How to enhance customer trust: Understanding how humans think

When designing a product or service for your customer, it is easy to fall into the trap of forgetting that you’re designing for a human. You can increase your chances of interacting successfully with your customers by studying the core of interaction (i.e understanding how humans think).

Studies in neuroscience have shown that the human brain cannot cope with chaos. Whenever faced with uncertainty, it seeks order. 

For one person, this may consist of looking at a route before traveling to a new destination, while for another person, it may consist of preparations for a meeting. This article Researchers explain how our minds make sense through order, this is explained in greater detail.

Understanding this gives you the ability to design your product in a way that makes it possible for the customer to understand what you are offering, and prevent the mental chaos that occurs during uncertainty.

Example 

Google requires user consent to store their data. 
A user may see this request and reject it due to a lack of understanding of data policies. The user may then make the assumption that Google wants to steal their personal data, as this is all they have ever heard about Google’s and data.
The user may not realise that the data is stored to provide them with analytical reports, something they would have been interested in.

In the example above, the user is unable to make the decision to use the service, as they do not understand the information provided by Google. In this post, I provide an analysis of how Google solves prevents this by providing explanatory text.

By using mental models, and other theories that explain how the human mind thinks, you can understand how to create your products in a way that benefits your customers.

Netflix is one of the brands that has seen success through using psychology theories such as idleness aversion to improve the customer’s experience.

Let’s take a look at how the 2-factor authentication uses human principles to improve the customer’s experience through enhanced security.

2-factor authentication

2-factor authentication is a method used to prevent unauthorized use of your accounts. This is done by asking you to identify yourself in two different methods (e.g. after entering your password while logging into Gmail (method 1), you may be asked to also verify a security code sent to your device (method 2) before you’re able to log in.

But actually, this is a human principle that is was implemented onto digital products.

Think of the times that you’ve been asked to prove that you are who you say you are:

Example

While visiting your bank, you may have been asked what your name is (method 1) and to provide an identification document (method 2), which is used to authenticate your identity.

Conclusion

Understanding human principles such as how people reason, and what triggers them, gives you the ability to create products in a way that solves your customers needs.

When you understand the principles, you can find innovative ways to solve customer’s needs and improve trust in your products (e.g 2-way authentication).

What are some of the ways you can seek to understand your customers more?