Commitment: The Path to Customer Loyalty and Product Stickiness in B2B Payments

Great user experiences in B2B payments don’t happen by accident. They come from a deliberate commitment—a commitment to listening to your users, designing with their needs in mind, and showing up for them consistently over time.

This level of dedication can make all the difference in an industry as complex and essential as B2B payments.

Why Commitment Sets Companies Apart

Let’s start with an undeniable truth: the payment space is crowded and getting more crowded by the day. Banks, fintechs, and payment providers all over the world often find themselves competing on features, pricing, and speed.

But these factors only scratch the surface of what people truly value.

Whether it’s finance teams, suppliers, or SMBs, they’re all people who care about reliability and want a partner they can count on for the long haul. They’re looking for systems that grow with them, tools that simplify their work, and a payments partner who prioritizes their needs.

Trust isn’t built with empty promises or flashy features. It’s earned through consistent effort, thoughtful solutions, and a deep understanding of what truly matters to them.

Commitment isn’t some BS corporate "values statement" or anything grandiose. It’s not about launching the most features or shouting the loudest in the marketplace.

It’s about understanding your customers so well that you deliver what they didn’t even know they needed. It’s the quiet, consistent work that sets you apart and builds lasting success.

Embedding Commitment Across Your Organization

For commitment to resonate, it can’t be an isolated effort. It needs to live in your product design, your marketing, your onboarding, and your customer support. Companies that succeed at this make commitment part of their DNA.

Design-Led Development

Design-led organizations lead with this commitment. Apple (Under Steve Jobs) was known to deeply integrate design, product, and engineering teams to ensure that innovation started with meeting and exceeding customer expectations.

Steve Jobs emphasized deep collaboration and concurrent engineering across disciplines to create cohesive and innovative products.

He believed that design was not just about aesthetics but about reflecting the essence of a product. For example, the development of Apple’s Power Macs involved eliminating unnecessary parts through close collaboration between designers, engineers, and manufacturing teams.

This iterative process ensured that every component served a purpose, resulting in streamlined and elegant products.

They prioritized creating systems that solved real problems rather than chasing flashy trends.

How can we apply this integrated and cohesive process into the development of B2B payment products?

Let’s take payment approval workflows as an example. Many platforms get stuck mimicking what competitors do—like adding unnecessary steps or using overly complex jargon.

A design-led approach would look at how actual CFOs and finance teams use the product and find opportunities to better serve them. Once user needs are understood, the focus shifts to simplifying the workflow.

This would look like:

1. Matching approval steps to payment size and type for simpler decisions
2. Automating repetitive tasks like filling forms and sending requests
3. Creating easy-to-understand screens that help people make choices quickly

This approach requires humility, curiosity, and a commitment to improving—not just once but continuously.

Consistent Messaging in Communications

Your marketing and communications should echo this design-led mindset. Don’t just say you’re user-focused; show it. Use case studies and testimonials to highlight how you’ve solved real problems for your users. Share updates on how your product is improving based on user feedback. Speak in plain language that resonates with your audience instead of drowning them in industry jargon.

Also, make the user the hero of the story. Lead with how the user can now save more time, do certain things faster, be more confident, etc.

Make it about them, not you.

For instance, instead of saying, “We’ve optimized our payment gateway for enhanced throughput,” say, “You can now process payments in minutes, not weeks.”

Simple. Honest. Effective.

Show, Don’t Just Tell

Trust isn’t built on promises alone; it’s built on actions. Companies that excel in commitment don’t just say they care about their users—they prove it through every interaction.

This principle shines in the way products are iterated. Take regular updates as an example; Businesses know that payment needs evolve. New compliance requirements arise, technology changes and customer expectations grow.

A committed payment provider doesn’t wait for users to complain. They’re proactive, rolling out updates, sharing the rationale behind changes, and actively seeking feedback. Again, make it about the user, not you.

Commitment also means standing firm on your values. It’s easy to chase the latest trends or replicate what others are doing, but that often leads to a watered-down product that doesn’t serve anyone well.

Instead, focus on solving the problems you’re uniquely positioned to address, and do it with excellence. Consistently.

