and impatiently immediately flies out the window!

4. Honesty creates willingness to provide feedback. When you are honest with your customers, you can count on them to be honest back. You won’t have trouble asking for feedback on how to make the service you provide them better, as they can be counted on to sincerely tell you the best ways you can improve.

5. Honesty creates an all around positive working environment. When your employees see the measures that you take to stay honest with your customers, then they take the lesson with them too. You breed an environment of honesty, starting from the man on top, all the way down to the last employee. Employees will also practice honesty with your customers and with each other, creating transparency in the business and their dealings with you.

Sam Briones is a guest writer who blogs on topics ranging from personal finance to auto insurance.