What’s Shaping Work: The moments that build – or break – trust

In my last post What’s Shaping Work: Choosing who – and what – to trust, I introduced the Trust Battery and the ABCD Trust Model. Since then, I’ve continued my trust journey and wanted to share an everyday story of how quickly trust can be lost.

My husband and I recently visited a café – one we’ve been to many times – in Singapore, where we live, and ordered brunch. The service wasn’t as personable as usual, the food didn’t quite hit the mark, and they’d run out of a key staple: English Breakfast tea. My husband and I commented that the team didn’t seem to be on the ball and weren’t delivering the usual experience we’d come to enjoy (and expect).
The very next day, I received an email asking for my feedback. At Salt, we’re passionate about NPS and seeking feedback to drive continuous improvement, so I didn’t hesitate to share my experience and constructive feedback, noting that it was a non-typical experience.

Another day passed, and I received an email from the café. I remember smiling as I saw the email in my inbox and thinking, “Great! They haven’t lost touch; they know the situation and want to acknowledge my experience.”

My smile faded as I read the no doubt AI-generated response, generic, lacking heart, and showing no interest in me, the customer. I felt – and still feel – incredibly disappointed. Why should I continue supporting a business that believes an automated response to customer feedback is OK? It may be more efficient, but if you need to automate responses to customer feedback, it suggests you may be focusing on the wrong experiences.

The everyday moments that matter

At Salt, we’re also in the service industry. I appreciate that we won’t get it right every time, but we believe that how we respond to feedback, especially constructive feedback, makes the difference. Protecting your customers’ trust so they feel and believe you have their best interests at heart is key.

This month’s final thought originally came from best-selling author Mark Manson, who asked, “How do you potentially put years of trust at risk? Is it worth it?” They’re great questions, and they’ve stayed with me. They continue to make me reflect on our business, the experiences we create, and how we respond when things don’t go to plan.

Community perspective

Jacqui’s reflections on trust and customer experience closely align with Anita Rao Kapur’s perspective on the role of humanity in an increasingly machine-led world. In this guest perspective, research and analytics leader Anita Rao Kapur draws on more than 20 years’ experience, including leadership roles at Kantar and LinkedIn, to explore why trust remains one of the most valuable assets a brand can build and why organisations must keep people, not algorithms, at the centre of every decision

Beyond the algorithm: Humanity in a machine-led market by Anita Rao Kapur

In a world where autonomous agents now ideate, edit, and optimise our ads, it can feel like we have every possible tool to connect with consumers. But in our obsession with what AI can do, are we still designing for the human on the other side of the screen?

Trust might sound old-fashioned when we’re chasing sugar hits and clickbait, but it hasn’t gone out of style. Even now, 88% of people say trust matters as much as price and quality.

American Eagle is a cautionary tale. In July, a star-powered denim spot spiked attention on “great genes” – shares jumped 16%, website traffic surged, and the campaign dominated press and social. You’d think that attention (even the criticism) would net out in the brand’s favour. Yet the early attention didn’t translate into sustained gains: market share has been flat, and store footfall has been down versus last year. The lesson? A viral moment isn’t the same as a trusted relationship.

Heinz shows the opposite: the long game. Rather than chase headlines, it rebuilt meaning through one consistent platform: “It has to be Heinz”. Since 2019, that idea has tapped real cultural moments, reminded people why Heinz is different, and kept delivering: double-digit global growth year on year and +3.2 share points back. One platform. Many proof points. Compounding connection.

From Attention to Advocacy

In a volatile market, brands won’t win on aura; they win on repeat, specific acts of value that people feel and remember.

With more data to compute than ever, the role of analytics leaders must evolve. We don’t need more dashboards; we need sharper judgment. We need to step up and be the connector in the room: cut through the noise and align on what matters – Attention → Attachment → Action → Advocacy. We must keep consumers – not dashboards – at the heart of everything we do.

For more insights from Anita Rao Kapur, follow her on LinkedIn.