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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!
This post may include affiliate links.
#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.
StrangeOne 5 months ago
Our pets have had such good lives. They deserve to be humanely put to sleep than suffer the last year or 2 in agony.
RELATED:
#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.
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.
#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.
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
#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.
Fabian Bernard 5 months ago
Universal rule, just be kind to people, they'll be most willing to help you. Basically, we are big monkeys: you smilling, me smilling. You unhappy, me unhappy
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.
#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.
Kate Jones 5 months ago
As a banker I agree in sort of the same way when it comes to fees. I don't need your sob story. Years of doing this job has made me lose empathy and 9 times out of 10 we know you're lying. Just say, 'Hey I got a fee and I'm wondering if you would reverse it for me. I totally messed up and forgot about something coming out." That's literally all I need to hear. Unless you've abused the fee returns, most reps will do it. But if you go on and on about how you're a single mom or you've been out of work, and then I go into your account and see you just spent 120 bucks at a liquor store or bought a bunch of games...I don't feel bad for you and you hurt yourself by going on and on, giving me time to go look at your account. Just apologize or at least admit if you do something wrong. People respond to that so much better.
#9
Just because you’re on hold doesn’t mean we can’t hear you.
#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.
#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.
PeepPeep the duck 5 months ago
And sometimes we will ‘accidentally’ spill the bottle a bit as we nip pour ;) shhhhh
#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.
Shark Lady 5 months ago
I've done this a few times, the best one was when i ended up with 30% off code.
#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.
#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.
#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.
#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.
StrangeOne 5 months ago (edited)
Towing company staff can have a real good sense of humour with their chill customers. What you definitely don't want to do is p**s off anyone working for a towing company. They tend to have a lot of connections to other people and companies that can make your life Hell. But if you're nice to them, they can give you some leniency. Oh, and tip your tow truck operator. They do a lot of grunt work, and do some pretty harrowing work. They're the ones cleaning up the fatal accidents and dragging cars out of bogs. A tipped tow truck driver will treat your vehicle like platinum gold.
#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.
#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.
Kiss Army 5 months ago (edited)
Agreed. I regularly order for my dad's (and now my brother's) grave and the place I go to in my town knows exactly what I want. They put one red rose and DAD on the ribbon of my dad's arrangement and one blue spider mum and BROTHER on the ribbon of my brother's arrangement and then use discretion for the rest. She makes beautiful arrangements and charges me $35 (she just increased it from $30). She is AMAZING!!
#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:
*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)
*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)
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.
Dave In MD 5 months ago
As with most absolute statements this varies wildly depending on the dealership you go to.
#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.
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.
#21
I work for an airline. I manage the development of the system our call center agents use. "Please" and "thank you" will unlock magical doors of help when you're on the phone with the agents or are at the airport dealing with airport staff. Simple politeness no longer seems to exist in these interactions. I've shadowed agents to understand how they use what my teams develop and I can count on two hands in the 150-200 calls I've listened into over the last year where the caller was polite and acted decently towards the other human on the other end of the line.
michael Chock 5 months ago
I can vouch for this. I am always polite to customer support and have gotten things resolved quickly. Sometimes with extras added in. Even if I end up cursing out the company, I let the rep know my frustration isn't at them.
#22
Don’t take a filthy car to a mechanic. Clean cars are always treated better.
michael Chock 5 months ago
True for everything. Used to install/service equipment in customer sites. My organized installs got many less repair calls than the messy installs my coworkers did.
#23
You can and should get your kid an evaluation for learning disabilities if there is any potential - (many parents want to avoid potential stigma) - but depending on your school district they might not tell you because they don't want to increase their SPED caseload.
StrangeOne 5 months ago
Teachers may not tell you because they are not certified to make that diagnosis. They can make recommendations for assessments. Trying to push your kid through school with an undiagnosed learning disability doesn't mean that disability doesn't exist. Never mind the stigmas. If your kid needs help, it's your job to provide that help.
#24
Hotel prices are negotiable. If you go to a hotel and show them a Booking.com or Expedia price for their location that's lower, they can price match. They would also much rather you do it that way because third party websites are a bitch and a half to do anything customer service related.
Booked a king but got two Queens? Good luck on your hour long call with them just to talk to a representative in another country. If the front desk does it, beep bop boop and two seconds later you have a key to a new room.
#25
Academic here — to get a PDF of a paper you can usually email the author and ask for one, the times I’ve tried this they’ve been happy to share. After checking if it’s available on https://oa.mg of course.
Don’t mess around with formatting your references manually — use something like https://citationsy.com to automate the whole process.
Chech Dasaus 5 months ago
Yeah I have done that super often. I also worked as a student researcher and my prof sometimes asked me to scan, format or compile some of his works (he was old and many of his stuff only existed on paper) to send to to researchers, students etc. for free.
#26
Not sure if your homeowner's insurance will cover something? Apply this one simple rule:
> Was the damage caused by a sudden and one-time occurrence?
If the answer is yes, 99% of the time you're covered. If the answer is no, 99% of the time you're not covered. (This advice applies to the US).
#27
Electric guitars made out of fancy expensive wood will sound exactly the same as guitars made out of cheap wood. The electronics system is what makes electric guitars sound different from one another, not the fancy AAAAA flamed maple top. It’s pure aesthetics.
Chech Dasaus 5 months ago
Not completly true. The wood does have an effect on the sound, but the returns are diminishing fast.
#28
If you use Libby to download ebooks from your library to your Kindle, you can turn it to airplane mode and keep the books as long as you want. The next person in line is not affected.
Edit: because not everyone wants to illegally download ebooks from sketchy servers in Tuvalu? It's not any easier than what I suggested. .
Robert Beveridge 5 months ago
Sketchy Sites in Tuvalu sounds like a hot new folk/emo crossover band.
#29
I worked for Wells Fargo doing customer service on mortgages. If you use the keywords: lawyer, media or government we're trained to escalate you immediately to the highest level of customer service.
background: if you call for a question about your mortgage there are five tiers of representatives.
If you call and say "give me a manager" you'll only get to tier three.
The media/lawyer/government statements get you escalated to essentially tier six, of salaried customer service representatives that will essentially be given a ticket to fully research your complaint and prepare a summary in a complete and total cover your a*s manner. You may not like the result, but they will do enough due diligence on your question so they're comfortable they won't be sued.
#30
Most industries have retention teams because it costs 10X more to get a new customer than it costs to keep one you have. So if you call up and complain/threaten to cancel every other time they raise your rates they'll probably give you the introductory rate. Just be aware you might have to switch.
edit threaten to cancel added.
edit 2: Another thing I'm seeing a lot is people getting shut down with no explanation. People hang up and call back. Just say you got disconnected you might have better luck with another operator. Yes they take notes, but some reps are more empowered than others. Also feel free to escalate. Make sure you know how long you've been a customer, and how long you've been up to date on your bill.
What do you think ?
Worst Cop in Britain 5 months ago
False. I go on BP at least twice a week and this is the first time I've seen this posted. No one's forcing you to come here mate.
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Worst Cop in Britain 5 months ago
False. I go on BP at least twice a week and this is the first time I've seen this posted. No one's forcing you to come here mate.
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