Crisis,Communications,Done,Rig business, insurance Crisis Communications Done Right: How Jet Blue will weather
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Think hard. When was the last time you remember the chief executive officer an American company admitting publicly and repeatedly to getting it wrong? Humiliated and mortified is how Jet Blues founder and chief executive described his reaction to the NY Times. Painful to watch David Neeleman admitted on the Today Show. Sorry and embarrassed was how the full page ads of apology in New York, Boston and DC put it. The discount airline, a favorite of parents and fidgety flyers everywhere for its individualized TV monitors, comfortable seats and customer-friendly staff, is in the throes of the worst crisis in its 8 year history. An ice storm forced the cancellation of more than one-thousand flights in under a week, leaving an endless stream of angry passengers in its wake. In one case, passengers were held inside planes at NYs Kennedy airport for over 10 hours. In hindsight, the same gritty determination to avoid cancellation of flights seemed little more than short-sighted mismanagement to the casual observer. Weakness in the system hardly seemed to describe the disruption caused by a not particularly unusual winter ice storm. And yet, there was Jet Blues Neeleman, letting the pain and embarrassment of his companys failure show in a public way, and promising earnestly to do better. His brief mea culpa tour couldnt have been easy, but it was exactly the right thing to do.Meanwhile, because Jet Blues headquarters were close by, extra airline personnel were quickly brought to JFK airport to help. It turned out they could do little but serve as a target for passenger frustration, but like their CEO, Jet Blues workers didnt shirk from that unpleasant duty. Contrast that with United Airlines reaction to its cancelled flights the same week. No statements of wrong-doing or even a bother with full explanations. No vouchers, refunds, apologies or promises to get it right. The only move United was quick about was in announcing it would honor all those missed Jet Blue reservations.Jet Blues crisis response wont satisfy everyone, particularly those travelers who were most inconvenienced. It does however serve an important purpose in allowing the airline to turn the focus from the mistakes to their attempts to rectify those mistakes.Jet Blue has to be careful of course that no more damage be done to their already tarnished reputation as the most customer-friendly airline. They will have to show a stronger airline emerging: customers will have to get those refunds and vouchers, flights really will have to be redirected, and communications improved. But Needhams performance Id predict will now become a case study in crisis communications done right. The top three lessons his performance teaches: 1.) NEVER UNDERESTMATE THE POWER OF AN APOLOGYAnyone watching or reading could have no doubt this was a man personally invested in his companys reputation. Neeleman didnt shirk from tough questions. He didnt send someone out to speak for him. He didnt make excuses and he refused to lay blame elsewhere. True, Jet Blues website was hardly forthright, burying the news deep inside. Nonetheless, customers, potential customers, employees and investors got a very public and refreshing look at how a real leader behaves under pressure. Thats the kind of performance that breeds loyalty from all stakeholders. 2.) ACT NOW OR FOREVER HOLD YOUR PIECESIm betting Neeleman heard strong advice to say nothing publicly, at least not before a whole lot of highly important people were consulted and then consulted again. Any admission of culpability the conventional wisdom says will only wind up costing you more. Not only did Neeleman speak out, he did so quickly and Id submit, courageously. (How many chief executives these days agree to unscripted interviews with national reporters during a time of crisis?) 3.) DEFINE THE FIXJetBlues Bill of Rights for passengers may have been chiefly designed to dissuade lawmakers from jump in with more regulations on the industry, but that doesnt negate its impact. It is still a strong statement of the companys intent to do right.Jet Blues crisis of confidence isnt over by any means, but this is one corporation intent on showing it deserves another chance.
Crisis,Communications,Done,Rig