Do you trust me?

Katie Payne discusses trust, how it influences a business and how it needs to be present in a crisis situation in Chapter 11 of “Measure What Matters.” Payne says, “Trust is the key to building and defending your reputation,” which I completely agree with (170). Customers support brands that they trust.

Payne then breaks down Grunig’s three areas of trust- competence, integrity and dependability/reliability.

Competence is “the belief that an organization has the ability to do what it says it will do” (172). Can the company carry out tasks effectively? Can the company compete and survive in the marketplace?

Integrity is “the belief that an organization is fair and just” (172). Is the company honest? Ethical? Open-minded?

Dependability/reliability is “the belief that an organization will do what it says it will do” (172). Does it carry out its promises? Does it act consistently and dependably?

I feel as though these words sometimes get thrown around in mission statements and advertising, but they are so important to building a solid customer base. If you have a solid customer base that believes in your morals, if a crisis arises, it will be significantly easier to resolve.