Let’s start with a hard truth: Your customers are lying to you.
Not because they want to. Not because they’re trying to be deceptive.
They’re lying because you don’t have the relationship you think you have.
When customers trust you—really trust you—they tell you everything. The good, the bad, and the ugly. Transparency is a byproduct of real relationships. But without trust? You’ve got nothing.
And yet, many Customer Success (CS) professionals operate under the assumption that they have strong customer relationships when, in reality, they don’t.
Trust Isn’t a Given—It’s Earned
Building trust isn’t about a single great interaction or saying all the right things in a QBR. Real trust takes time, consistency, and an intentional approach. Let’s get one thing straight:
⛔ Trust isn’t built overnight.
⛔ Trust isn’t built with empty words.
⛔ Trust isn’t one-sided.
So, how do you know if your customer relationships are as strong as you think they are?
Here’s a quick reality check: What’s your NPS response rate?
This isn’t about debating whether Net Promoter Score (NPS) is the best metric. It’s about the fact that most of your customers don’t even care enough to spend five minutes giving you feedback. That’s a red flag. If they aren’t engaging, they either don’t trust that their feedback will lead to change or, worse, they’re apathetic. And indifference is far more dangerous than dissatisfaction.
Human Connection Is the Differentiator
In the age of AI and automation, human connection is your competitive advantage. Customers don’t just want efficiency; they want relationships. They want to feel heard, understood, and valued.
Years ago, I was on a CS team that read The Trusted Advisor. Game changer.
One of the biggest takeaways? The Trust Equation:
Trust = Credibility + Reliability + Intimacy / Self-Orientation
Breaking it down:
✅ Credibility – Know your stuff. Be the expert your customers need.
✅ Reliability – Do what you say you’ll do, every time.
✅ Intimacy – Show care and empathy. Build a relationship beyond transactions.
✅ Self-Orientation – If you’re focused on your own success over your customers’, they’ll see right through it.
The CSM Trust Checklist
If you want customers to trust you, here’s your playbook:
✔ Understand their business inside and out.
✔ Follow through on every commitment, no matter how small.
✔ Ask questions that show you care about their success, not just your renewal quota.
✔ Advocate for them internally—be their voice, not just another vendor.
✔ Never assume you have their trust. Earn it, every single day.
The Cost of Getting This Wrong
If you assume trust without earning it, you’ll get blindsided. Customers will churn seemingly “out of nowhere.” They’ll tell your competitors things they never told you. You’ll be left wondering what went wrong.
So, the next time you say you have a strong customer relationship, ask yourself:
Have I actually earned it?
Because if not, the real risk isn’t that your customers are lying—it’s that they don’t even care enough to tell you the truth.
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