This is an interesting perspective. I think in the search for the incremental revenue, companies often put stock in empirical data and analysis while ignoring subjective elements such as trust.

I think a simple thing such as trust can have a much deeper impact, especially when you factor in cognitive biases such negativity or herd instinct. Even if a company makes amends down the road, it may take a while for the initial impression to wear off, affecting customer choices over time.

Google and Southwest are good examples of how to earn trust — I think they both have a large enough trust bank that their customers will always give them the benefit of the doubt. I do not think you can ever completely quantify the true benefits of their trust bank.