What Commitment Looks Like in Action

Regular iteration and transparent communication are the hallmarks of commitment. Here’s how this plays out:

• Regular Iteration: Build systems to gather user feedback constantly. Prioritize updates based on what adds the most value to your users, not what’s easiest or cheapest to implement.
• Transparent Communication: When changes are made, explain them clearly. Share the “why” behind the updates, and be open about what’s coming next.

Lessons In Commitment From 100+ Year-Old Companies

Longevity in business is one of the clearest markers of unwavering commitment to customers. In today's digital age, it's easy to get caught up in the fads and sensationalist claims about this technology being a "disruptor" or that business model as the new golden age.

Meanwhile, some businesses have been ticking along, through global wars, pandemics, economic crises, the coming and going of so-called disruptors, and more because of their iron-clad commitment to service.

The companies we'll examine shortly are Japanese. This is especially interesting because Japan is arguably the most influential, non-Western global power. With solid industries, and a commitment to longevity and collective prosperity, the Japanese business landscape offers a unique perspective on sustainable success.

Japan is home to an impressive number of long-lived companies, known as "shinise," which have survived and thrived for centuries.

Toyota, Komatsu, and Shiseido have all demonstrated remarkable longevity and success in their respective industries, largely due to their unwavering commitment to customer-centric principles. Here are the key features that make these companies stand out:

Toyota: Continuous Improvement and Respect

Founded in 1937, Toyota has become synonymous with reliability and innovation in the automotive industry. Toyota's success stems from two core principles:

1. Kaizen (Continuous Improvement): Toyota constantly seeks ways to enhance its products, processes, and services. This relentless pursuit of improvement ensures that customers always receive the best possible value.
2. Respect for People: By valuing both employees and customers, Toyota creates a culture of mutual trust and continuous learning. This approach leads to better products and services that truly meet customer needs.

Komatsu: Quality First and Customer Focus

Established in 1921, is a Japanese multinational known for its construction and mining equipment. Komatsu's customer-centric approach is built on:

1. Quality First: Komatsu prioritizes quality in all aspects of its business, from product development to customer service. This commitment to excellence builds trust and loyalty among customers.
2. Customer Focus: By actively seeking and valuing customer opinions, Komatsu ensures its products meet real-world needs. This approach helps them manufacture products that customers are proud to own.

Shiseido: Innovation and Customer Value

Founded in 1862, Shiseido's long-term success is rooted in:

1. Customer Value Creation: Shiseido focuses on creating unique experiences that bring joy and empower customers. This commitment to customer value drives their product development and marketing strategies.
2. Continuous Innovation: By blending Eastern aesthetics with Western science, Shiseido consistently delivers innovative products that meet evolving customer needs.

Lessons for B2B Payment Executives

To build products with long-term thinking and an unwavering commitment to being customer-centric, consider the following:

1. Prioritize Quality: Like Toyota and Komatsu, focus on delivering high-quality products and services that consistently meet or exceed customer expectations.
2. Embrace Continuous Improvement: Adopt a mindset of constant evolution, regularly seeking ways to enhance your offerings based on customer feedback and market trends.
3. Invest in Innovation: Like Shiseido, stay at the forefront of your industry by investing in research and development to create innovative solutions that address evolving customer needs.
4. Foster Customer Relationships: Build strong, lasting relationships with your customers by actively seeking their input and working collaboratively to solve their problems.
5. Develop a Customer-Centric Culture: Instill a customer-first mindset throughout your organization, ensuring that every employee understands their role in delivering value to customers.
6. Think Long-Term: Instead of focusing on short-term gains, prioritize building trust and loyalty over time through consistent, high-quality service and products.

The Takeaway

In B2B payments, where trust is paramount, commitment is a competitive advantage. By embedding user-centric principles into every corner of your business, you set yourself apart in a crowded market.

If you’re ready to take your B2B payment UX to the next level, WDIR can help. We transform how businesses experience payments. Leading financial institutions and innovative fintechs trust us to simplify their payment processes and create the most user-friendly B2B products globally.

Commit to better serving your customers. Get in touch today!