Why we never ask you to ‘trust us’
Ok, let me start by clarifying that I don’t think the concept of trust is bad. Trust that is built on mutual understanding and respect is a truly wonderful thing. And it is the bedrock of lasting and meaningful relationships.
Why then, do I shudder when I hear businesses throw this word around so freely?
Trust should be earned, not requested
Firstly, a lot of the time when the word ‘trust’ is used in business, it’s insincere. Managers use it to describe their relationship with staff, while simultaneously micromanaging them. Or worse, they use it to justify overloading the team member with work, all in the name of ‘delegation’.
Similarly, businesses will often ask customers to ‘trust’ them to do a good job. It's such an overused phrase, and it’s completely meaningless. If you are paying for goods or services, you should be able to expect they will be fit for purpose. It shouldn't be about trust.
Even worse than any of this though, is when the word is used as a smokescreen to cover up substandard service. “You can trust us…” Can I though?
When you are entering into any kind of ongoing relationship with a business, you will of course have to take certain things on faith initially. You need to have confidence that they are capable of delivering what you need, and that they are reliable. You’ll likely do your homework to check on their reviews and credentials before you decide to work with them. Or you’ll rely on recommendations from people you trust (in the real sense of the word). What you shouldn’t do is blindly trust them, just because they ask you to.
“You gotta have faith”
Please don’t think I am advocating entering into business arrangements from a place of distrust. As I mentioned, it’s vital to have a little faith that things will go well. I just don’t think a business should ask for something as valuable as trust, without earning it.
So, before you make a buying decision, stop and ask yourself if they are speaking from a place of authority. Do they have reviews and case studies? Do you have confidence in what they have to say?
The Reach Aware Philosophy
At Reach Aware, we want to have lasting relationships with our customers, and that does require trust. But we won’t ask you for your trust, we’ll just quietly earn it instead.
Your IT infrastructure is critical for the operation of your business. So, when you outsource any aspect of it, you want to know it’s in safe hands. Reach Aware gives each and every client the reassurance they need from the outset, through regular communication, and complete transparency.
Communication
It seems obvious, doesn’t it? A good, trusting relationship needs to be built on open and honest communication. And that’s what you’ll get when you work with us.
We’ll stay in touch as often as you want to hear from us, keeping you updated at every stage, and offering meaningful feedback on projects. And that communication is 2-way. We want to hear what you think. We want your feedback. That’s why every single client has their own UK-based point of contact to check in with as required.
We are delivery focused, which means we will clearly communicate timescales and delivery dates from the outset of a project. And more importantly, we regularly review these and update you. If issues arise, or expectations change, we’ll make sure that you know what’s going on. That means no nasty last-minute surprises that have a negative impact on your business.
This also allows us to work with you to find timely solutions. Our flexible way of working means that we can minimise disruption by bringing additional people into your project, or redeploying existing team members. By regularly reviewing the progress of your project and reacting to changes, we can get ahead of issues before they become your problem.
Transparency
Transparency is the cornerstone of any good relationship. And it’s an area where we really shine.
You’ll have access to as much information as you want. If you want to join in team standups, you’re more than welcome.
We’ll also give you full access to the tools that our team are using to communicate with one another about your project. You will see exactly what’s happening in real time.
We typically use Azure Devops and Jira, but if you have a preferred project management tool, we’ll use that instead.
Of course, if you’d prefer not to have to get too involved, we can take care of everything, and we’ll still provide regular updates and reports so that you can keep track of what’s going on.
Our policy of transparency also extends to who is working on your project. We are very open about the fact that we have an experienced team of highly skilled, qualified IT specialists based in India. This team is directly employed by Reach Aware, and we know and genuinely trust every single member of our offshore team.
While we recognise that it’s important that you have a UK-based point of contact, we also know that we can supply top-level talent at a lower cost to our clients by employing the very best offshore specialists. That’s not something we have ever felt the need to conceal.
Credentials you can have faith in
Reach Aware is run by business people with backgrounds in Finance, Insurance, and Education. Our extensive collective experience gives us the insight to understand your needs from a business perspective. But uniquely, each and every one of us also has extensive technical knowledge. We understand every line of code our team writes, and so we know what is needed to make your project work.
We are a team of highly qualified experts; if you’d like more information on our backgrounds, we’ll be more than happy to share that.
Reach Aware offers digital solutions for businesses who want to work smarter. Our range of expert services includes:
- Product Development
- Outsourcing
- Existing System Support
- IT Consultancy
If you’d like to find out more about how we can support all of your IT requirements, get in touch for an informal chat.