PR – Crisis in Communications

101 Issues and Crisis Communications

Tips on communicating with customers when problems arise. By Rebecca Smith.

When an issue or crisis arises, the way a business handles the situation can have a positive or negative effect on its reputation.

Naturally we all hope to avoid issues and the associated risks, but as we know from Australia’s recent summer of bushfires and the troubling coronavirus outbreak, you never know what’s around the corner and an issue can emerge at any time, affecting people unexpectedly and sometimes with catastrophic results.

While we can’t always avoid problems from occurring, thankfully there are steps that can be taken to minimise harm to your business in the event of them. And effective communication is key to this process.

The six steps below will help you to prepare for issues that could threaten your business, and to manage communications with your customers and other important audiences so that they can be informed and reassured during the process.

1IDENTIFY ISSUES

As the Scouts say—Be prepared. While you may not be able to predict when an issue will occur, what you can do is consider some of the issues that may crop up so that you can develop a plan to manage them. Ask team members across different areas of the business to help you identify potential risks to the business including weaknesses in processes that could potentially develop into issues.

2PRIORITISE

Once you’ve identified some of the issues that could arise, think about how you would manage each scenario and set priorities for actions—what are the things that need to happen first and who in the business will be responsible for each action?

3PLAN

The next step is to create a plan for how you will respond to the problem or issue. l If stakeholders (customers, public, suppliers, staff) need to be notified, who will communicate with them, when will you communicate with them and what channels will you use to deliver information (e.g. email, text message, social media posts)? l Could the issue attract media attention? If so, what are the key messages you need to get across to the public? l Who will be your media spokesperson (e.g. who will the communication come from)?

4DEVELOP YOUR RESPONSE

In the event of an issue, once you have all of the information and facts in hand, it’s time to develop your response. This is the communication that you’ll share with your customers, and possibly even the media. The message you share should be sincere, factual and helpful to your customers. Even if the issue is a result of an error on behalf of your business, customers will appreciate you being up-front and committed to resolving the issue. other channels so you have a reliable source of information informing your customer updates.

5MONITOR

Once you’ve taken all steps to communicate the issue to your customers and any other important audiences, be sure to monitor the situation, as well as any feedback (this could be via phone calls, on your social media platforms, or email). If the issue is an emergency incident such as a fire or flood in the area, monitor radio and

6REVIEW AND REFINE

Once the issue has been resolved, what can you learn from the situation? While you may feel ready to resume business as usual, it’s important that you find time to de-brief with staff and review what worked and what didn’t— were there gaps in your communication that you can be better prepared to manage next time? Did any of your processes or systems fail? How can they be strengthened? Remember to document your learnings so you’re better equipped should the issue arise again.

WHEN TO CALL IN THE PROFESSIONALS

While the steps above offer ways to help you manage communications when an issue arises, there may be times when the situation calls for professional advice.

That Comms Co. is the SSAA’s preferred public relations and crisis communications service for its members and is able to be engaged to prepare holding statements and customer communications as required. l

In the event of an issue, once you have all of the information and facts in hand, it’s time to develop your response.

For more information and advice on crisis communications support contact SSAA at admin@selfstorage.com.au or +61 3 9466 9699.

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SSAA 2020 AWARDS FOR EXCELLENCE

NOMINATIONS ARE OPEN!

The SSAA Awards for Excellence have been recognising business excellence for several years and honouring the very best in the industry. This year, the SSAA is celebrating its 30-year anniversary and we encourage you to participate, showcase and celebrate your achievements.

WHO CAN SUBMIT A NOMINATION?

Any SSAA current financial member may submit a nomination. Members who wish to submit their nomination are reminded to read the guidelines and eligibility in the Terms and Conditions on the Nomination Form.

A 2020 Awards for Excellence nomination package will be available on the SSAA members portal providing information you will need to guide you in preparing and submitting a valid nomination.

AWARD CATEGORIES

l Facility of the Year less than 150 units l Facility of the Year between 150 and 500 units l Facility of the Year more than 500 units l Best Expansion/ Upgrade l Manager of the Year l Service Member of the Year l Innovation/Business Initiative/Sustainability Award l Community Engagement

BENEFITS OF ENTERING THE AWARDS

Entering the SSAA Awards for Excellence provides opportunities to: l Showcase your business, thereby raising your business profile in the region l Gain recognition for your business endeavours l Build a reputation for excellence inside and outside of your industry l Benchmark your business year on year and against other businesses in your area and industry l Improve employee engagement by involving your employees in the entry process l Boost staff morale through successes and wins in your business.

TIPS & TRICKS

PREPARE AND SUBMIT A STAND-OUT NOMINATION

TELL YOUR STORY

This is your chance to impress the judges with your business story and share your achievements. Provide examples so the judges understand your business journey.

__________ INVOLVE YOUR TEAM

Brainstorm ideas with your staff and get them involved in the process.

__________ LET YOUR PERSONALITY SHINE THROUGH

Your business is your passion; let that jump off the page and captivate the judges.

__________ PROOFREAD

Have someone read over your submission and give you feedback.

__________ SUBMIT YOUR NOMINATION

You must complete and submit your application on a Word document format by email before the deadline. Incomplete nominations and not in the advised format will not be submitted to the judges.

__________ ATTACHMENTS

As part of your nomination you are required to attach the appropriate format of your business logo and hi-res images and/or video. This is important as the images will be used to showcase your nomination in the Insider magazine.

> HEAD TO THE SSAA WEBSITE TO SUBMIT YOUR APPLICATION VIA THE MEMBER LOGIN