Being reliable is the single biggest component of building trust and the tool of reliability is consistency. People will trust what they are familiar with and what consistently delivers on expectation. This the ultimate goal for branding for which I will give some comparative examples. They are predominantly located in the UK but you will see the theme repeated across the world.
The first example of consistency is that of the Salvation Army. When you see the black uniform it speaks of 150 years of service to the community. Their primary role is to spread the Christian Gospel whilst supporting the most vulnerable and marginalised citizens in society.
The second example is the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) who can generate millions in donations every year built on their reputation of lifesaving at sea. People trust the RNLI because they admire the women and men who due the rescues in rough seas and because they are largely unpaid for their efforts, despite never having availed themselves of their service.
In business trust is harder won. All business offers a conditional service or product. The condition is that they will require payment in return for what they are offering. The Salvation Army and the RNLI are free at the point of contact. The British National Health Service is similar but as it goes down the inevitable privatisation route trust is being lost.
The NHS political masters can no longer afford to offer a first tear service at the point of use. This will develop into a two tear system where treatment is delayed for those who can’t afford it and is immediate for those who can. This delay will cost lives and consequently the wealthy will live longer than the poor. Where have we heard that before?
Peter Bull