Can You Handle the Heat?

Now some of you Drama TV lovers out there may hear 'Crisis Management' and immediately think of Scandal; however, as much as I wish my job was that impressive - it's not. (Sorry, Olivia Pope)

So first, what is Crisis Management? Well:

Crisis Management is, essentially, the process by which an organization deals with a disruptive and unexpected event that threatens to harm the organization.

So, by that definition, salons across the world are experiencing two:

1. Forced Closure by Government due to COVID-19

2. Risk of COVID-19 exposure to clients

The first one endangers the business, obviously, from lack of income. Sadly, this particular crisis requires pre-planning with backup funds and savings. However, several countries have issued loan programs to help alleviate the financial strain for a business.

The second one is where things get interesting.

The Factors:

1. Media Attention

2. Client Retention

Media Attention:

 The media is one of the biggest threats to businesses. Typically small businesses have little to worry about due to the corporate giants saturating the news coverage with their scandals. However, when the global story is something that can affect everyone - this dynamic changes.

Let's play it out - A client visits your salon and later contracts COVID-19 and is admitted to a hospital for treatment. This client reports the places she has visited and your salon is mentioned. The local news gets wind of it and a reporter calls.

Reporter: "Hi, I'm a reporter with the Daily Shit-Storm. One of your clients was admitted to No Mercy Hospital. Do you have time for some questions?

What will you say?:

• "Are you serious?"

• "No Comment"

• "We are investigating the claim, but we assure the public that our salon follows all state regulations for disinfection and disease control as well as adhere to the Government's guidelines for being open"

• "We apologize to the client's family and are investigating the situation"

What you say will matter.

Answer with, "Are you serious," and suddenly the headline is:

Salon Owner Unaware of Infections Linked To Business

  - Not knowing your salon is spreading disease is awful - and sounds like papers sold and advertising revenue.

Answer with, "No comment," and the story ends with:

The salon refused to comment.

 - Suddenly, you sound guilty and evasive to readers. Think back to when you read or hear people say this in other news stories.

Answer with, "We are investigating the claim, but we assure the public that our salon follows all state regulations for disinfection and disease control as well as adhere to the Government's guidelines for being open," and the headline could look like this:

Did The State Open too Early? Local Salon is Epicenter of Possible COVID-19 Infections

  - Now the story is looking at the state and not so much your business.

Answer with, "We apologize to the client's family and are investigating the situation," and you just admitted guilt and now have an even bigger problem:

Salon Apologizes For Being The Source of Local Infections

Either of these headlines splashed across the front page of newspapers and online articles with a picture of the front of your salon are not ideal. At this point, your salon takes center stage in a media firestorm. Your salon is bombarded by calls from reporters and clients.

Seems like you're damned if you do and damned if you don't - you're not wrong.

The first tip is to NEVER say "no comment" - there is always a comment.

Instead dodge the questions you can't/won't answer to get more time to prepare - but ALWAYS follow-up!

• Can you give me your number so that I can reach you in an hour with an update?

• We are investigating the situation. What's your number so I can call you with more information?

• I'm not the right person to talk to regarding this issue, but let me get you in touch with the person who is. What's your contact information?

The second tip is to be clear and concise. If you don't understand something, ask for clarification of the question.

Ask questions back to get a better sense of the story.

• What's your deadline?

• Do you have an angle to your story? What is it?

• Would you be willing to share a sample of questions you want answered?

Above all NEVER LIE. A lie will destroy your credibility.

Finally, respect the urgency of the news cycles. Reporters typically have tight deadlines and being courteous of such will help you remain ahead of such crisis stories. Show reporters that you can be quick to respond with useful information - this also helps to build a relationship with reporters for future use.

It's also very wise to decide who your spokespeople are and that they are on the same page.

Client Retention

At this point, the story has broken and clients are afraid. How do you secure them?

Remember the state guidelines for infection and disease control? Time to break that knowledge out.

Explain your sanitation process and disinfectants used. A blog post, Facebook page, or Instagram would work perfectly. Call your clients - let them hear your voice. Breakout the promotions. Finally, rely on your ride or die clients. Post pictures of their end results to start building trust again.

Will you recover every client? Probably not. However, people trust stylists with something that people see everyday. We learn their secrets, struggles, and accomplishments. That relationship is special and that level of trust means something.

Conclusion

During this time, take the time to develop a crisis plan to be ready for such an event. Will the majority of you need it? Probably not, but it's better to be prepared than to be blindsided. And businesses that have a plan or a PR firm on standby before a story breaks come out far better than those that wait.

Let me know if you have any questions or are interested in more content regarding public relations! Take care and stay healthy!