Nearly one third of UK consumers distrust big businesses/organisations: survey

A new survey has attempted to find out what it takes to win the approval of the British public, and the identities of the organisations they most like and dislike.

In a survey, conducted by 35 Communications, 1,400 people (aged 18 – 65) were asked to consider how some of the best known organisations would behave if they shared an evening with them. 35 developed the scenario to provoke honest, uninhibited answers. The questions were designed to probe key factors such as trust, reliability, responsiveness, customer relationships and appeal – the components that determine corporate reputation.

“Nearly one third of UK consumers distrust big businesses/organisations. 35 asked them if they lost their wallet would ‘organisation X’ return it. While 58 percent thought they would have it returned, 27 percent said no based on their perceived lack of trust or confidence in the organisation. Only 70 percent of organisations are felt to be dependable. At the fictional dinner party, seven out of ten would be prompt. One in ten though would not arrive at all. Thames Water was named as the most likely to be a no show,” stated the company.

“Only just over a half of organisations treat consumers with courtesy. In almost a quarter of cases consumers feel they are shouted at. 59 percent of consumers feel they are treated like adults, but 41 percent feel they are patronised or insulted. In only a third of situations do consumers expect organisations to show genuine interest in the issues that concern them. In a significant minority,
17 percent of the brands surveyed are perceived to show no interest at all. Just over a third of consumers warmly welcome corporate brands into their lives. 48 percent of consumers would invite ‘brand X’ to the fictional party only to make up the numbers. 16 percent would cancel their party if ‘brand X’ was a guest.”

For the survey, 35 chose only key business sectors that feature in the daily lives of British consumers: Insurance/Pensions, Banks, Telecoms, Travel, Transport, Public sector and Energy. Into the mix, it added Citizens Advice. 35 felt the organisation was an anomaly, there to advise you when you’re in need. If Citizens Advice performed well in the survey, this would further validate the integrity of the survey. It topped the list of best liked brands/organisations (see below).

The Top 10 Most Liked Brands and Organisations:

1. Citizens Advice
2. Nokia
3. Churchill
4. Scottish Widows
5. Nationwide
6. Virgin Trains
7. Standard Life
8. Thomas Cook
9. Prudential
10. British Airways

The Least Liked Brands and Organisations:

1. Local council
2. Transport for London
3. Thames Water
4. The Home Office
5. London Underground
6. BG (formerly British Gas)
7. HM Customs & Revenue
8. Ryanair
9. DTI
10. Npower