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How to tell if someone is trustworthy

<p>Trust is a key ingredient of success in any relationship whether it is platonic, romantic or business. But how do you know if you can trust somebody or if you should run for the hills? What exactly is the difference between someone who is trustworthy and someone who isn’t? Sometimes it’s very obvious, sometimes it isn’t. Some people have a natural instinct for detecting untrustworthy characters while some of us might need a bit of help to develop the skill. Assessing trustworthiness takes time and there are always individual circumstances to consider but here are a few things to look out for.</p> <p><strong>Honest</strong></p> <p>A trustworthy person is an honest person. Someone who is constantly lying is probably hiding something. Always consider intentions and there are sometimes benign reasons why somebody might tell a white lie, but if someone is continually being dishonest, warning bells should be going off! Sometimes it’s difficult to determine if someone is lying though. Here are some things to consider:</p> <ul> <li>The person repeats your question or doesn’t answer the questions. For example, “That’s a good question.” This may be a signal to buy time to form a response.</li> <li>The person is always reminding you how honest and trustworthy they are. For example, “I would never lie, I’m an honest person.”</li> <li>The person makes very showy and boastful claims but none of it can be verified or validated. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.</li> </ul> <p><strong>Reliable</strong></p> <p>Being reliable and dependable is the hallmark of a trustworthy person. Of course, people do let us down from time to time but a consistently unreliable person is usually untrustworthy.</p> <ul> <li>The person constantly does not do what they say they will even if explicitly promised. There is always a reason though such as an unpredictable drama.</li> <li>The person is always late for appointments, meetings or dates with you.</li> <li>The person is never available to see or meet you.</li> <li>The person’s words and actions contradict. Untrustworthy people will make a lot of claims but when actions consistently don’t follow words, red flags should be appearing.</li> </ul> <p><strong>Communication</strong></p> <p>A trustworthy person will be open, transparent and attentive in their communication whereas those who might have something to hide are heavily focused on themselves.</p> <ul> <li>The person constantly talks themselves up with boastful statements and criticises or tears other people down. If the person is gossiping about someone else, what’s to stop them doing the same to you?</li> <li>The person does not support or encourage you. Instead they play down or make a joke about your thoughts, ideas and accomplishments.</li> <li>The person is never forthcoming with information about themselves. You have to constantly ask questions but they try and redirect the conversation or reply with partial truths.</li> </ul> <p><strong>Intuition</strong></p> <p>Your gut-feeling is perhaps your most important tool and it’s usually correct. Don’t ignore feelings of anxiousness or wariness. We often want to think the best of people but if your gut is telling you something is up with this person, it might be right. Look out for the other indicators and if any of them are sounding familiar, combined with your intuition, make an exit, fast!</p> <p><em>Image: Getty Images</em></p>

Relationships

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Australia’s most trusted brands revealed – and the winner will surprise you

<p>With Aussie’s around the country shopping up a storm for the upcoming holiday season, a new survey shows which retailers have the trust of consumers and the four that have lost trust from customers.</p> <p>According to results of the <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.roymorgan.com/findings/7755-net-trust-score-general-brands-201811200006" target="_blank">Roy Morgan Net Trust Score</a> survey, there has been a “big shake up” since July, as the list of top 10 most trustworthy retailers may have the same two companies taking first and second spot, but there are four companies removed from the list completely.</p> <p>ALDI and Bunnings have the right to celebrate, as the two companies have remained first and second, with Qantas and the ABC taking out third and fourth place respectively.</p> <p>NRMA dropped down two spots since July, as they moved down to seventh place from their previous fifth position. With Bendigo Bank creeping down to ninth place from seventh place.</p> <p>The four companies that have lost their customers' trust include Samsung, Myer, RACQ and IGA, with the major brands being booted from the list altogether.</p> <p>Taking their spots was Aussie favourite Kmart (5th), ING (6th), Toyota (8th) and Target (10th).</p> <p>With the rising popularity of Kmart and Target, it comes as no surprise that they’ve made their way onto the top 10, with a massive following behind them.</p> <p>The survey is conducted by asking a panel of 600,000 consumers about which retailers they trust and distrust. The list is then compiled once the results are finalised.</p> <p>The companies that were ranked the most untrustworthy were AGL, AMP, ANZ, CBA, Coles, Facebook, NAB, Shell, Telstra and Westpac.</p> <p>The industries that received the lowest ratings were Banking, Media and Mining and Petroleum.</p> <p>The highest scores were given to Retail, Consumer Products and Supermarkets.</p> <p>“Trust is vital to the success of any business, but the key message of the Roy Morgan Net Trust Score survey is that growing distrust can be a disaster, leading to customer churn, loss of market share and in some cases a long slide into oblivion,” said Michele Levine, CEO of Roy Morgan, in a statement.</p> <p>“Trust is not just a ‘marketing’ or ‘comms’ issue – it goes to the heart of corporate culture and governance for every company.</p> <p>“Whether it’s Facebook, the big banks or our major utilities, directors and their management teams need to think about the social drivers of trust and distrust – ethics, believability, integrity and transparency.”</p> <p><strong>Australia’s most trusted brands:</strong></p> <ol> <li>ALDI</li> <li>Bunnings</li> <li>Qantas</li> <li>ABC</li> <li>Kmart</li> <li>ING</li> <li>NRMA</li> <li>Toyota</li> <li>Bendigo Bank</li> <li>Target</li> </ol> <p>Do you agree with this list? Who would make your top 10? Let us know in the comments below.</p>

