None of us like to think about what happens when bad publicity comes a-knockin?. Unfortunately, you?re unlikely to escape that rap upon the door forever.
Fortunately, as a small business, your bad publicity is likely to be contained locally unless you really screwed things up or your reach is unusually large. You?re also fortunate to have loyal customers who can help you counteract bad publicity, and hopefully a history of good deeds in the community which can also help to offset the criticism missiles cruising your way.
Above all, it helps to know how to recover with grace and aplomb and without lashing out angrily and alienating customers. As a former journalist who has seen his fair share of PR blunders, here?s a handful of tips for mitigating bad publicity, with a bonus tip for avoiding that publicity in the first place.
How To Bounce Back
- Go on the charm offensive. If, say, someone gets sick ostensibly after eating your restaurant?s food and decides to make a federal case about it, don?t sit there silently and wait for the condemnation to roll in. Court the customer, apologize as obliquely as possible, pledge to check your food and cooking methods and offer up some coupons. Even if you determine it was nothing you did and the customer probably was sick from something else, you win by not attacking them and being in motion.
- Address the concerns publicly. Bad publicity eventually goes away with time, but hunkering down and avoiding the issue is rarely a sound strategy. I can?t tell you how many times I watched someone refuse comment and go into the bunker to try to ride out the publicity, while others would say things that could have easily been refuted. Be willing to talk to people about what?s happening and willing to counter any outrageous falsehoods.
- Be honest. As Domino?s has shown, this is almost never a bad idea, unless you?ve done something truly awful.
- Smart prevention. Do yourself a favor and guard against PR blunders by taking smart steps. You don?t want to run your business with an iron fist, but you do want employees to understand social media guidelines, be as professional as possible at all times and always keep the customer in mind. It?s basic stuff, but it?s easy to lose sight of it.
So that?s my advice to you. I hope you find it helpful. If you have more tips for your fellow small business owners, weigh in down in the comments or join the discussion on Facebook!
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Photo credit to http://www.istockphoto.com/stock-photo-1975842-bad-news-4.php?st=c8e5f92
Source: http://www.bizengine.com/home/how-to-recover-from-bad-publicity-at-your-small-business/
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