Measuring and Restoring customer trust: An explorative research based on the VW Diesel gate scandal

Much has been written about trust. Despite the fact that there is a general understand-ing of how important trust is in interpersonal and business relations it becomes obvi-ous that this construct remains somewhat indistinct when it comes to pinning down how trust is build or destroyed, how levels of trust can be measured precisely and how trust can be restored if it has deteriorated. Therefor this research makes use of an earlier model by Kreikenberg (2013) which pro-vides one of the most comprehensive models for measuring trust via seven trust-build-ing factors in five trust-dimensions. This model, due to its complexity, has been adapted and simplified. Moreover, the model was enhanced to include an empirical approach to detect trust building measures to restore trust. The adapted model was put to an empirical test on the Volkswagen Diesel Exhaust Scandal of 2015 with VW-customers. Findings show that the adapted model could pro-vide results on which dimensions and factors show a deterioration of trust and simul-taneously how trust gaps detected could be filled via measures proposed by custom-ers. Although this research must be called explorative, results give some indication that the new model appears to work satisfactory and should be put to further empirical tests in other companies and industry to find further proof for a general applicability.

Simon Stotz studied Strategic Marketing Management and Management in the Master's programme (M. A and M. Sc.) at the International School of Management Dort-mund and at Napier University Edinburgh in Scotland. Be-fore, during and after his studies, Mr Stotz was passionate about customer trust, sales psychology, strategy develop-ment and consulting. During an internship at Deutsche Tel-ekom in innovation management, he was able to expand his technical knowledge and learn about the customer requirements of tomorrow. Together with Prof. Dr. Ralf A. Brickau, he works on various projects, such as supervising a comprehensive consulting project of ISM Master students, in order to pass on his acquired knowledge to the next generations. In his professional future, Stotz will continue to deal with the topics of cus-tomer trust, consumer behaviour and sales psychology.

Prof. Dr. Ralf A. Brickau obtained a double degree at the University of Applied Sciences in Dortmund and the University of Plymouth after studying business administration. In 1993 he completed his doctorate at the University of Plymouth and at the same time received a Diploma in Marketing from the Chartered Institute of Marketing. He then worked as a key account manager for a trading and service agency in the food industry. In 1998, Brickau was appointed professor at FHW Berlin before joining FH Dortmund and ISM in 2001. In the last 15 years he has worked as a consultant for numerous companies, including Volkswagen, Fujitsu, BVB 09, Lambertz, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Signal Iduna, REWE, Ferrero, Frosta and Apetito. Analysis, planning and strategy play an important role not only in his job but also in his free time: he regularly takes part in sailing regattas. His main research interests are strategy development, brand building, trust management, neuroscientific aspects of POS marketing and CRM/sales management in different industries.

Prof. Dr. Christoph Moss teaches communication and marketing at the International School of Management. He is considered an expert in newsroom organisation and has implemented more than 100 corporate newsrooms - for example at Siemens, Fraport or Swiss Life Germany. In addition to stations at other universities, Christoph Moss worked at Deutsche Bank as well as at broadcasters and newspapers in Düsseldorf, Passau, Dresden, Dortmund, Brussels and Paris. He was managing editor in the Handelsblatt newsroom and headed the Georg von Holtzbrinck School for Business Journalists.

Daniel Meierhof studied information technology at the TU Dort-mund from 2001 to 2005 and also completed a degree in com-puter science at the IT Center Dortmund in 2008. During his dual studies he developed CRM and ERP systems and dealt with mar-keting issues at the same time. As a result, he was appointed to the university and has been responsible for marketing and com-munication at the ITC since 2008. Together with Prof. Dr. Brickau he has looked after customers as a partner at SMCG since 2010 and lectured at the same time at the ISM and the ITC. He is particularly interested in BI and neuromarketing top-ics. But also projects for value chain optimization, customer expectation management and branding for customers in the automotive, food and energy supply industries are part of his knowledge. In his private life he likes to sail with his family and goes boulder-ing and climbing as a compensation for his job. Since 2021, Meierhof has been an IT project manager at a software company and at the same time a freelancer for strategic development in the university environment.