A 2024 survey by PwC found that the gap in consumer trust in companies continues to grow.
According to the results, while 90% of business executives think customers highly trust their companies, in reality, only 30% of them actually do.
That 60 percent difference is greater than the 57 points in previous PwC surveys in 2023 and 2022.
Part of the explanation for these numbers might be the fact that people nowadays demand higher transparency and accountability from companies, which many just cannot provide.
This is evident in a recent Reddit thread kickstarted by platform user Ferro_Roux. They asked workers to share the secrets and hacks they've learned about industries after starting to work in them, and folks had plenty!
#1
Animal Medicine. Just because you put clothes on your pet doesn’t make him your child. Please don’t spend more money than you can afford. Even if we manage to get your 14 year old dog through cancer, you still have a 14 year old dog. You should not make your pet suffer because you feel sad, Fido isn’t enjoying life let him go.
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116points
#2
Good audio engineers will have faders/knobs that don't do anything.
When the talent asks for a change that's goofy or makes no sense, we'll adjust that phantom knob and watch them nod their head in approval of their amazing idea.
When the talent asks for a change that's goofy or makes no sense, we'll adjust that phantom knob and watch them nod their head in approval of their amazing idea.
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89points
We got in touch with Ferro_Roux and they said everything started with a simple conversation.
"The idea for my question came to me when I asked a friend, who is a pharmacist, for a recommendation for nasal or eye spray because I have hay fever in the summer," the Redditor explained to Bored Panda.
"He recommended a product and then mentioned that there are always no-name products, the so-called generics, that you can buy at the pharmacy for much less money. I thought, okay, that’s a good hack, that you can buy medicine as a no-name product and save money. This made me wonder what other hacks exist in different industries. So I posted it spontaneously without much thought."
#3
I work in IT and can confidently say that providing bribery in terms of food or snack will 100% get your issue taken care of faster and will help you jump the line in the ticket queue.
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85points
#4
Name brand packaged salads and generic supermarket branded packaged salads come off the exact same production line, using the exact same raw materials. The difference is just the packaging.
75points
Ferro_Roux said that "at some point, there were too many responses to read them all; it's impossible with a five-figure number of replies."
However, among the answers the Redditor did go through, they found quite a few amusing ones, "for example, IT people frequently mentioned that a large part of their job involves googling things or telling customers to restart their systems to fix problems," or the one about "telephone customer service — sometimes if you are on hold and start cursing, the system might recognize it and put you through faster."
#5
Lean into the bite.
I work in pediatrics and we’re re taught that if a child bites you, lean into it (push whatever part of you they’re biting further into their mouth) because their automatic reaction will be to open their mouth and the risk of them breaking your skin is greatly diminished.
Source: I was just bitten at work
I work in pediatrics and we’re re taught that if a child bites you, lean into it (push whatever part of you they’re biting further into their mouth) because their automatic reaction will be to open their mouth and the risk of them breaking your skin is greatly diminished.
Source: I was just bitten at work
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73points
#6
If you're nice to my receptionist I will find a way to squeeze you onto my schedule. If you're a B then you can have whatever the next available appointment is. If you make the office staff cry you get a certified letter firing you from the practice.
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73points
But is a fully genuine relationship between consumers and businesses even possible? Ferro_Roux isn't sure. "Personally, I live my life on the basis of brutal honesty," the author of the post said. "However, I don't think it's possible or very limited in customer interactions because the fear is too great that one will come across as unprofessional and that the customer will turn to the competition. But maybe that's not true, and maybe it would work if one were 100% honest."
"That would be an interesting business idea or unique selling point for a company that guarantees 100% transparency and honesty, however, I'm not sure how it would work regarding [corporate matters, such as] trade secrets."
"[For example, there are patents or special knowledge that provide a competitive advantage. Therefore, I believe it's only possible to a limited extent if everything is 100% transparent. On the other hand, such a company might gain an advantage through soft skills, such as honesty and approach."
#7
I worked at a restaurant and one time the chef burned the apple sauce that was supposed to be served with the pork chop, he put it on the menu as “smoked applesauce” and people loved it.
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71points
#8
State Trooper here.
If I pull you over for speeding and you apologize, the odds of you getting a **warning** have just skyrocketed. Redditors like to say "Never admit to it because they'll use that against you." I have never needed what the driver said for a guilty verdict. In fact, I've never even used what they've said. I've been in court a hundred times and never lost a speeding ticket case.
The point of the ticket is to change your behavior. If you acknowledge your behavior was bad, then I'll believe there's a chance you'll change your behavior without needing the ticket.
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69points
#9
Just because you’re on hold doesn’t mean we can’t hear you.
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68points
#10
As a teacher: set limits with devices and instill a love of reading your children.
Students who read as a hobby *almost always* get good grades and succeed in school and beyond.
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65points
#11
Bartender here. If you're at an event with an open bar or something similar, tip $20 cash on your first drink and introduce yourself to your bartender (if it isn't crazy busy). Give them the cash and say some variation on: "Hey X, good to meet you, my name's Mike. I'm going to be drinking [your drink order] all night. Thanks for taking care of us at this event." Guarantees good service, skipping the line, etc.
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61points
#12
Many online retailers have what’s called “Cart Abandonment” marketing strategies.
