{
  "title": "Customer reception: does asking for advice undermine credibility?",
  "url": "https://www.shr.swiss/blog/accueil-client-demander-un-avis-sans-perdre-sa-credibilite-en",
  "language": "en",
  "datePublished": "2026-01-24",
  "publisher": {
    "name": "SHR — Swiss Human Resources",
    "url": "https://www.shr.swiss",
    "address": "Esplanade de Pont-Rouge 9A, 1212 Lancy, Suisse"
  },
  "summary": "At reception, answering without consulting anyone can seem more professional. Research suggests distinguishing genuine autonomy from the fear of appearing incompetent.",
  "section": "Research",
  "topic": "Client Reception",
  "place": {
    "name": "Zurich",
    "region": "Zurich",
    "country": "CH"
  },
  "keyPoints": [
    {
      "heading": "What the literature establishes",
      "point": "Alison Wood Brooks, Francesca Gino and Maurice E."
    },
    {
      "heading": "A barrier on the requester's side",
      "point": "Francis J."
    },
    {
      "heading": "The premature conclusion",
      "point": "It would be tempting to conclude that seeking advice always strengthens customer trust."
    },
    {
      "heading": "What the evidence cannot prescribe",
      "point": "These studies establish neither the optimal frequency of consultation at reception nor its effect on the reliability of answers in Zurich businesses."
    },
    {
      "heading": "A practical check in Zurich",
      "point": "Within SHR — Swiss Human Resources' “Accueil client” programme, one practical exercise to test in Zurich is to agree with the team which enquiries require confirmation before a binding answer is given."
    }
  ],
  "sources": [
    {
      "authors": "Schweitzer",
      "year": "2015",
      "source": "Management Science"
    },
    {
      "authors": "Lake",
      "year": "2008",
      "source": "Journal of Personality and Social Psychology"
    }
  ],
  "wordCount": 419,
  "image": "https://www.shr.swiss/img/blog-editorial-2026-01-24-en.jpg?v=4",
  "translations": {
    "fr": "https://www.shr.swiss/blog/accueil-client-demander-un-avis-sans-perdre-sa-credibilite",
    "en": "https://www.shr.swiss/blog/accueil-client-demander-un-avis-sans-perdre-sa-credibilite-en",
    "de": "https://www.shr.swiss/blog/accueil-client-demander-un-avis-sans-perdre-sa-credibilite-de",
    "it": "https://www.shr.swiss/blog/accueil-client-demander-un-avis-sans-perdre-sa-credibilite-it"
  },
  "relatedPages": {
    "programme": "https://www.shr.swiss/formation/accueil-client/zurich",
    "city": "https://www.shr.swiss/formations-ville/zurich",
    "blog": "https://www.shr.swiss/blog"
  },
  "citationPolicy": "Citation autorisée avec mention « SHR — Swiss Human Resources » et lien vers l'article."
}