Reliability: Truth in Service, Even Under Fire

We have already discussed Responsiveness and Empathy. Today we will discuss Reliability.

Reliability: Reliability can be described as the correctness of the service that is being delivered. Nothing is more annoying than ordering AMUL milk and receiving AMUL curd. Yes, the quick commerce site may take it back. Yes, they may even refund instantly. But the irritation has already happened. The customer’s time has been wasted. The moment has been disturbed.

Reliability is not about correction. It is about getting it right the first time. An incident happened in the USA and let us see how a salesperson handled it. A well-known shoe company faced a very irate customer. She was visibly upset and venting her anger at the hapless shoe salesman.

 “I bought this pair of shoes from your store and they are not fitting me!” she kept repeating. The salesman calmly measured her foot size again, took the shoes, and disappeared into the store.

The floor manager had to endure the customer’s frustration during those long 20 minutes. Finally, the salesman returned. Apologizing profusely, he handed her a new pair of shoes. She tried them on. They fit perfectly. She left the store — still grumbling, still dissatisfied.

The floor manager, irritated, confronted the salesman: “What took you 20 minutes? I had to listen to her complaints all that time!”

The salesman’s reply stunned him. “Sir, in our store we only sell shoes in even sizes — 34, 36, 38, 40, 42 and 44. The customer’s foot size was 37. I immediately realized she did not buy this pair from our store. She must have bought it elsewhere but blamed us. I took the shoe to our nearest branch that sells odd-number sizes, got it exchanged, and brought it back.”

That is Reliability. The salesman acted beyond his formal responsibility. He protected the brand. He solved the problem. He did the right thing — even though the customer did not leave smiling. Reliability is not about applause. It is about integrity.

 Reliability in Everyday Marketing Consider another simple example. If a restaurant serves mushrooms, it may be wiser to list them under the non-veg section rather than the veg section. Many customers even today perceive mushrooms as non-veg (animal-based) rather than plant-based. Let the customer decide.

Reliability means:

• Accuracy in classification
• Correctness in delivery
• Consistency in execution

It is about reducing cognitive dissonance for the customer.

Linking Back to RATER

In the RATER framework:

• Responsiveness is speed.
• Empathy is warmth.
• Reliability is correctness.

Without reliability, responsiveness becomes damage control. You may respond quickly — but if you keep making mistakes, customers will eventually stop forgiving.

A Thought for Marketers: In an age of instant refunds and quick replacements, we have started glorifying recovery. But the real competitive advantage lies in prevention.

Reliability builds trust. Trust builds repeat business.  Repeat business builds brands. Sometimes, doing the simple thing correctly is the hardest thing in the world. And that is why Reliability matters.

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