If you put something in your cart and then don’t check out, you’ll likely receive an email or some kind of messaging with a discount code to incentivize conversion.
If you’re gonna buy something online, always at least try adding to your cart and leaving first before buying.
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60points
#13
Paramedic here- keep a list of your medical history, medicines, allergies, health card info and next of kin contact info on a paper on or in your fridge.
It’s a common place for us to look. If you’re incapacitated, we have all the info we need.
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59points
#14
When I worked as a pharmacy tech, I spent a lot of time calling insurance companies and waiting on hold while the world burned around me. One time I got impatient with the voice recognition bot because it kept hearing background noise and made selections impossible so I started cursing it out.
Turns out if you say the F word a few times in a short span, the bot recognizes you as an angry customer and will switch you to a representative real quick. I did this multiple times to a lot of strange looks from my coworkers until I explained the hack.
Quick edit since I'm getting a lot of the same responses:
I now know that you can spam 0 or # to get the same results.
It's a feature being phased out in places.
Shouting representative or operator also works.
It's a feature being phased out in places.
Shouting representative or operator also works.
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54points
#15
We design parts for appliances to break in five years. We can make them better but the OEM doesn't want to pay for it. We used to make the same part last 15 years.
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54points
#16
I dont work there. This can be a hack to get out of paying a towing fee. I had my car towed to a yard because I stupidly thought it was a different day where I could park. Got my car towed, aware it's my fault so I might as well make this situation a fun one.
Walked into the office with a customer already screaming at the front desk. Waited a whole 5 minutes for them to finish and they finally left. Front desk was just expressionless and were clearly used to it. I came up with a bright face and said, "so if I scream like that, will there be a chance I dont have to pay for the towing?" they all cracked up laughing and we all just went along the convo. Front desk stamped the receipt in front of me and just said, "just read the signs next time bud, we got you for now".
Didnt expect this. But felt so boss when I left.
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54points
#17
I’m a singer, and I book a lot of weddings/corporate/ general gigs, if you come to me directly rather going through an agency, I can plan and run all the music whether you want just me and a guitar to full band and dj for after party,
It can literally save you thousands, some agencies put a 40-60% mark up on my services, and I ask them for more than I’d charge someone privately, it’s crazy
If you’re looking for entertainment, try and contact direct.
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53points
#18
I used to work in the floral industry. Don't call a large national florist. Look up a local florist in your recipient's area and call them directly. Most have websites to help you choose and you'll save money on delivery and service fees which can go towards a nicer arrangement.
Also, unless you order flowers regularly, the membership/loyalty program is a scam and hard to cancel.
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48points
#19
When a car salesman offers you a "premium car care" package, don't buy it. It's a scam.
Say you're buying a new car and I offer you the premium car care package. It'll only cost you X-amount of money per month, but every time you come to the dealership, you get:
Say you're buying a new car and I offer you the premium car care package. It'll only cost you X-amount of money per month, but every time you come to the dealership, you get:
*Premium car wash (we hose it down, not a proper car wash)
*Interior detailing and rejuvenation (we use compressed air to make the dust go away, sometimes a man uses a wet paper towel)
*Interior detailing and rejuvenation (we use compressed air to make the dust go away, sometimes a man uses a wet paper towel)
*Functions check and clock synchronization (Check if all the lights work, heater and A/C work and set up the clock if it's wrong)
*Summer and winter inspection and free wiper fluid refill, only done once per season. (Check tire tread, visually check tire pressure, look at temperature gauge to make sure car isn't over heating and add water in the summer, tiny amount of wiper fluid in winter, visually inspect brake disks to see they are not scratched by worn out brake pads)
*Assistance when you are on the move (You call us and then we can call a tow truck for you, at your expense, only possible during business hours)
*Summer and winter inspection and free wiper fluid refill, only done once per season. (Check tire tread, visually check tire pressure, look at temperature gauge to make sure car isn't over heating and add water in the summer, tiny amount of wiper fluid in winter, visually inspect brake disks to see they are not scratched by worn out brake pads)
*Assistance when you are on the move (You call us and then we can call a tow truck for you, at your expense, only possible during business hours)
Basically, we charge for simple things you can do yourself. Also if a car dealership sells you a used car and they told you it has been fully serviced... take it to your local mechanic and have it serviced properly.
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43points
#20
Dog trainer, this is a hack we *want* people to understand.
One reason we can get your dog to do something so fast is because we use a high rate of reinforcement.
Example :
I'm training your dog to walk on leash without pulling, and we practice in your driveway. I feed the dog 20 tiny pieces of food by my knee as we walk to the end of the driveway. The first time a client tries the exercise they may use five.
I'm training your dog to walk on leash without pulling, and we practice in your driveway. I feed the dog 20 tiny pieces of food by my knee as we walk to the end of the driveway. The first time a client tries the exercise they may use five.
The mechanics of the exercise look easy, but it takes time to get used to. And when people are practicing on their own they do other things, instead of focus on the exercise. They forget how often they need to reinforce the dog for doing the right thing.
If they do the exercise for two minutes during each walk, with a high rate of reinforcement (RoR) , that may be all it takes. And once the dog starts to learn, you can gradually slow down the RoR.
41points