By James Pruitt, Senior Staff Writer
The tides of the Internet can catch us by surprise. Rumors, missteps, and follies of all sorts can leap out and foil even the best laid plans. These days, more than ever, a company’s online life drives its reputation.
A good example of this is the Olive Garden, which descended into controversy following an online SNAFU. A text meme dated May 6 circulated on Facebook saying “Olive Garden is funding Trump’s re-election in 2020. It would be terrible if you shared this and Olive Garden lost business.” The post received 7800 shares, and a boycott ensued. It is a big negative to involve your business in polarized politics.
Darden Restaurants that owns Olive Garden, had a plan in place for just such an occurrence. Nevertheless, they still lost business and had to pay for expensive damage control. Darden Restaurants could afford a public relations infrastructure to absorb the fallout. Their spokesman was able to offer proof that Olive Garden does not support political candidates.
Imagine the havoc should such a meltdown occur with a small business owned by a struggling veteran. Smaller organizations are not immune to PR catastrophes. Consider the example of Comet Ping-Pong, that was gobsmacked in 2016 by a bizarre online fiasco. A foreign disinformation campaign spread a rumor that the restaurant was a front for child trafficking. A man even showed up with a gun.
Fortunately, Comet Ping Pong’s story was headline news. Well-wishers could easily mobilize to ensure the company’s survival. The establishment benefited from a go-fund-me campaign, as well as large-scale PR support.
Each of the above two firestorms include variables most online crises lack. The Olive Garden fiasco involved a large company with a well-developed PR machine. The second involved a small business caught up in a huge, international conflagration. Most attacks on business’ reputations remain confined within the circles of their target clientele, and fade leaving nothing but empty bank accounts.
Most veteran small businesses do not have the infrastructure for a complex PR response when, for example, local news misreports a food contamination scandal, or the Internet explodes over a shoplifting allegation. However, good planning does not require an on-call crisis management team. Good planning, at the outset, mandates that you be the company your clientele expects.
First, make sure the company does not engage in practices that might invite a crisis. Your business’s operations should remain ethical and fair. Use due diligence to ensure, for example, that your kitchen is clean. Vet your employees to weed out those unfit to deal with the public. Training programs should include such topics as diversity training, quality control, and any other topic that might keep your business out of the spotlight for poor practices. Additionally, if a crisis does arise, acknowledge any comments or complaints early. Do not invalidate clients’ concerns by deleting online comments or resorting to falsehoods.
Second, remain aware of any discussions or dialogues regarding your company. Staying vigilant of negative online reviews puts a proprietor on notice when an issue arises. Owners should make sure to address online complaints to the reviewer’s satisfaction. Additionally, businesses should solicit feedback to raise awareness of gaps in service or blind spots on the part of the management. Google alerts can monitor activity on social media sites and Yelp reviews.
Third, carefully vet any online content published to websites. This vetting process should involve a careful review, which may involve a standardized worksheet containing preplanned responses to concerns.
Fourth, nurture a community of loyal customers. Most successful businesses have regulars. Many brands have outright fans. Business owners should provide these loyalists forums to protect against negative feedback. Online blogs, comment sections, and even Facebook groups can foster a sense of brand community. This community can help squelch the embers before a full-blown conflageration burns the company down entirely.
These four steps can prepare veteran small entrepreneurs for an online fiasco. Few small businesses have the resources of a corporation such as Darden Restaurants. Few crises have the sound-bite appeal of the Comet Ping Pong mess. Before a crisis arises, owners should focus on prevention. Afterward, the management should stay honest, diligent, and maintain dignity. Together, these measures are worth a fortune in PR work.
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