CLEARWATER - Americans are increasingly distrustful of the businesses they deal with in everyday life, a new Better Business Bureau survey says.
Almost half of the 1,003 people surveyed in April said they had some, very little or no trust at all in companies they regularly do business with. That's worse than a similar telephone survey done last September, prompting plans for a national BBB forum aimed at regaining consumer trust.
"This trend should be a call to action for businesses, especially in an ailing economy," said Karen Nalven, president of the BBB's West Florida chapter. "Businesses need to realize the link between consumer trust and profitability. Building trust through honesty, responsiveness and integrity is critical for success."
The most-trusted industries in the most-recent survey were pharmacies and drug stores; grocery stores and supermarkets; and banks, financial institutions and stock brokers.
The least-trusted: auto dealers, real estate brokers and health-care insurers.
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