That’s the message from Richard Levick, President and CEO, Levick Strategic Communications www.levick.com a global leader in high-stakes communications, and from Gary A. Pudles, President and CEO, The AnswerNet Network www.answernet.com , North America’s largest provider of hotline services.
Mr. Levick and Mr. Pudles relayed to attendees at the Disaster Recovery Journal Spring World 2007 conference, held at the Disney Coronado Springs Resort in Orlando on March 25 – 28th, that they should begin planning crisis and customer response now, before the next disaster occurs. The two men gave a presentation on ‘Keeping Transportation Moving When Disaster Strikes’.
“At the moment a hurricane, fire, crash, explosion, derailment or sinking occurs is not the time to assess how to handle the ensuing customer relationship, PR, media and legal storm,” pointed out Mr. Levick, whose firm directs communications for many of the world’s highest-profile matters, including the Catholic Church scandals, the spinach e-coli crisis, the largest legal and regulatory actions globally, and a number of the most significant matters arising out of the Middle East and Latin America. “The crisis response strategy must be planned and tested, and employees need to be drilled on it beforehand for it to be effective.”
“How customers, their loved ones, and the public are treated when they learn about and call in regarding a disaster, is going to make a big difference in how they react to that event, and how they view the transportation providers,” stressed Mr. Pudles, whose company has been contracted by several leading transportation firms. “The key is having quick, courteous, accurate and helpful service delivered by personnel who convey concern, empathy and reassurance while keeping cool under pressure.”
Mr. Levick and Mr. Pudles supplied the following advice in their presentation:
* Create and test a crisis plan of action that also involves employees who interact with, or who are exposed to customers both in person and over the phone; the plan should include offering alternative transportation options.
* Empower employees, such as crew members, train operators, and drivers to make critical decisions to ensure public safety, within their levels of expertise and training. When disasters happen, communications between supervisors and operations personnel can be disrupted.
* Take ownership of the disaster, even if it is not the provider’s fault. Acknowledge the event to the public via the media, and create and display the picture of what is happening - show empathy, responsibility and take action.
* Plan for adequate customer service and communications capacity to respond to web traffic, emails, text messages and phone calls, with minimal wait times. Implement dedicated specialized disaster response hotlines ahead of time that will only field those specific calls and messages. Write voice messages and web site content that will be ready to launch and that can be updated from various locations.
* Consider establishing secure, backup-generator-powered business continuity centers where a provider can move their staff to should they be forced to evacuate. Alternatively, consider outsourcing hotlines to expert third parties that have contact centers out of harm’s way, and who can quickly connect additional staff onto phones and computers.
About Levick Strategic Communications
Levick Strategic Communications protects brands and reputations during the highest-stakes global crises and litigation. Honored as Crisis Agency of the Year by The Holmes Report in 2005, Levick wins the hearts and minds of key audiences with comprehensive campaigns on behalf of clients targeted by regulators, embroiled in litigation, or confronted by hostile movements.
Richard Levick was named to the PRNews Hall of Fame - one of only four communications professionals so honored in 2006 - for lifetime achievement. In 2005, he was a finalist for the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year award. PRNews honored Mr. Levick as the Public Relations Professional of the Year for US Agencies in 2002.
About The AnswerNet Network
The AnswerNet Network, www.answernet.com, is the world’s largest telemessaging firm and leading contact center services provider, offering inbound, outbound and e-bound voice and text-based customer contact and fulfillment services. The AnswerNet Network handles order entry, telephone answering services, sales, lead qualification and other customer management functions from 55 contact centers, serving over 35,000 clients, and processing more than 60 million contacts annually. AnswerNet Network companies have been on Inc. Magazine's Annual Inc. 500 List of America's Fastest Growing Private Companies and on Customer Inter@ction Solutions Magazine's Top 50 Teleservices Firms on multiple occasions.
Gary A. Pudles has won the prestigious "Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of the Year," award and led AnswerNet to Inc. Magazine's Inc. 500 List of America's Fastest Growing Private Companies and Customer Inter@ction Solutions Magazine's Top 50 Teleservices Firms on multiple occasions. Mr. Pudles also instructs students at the Wharton School of Business' SBDC.