Crisis Communications: Don’t shift the blame!
Thanks to the good folks over at the Consumerist for providing an excellent example of how not to respond to a crisis.
During the recent flooding in Johnson City, NY, the folks at PETCO were taken unawares by the rising flood waters and lost 100 animals. The staff did manage to save an equal number, however. In responding to public outrage over the loss, a PETCO VP blamed a miscommunication on the part of the city, claiming to have never received the evacuation order. Bad move. Knowing your risk is part of good business and floods shouldn't be a surprise.
The blog posting was quickly replaced by one from the CEO stating that the company had misjudged the risk and took full responsibility for it's failure.
So what can we learn from this?
- Don't try to shift the blame. People are not stupid and they will see such actions for what they are – an attempt to evade responsibility.Take responsibility up front and tell people how you will prevent a recurrence.
- Don't lead with your most senior person in crisis - use someone in direct authority over the crisis. If your initial message goes south, your CEO or key official can step in and give you a second chance.
- Be proactive. When the National Weather Service and the local authorities are warning about flooding, a bit of investigation is in order to determine your risk. It's a lot easier to evacuate as a precaution than to explain why you didn't.