Why don’t more businesses prepare for the worst? When offered business interruption protection, many take their chances.
Businesses don’t like bad news and they find themselves unprepared when it occurs. A major cruise line left an elderly couple on the dock as the ship pulled away. By mistake, they left their passports in their luggage. A puppy dies in an overhead compartment during a flight. A tech CEO's response came too late. Although there are more embarrassing and bad news stories every week, here are ways to prevent them from occurring:
1. Don’t dismiss complaints. Take them seriously and make an effort to understand them.
2. Identify the one person who is authorized to speak for the company and let everyone know who it is.
3. Dissipate negative reactions by telling the truth. Never attempt a cover up because that’s what escalates the problem.
4. If the company is at fault, take responsibility, and be clear what you’re doing about it.
