Everything is an opportunity for a company and brand to shine - everything!
Every announcement, every change and every crisis - especially those. I was reminded of that last week when a waiter in a local bistro café dropped a glass of red wine all over my new pink woollen coat (I had bought it 3 hours prior to the incident). They did not just respond by the book, they went above and beyond:
- They of course apologized in a sincere way, personally (the waiter) and then the manager stepped in and took over.
- They took responsibility, and blame, promised to solve it.
- He literally took my coat and personally walked to the nearest dry cleaner and ensured me that if cleaning did not work, they would of course pay for the coat.
The tone in all this is crucial - it only contributes positively to the customer (public) experience when it’s sincere, active and caring. Trying to do this as a ‘check in the box’ ruins everything.
For me their work was perfect and done by the book. I could pick up my coat in 3 days. All good.
Then 3 days later the manager sends me a text message saying that they had gone to the dry cleaner to check and that they were happy to report the coat was actually clean, and again apologized for the inconvenience. This was extra, unneeded, and yet stood out.
That this was at a bistro café is relevant because they delivered a much higher service level than you’d expect from a regular local café restaurant. Especially since Dutch restaurants aren’t known for great service levels.
This is no different for any B2B company dealing with a data leak for example. Fixing the problem is one and when you also communicate clearly, in a caring, committed and consistent way (Crises C's), you‘ll build your brand through every step of putting the fire out.
I’ll call it the pink coat effect!
