On a recent trip to a national retail chain, an employee stopped me at the door. She apologized that their system was not working and gave the list of the actions that could be taken (cash purchases) and the list of actions that could not be taken (returns, exchanges, or credit card purchases).

On one hand, this is a lot to take in when first walking into a business. On the other hand, she was being very respectful to customers by letting them know all the information that they would need to know for their visit. Being transparent is a sign of respect and shows that you appreciate your customers. If they needed to return an item, yes, they would have to come back to the store at a later time, but the employee let them know at the front door. The customer wouldn’t have to wait in a line only to find out they couldn’t complete the transaction that day.

It may seem like common sense, but not every business operates this way. This is being proactive – being honest and transparent with your customers. Your customers may not be happy with the news, but they will appreciate the respect you gave them by giving them a heads up. Treat your customers like human beings. Respect them. Be honest with them. They will remember that your organization is one that they can trust. And in business, trust is fundamental.