Fill Rate ≠ Trust Rate

A customer calls with an urgent order. Our ops team ships same-day. System shows 99.7% fill rate. Everyone feels good.

A month later, they go with our competitor.

Sound familiar?

What happened?

We measured performance but rarely ask if it built belief. Fill rate was how we graded ourselves. Trust rate was how customers graded us.

In a world of tight timelines and zero blame tolerance, predictability beats speed.

The Invisible Gap

• •Default assumption: "If we deliver on time, we've earned their loyalty."
• •Reality: We can hit every metric and still be the last call. Not because we failed, but because they didn't feel safe.

It's not a logistics problem. It's a confidence volatility problem.

How the Gap Shows Up

• •Manufacturing: 10,000 brackets arrive on time, but no updates for 48 hours. Customer spent time chasing answers. Trust rate: falling.
• •Distribution: Critical parts arrive, but two are swapped without notice. The job gets done, but trust erodes.
• •Construction: Rebar arrives on time, wrong grade. We fix it fast. They still leave.

Pattern: Perfect metrics. Shaky confidence.

The Trust Rate Audit

• •Fill Rate = 98.9%? No updates.
• •OTIF = Green? Buyer still called twice.
• •Lead Time = Stable? But exceptions feel like chaos.

The test:

• •Do we notify slippage before they ask?
• •Do reps admit uncertainty early?
• •Are our best trust-builders invisible to dashboards?

If not, our trust rate is trailing.

The Memory Problem

• •Buyers don't average 50 wins. They remember the one that made them look bad.
• •Trust isn't earned when things go right. It's built when things wobble and we show up.

Building Trust Rate

Where downtime costs thousands an hour, trust rate becomes survival rate. Here's how I think about building it: three areas where distributors create real separation:

The Plant Shutdown Protocol

• •Critical Inventory Alerts: 30-day supply triggers auto-replenishment.
• •Planned Outage Coordination: 90 days out, align BOMs with inventory and lead times.
• •Emergency Response Ready: Pre-set after-hours terms and contacts.

The Project Risk Program

• •Spec Change Insurance: Alert customers to spec or code shifts with approved alternatives.
• •Delivery Window Guarantee: Backup inventory staged for critical installs.
• •Quality Tracking: Batch traceability for rapid containment.

Continuity Conversations

• •Monthly "What's Keeping You Up" Calls: Focused on risk, demand shifts, and key projects.
• •Seasonal Planning: Prep before peak season, not during it.
• •Diversification Reviews: Spot single-source risk before it hits.

The New Math

Fill rate protects margin. Trust rate protects preference. Only one wins next deal.

Which are you leading with?

The best don't just ship. They fill space between anxiety and action. That's where loyalty lives. That's where pricing holds. That's where trust is built.

When stakes are highest and reputations on the line, don't be another vendor. Be the one buyers give their boss with confidence.