‘Least Trusted’ Restaurant Chain In U.S. Now Has 29 Wisconsin Locations

Trust is crucial in just about every aspect of life. It comes into play in our relationships, business decisions, entertainment choices, the brands we buy, and the businesses we choose to frequent.

Brands know they must establish trust with their consumers or success will be difficult to sustain. With that in mind, a survey was done in the U.S. to find out what the most trusted brands are in the country. By doing so, they also uncovered the least trusted brands.

One discovery was that the healthcare industry is the most trusted, while the legal profession came in last, with only 19% of Americans having trust in that industry.

What Makes A Brand Trustworthy

When this question was posed, the most popular responses included:

• Delivers on promises (36%).
• They ask for honest reviews and feedback (36%).
• Pricing transparency (35%).
• Builds relationships with consumers (34%).
• Consistent performance (33%).
• Listens to and acts on feedback (31%).
• Employee treatment transparency (30%).
• Provides behind-the-scenes info about processes (29%).
• Easy to use website (29%).
• Pays employees well (28%).

Get our free mobile app

Restaurant Chains Were A Part Of This Survey

With restaurant chains, there was a clear winner regarding trust and a two-way tie for last place.

First, kudos to Pizza Hut! When Americans were asked if the pizza chain was trusted, 40% answered yes, which put them in first place, just ahead of KFC at 39% and Mcdonald's at 37%.

On the flip side, there was a two-way tie for the least trusted brand between Chipotle and Sonic Drive-In. Only 18% of Americans said they trusted either brand. Chipotle also ranked as the lowest-trusted brand overall by baby boomer respondents.

Both brands finished just ahead of Panera Bread, which was trusted by 20% of those surveyed.

In Wisconsin, Chipotle is more prevalent than a Sonic Drive-In. There are currently 27 Chipotle locations across the state, while there are just 2 Wisconsin Sonic Drive-Ins.

It's worth noting that this nationwide survey involved around 1,000 people and dealt with entire brands, not individual restaurant locations. As anyone who travels knows, not all locations of a brand are created equal.

READ NOW: Must We Now To Tip Everyone In Wisconsin & Minnesota Restaurants?

As for the big picture results of the survey, the #1 most trusted brand in America across all industries was Amazon, with 56% of those surveyed saying they trust the brand. Netflix came in second overall at 49%.