Money & Banking

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How to tell if travel reviews are trustworthy

<p><a href="http://www.oversixty.com.au/travel/travel-tips/2017/03/tripadvisor-travellers-choice-destinations-for-2017/" target="_blank"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Review sites like TripAdvisor</span></strong></a> have changed the way we travel. But you need to be smart about how you use them.</p> <p><strong>1. Check the date</strong></p> <p>Many reviews can be months or even years old and a lot can change in that time. If the review complains about a property being run down or having outdated facilities, it’s worth doing a quick check of its website to see if there have been any recent renovations (or if there are any currently underway). A change of management can also mean a world of difference in a relatively short time.</p> <p><strong>2. Review the reviewer</strong></p> <p>As a general rule of thumb, the more reviews someone has posted the more reliable they are. If someone has only ever posted one review – and it was terrible – they may have a personal agenda or an unusually bad experience. <a href="http://www.oversixty.com.au/travel/domestic-travel/2016/04/top-10-australian-destinations-to-visit-in-2016/" target="_blank"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">TripAdvisor ranks its contributors</span> </strong></a>according to how often they post and how many times they are read. You can also easily review their entire contribution history, which will give you a good idea of how consistent and trustworthy they are.</p> <p><strong>3. Look for the locals</strong></p> <p>When you’re trying to find great bars, restaurants or attractions, locals – rather than travellers – are usually your best bet. They are more likely to regularly visit these places, seek out good value for money and have a better idea of how they compare to the others in town. They are also less likely to be attracted to tacky tourist traps that just rely on passing trade – and are almost always average.</p> <p><strong>4. Try to spot the fakes</strong></p> <p>Review sites are <a href="http://www.oversixty.com.au/travel/international-travel/2016/04/top-10-museums-2016/" target="_blank"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">constantly trying to develop systems</span></strong></a> to weed out fake reviews, both negative and positive. These can be posted by people from the hotel or their PR team and give exceedingly glowing reviews. Similarly, negative reviews can be posted by competitors or someone with an axe to grind. They can be hard to spot, but we suggest reading everything with a little cynicism.</p> <p><strong>5. Look at the photos</strong></p> <p>As the saying goes, a picture tells a thousand words. Have a look at the images posted by users and see if they match up with their comments. You might be surprised.</p> <p>Do you use reviews sites like TripAdvisor? Share your tips in the comments below. </p>

Travel Tips

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How to tell if someone is trustworthy

<p>Trust is a key ingredient of success in any relationship whether it is platonic, romantic or business. But how do you know if you can trust somebody or if you should run for the hills? What exactly is the difference between someone who is trustworthy and someone who isn’t? Sometimes it’s very obvious, sometimes it isn’t. Some people have a natural instinct for detecting untrustworthy characters while some of us might need a bit of help to develop the skill. Assessing trustworthiness takes time and there are always individual circumstances to consider but here are a few things to look out for.</p><p><strong>Honest</strong></p><p>A trustworthy person is an honest person. Someone who is constantly lying is probably hiding something. Always consider intentions and there are sometimes benign reasons why somebody might tell a white lie, but if someone is continually being dishonest, warning bells should be going off! Sometimes it’s difficult to determine if someone is lying though. Here are some things to consider:</p><ul><li>The person repeats your question or doesn’t answer the questions. For example, “That’s a good question.” This may be a signal to buy time to form a response.</li><li>The person is always reminding you how honest and trustworthy they are. For example, “I would never lie, I’m an honest person.”</li><li>The person makes very showy and boastful claims but none of it can be verified or validated. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.</li></ul><p><strong>Reliable</strong></p><p>Being reliable and dependable is the hallmark of a trustworthy person. Of course, people do let us down from time to time but a consistently unreliable person is usually untrustworthy.</p><ul><li>The person constantly does not do what they say they will even if explicitly promised. There is always a reason though such as an unpredictable drama.</li><li>The person is always late for appointments, meetings or dates with you.</li><li>The person is never available to see or meet you.</li><li>The person’s words and actions contradict. Untrustworthy people will make a lot of claims but when actions consistently don’t follow words, red flags should be appearing.</li></ul><p><strong>Communication</strong></p><p>A trustworthy person will be open, transparent and attentive in their communication whereas those who might have something to hide are heavily focused on themselves.</p><ul><li>The person constantly talks themselves up with boastful statements and criticises or tears other people down. If the person is gossiping about someone else, what’s to stop them doing the same to you?</li><li>The person does not support or encourage you. Instead they play down or make a joke about your thoughts, ideas and accomplishments.</li><li>The person is never forthcoming with information about themselves. You have to constantly ask questions but they try and redirect the conversation or reply with partial truths.</li></ul><p><strong>Intuition</strong></p><p>Your gut-feeling is perhaps your most important tool and it’s usually correct. Don’t ignore feelings of anxiousness or wariness. We often want to think the best of people but if your gut is telling you something is up with this person, it might be right. Look out for the other indicators and if any of them are sounding familiar, combined with your intuition, make an exit, fast!</p>

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