As the adage says, “It take years to build a brand and minutes to tear it down.”
After the CrowdStrike issue this past week, airlines companies such as Delta seemed determined to prove this true with their handling of the situation, which was, frankly, a train wreck.
Millions of people were affected by Delta’s issues. Plans like wedding plans, business trips, and vacations were delayed or canceled.
And, expenses increased while most people ended up spending thousands of dollars on flights with other carriers for stranded family members and colleagues.
Knowing all this, I want to share some lessons that apply to all brands no matter your size or industry.
Lesson #1: Transparency Matters
When things go wrong, be real and honest. If it will take days to fix a problem, say it. Don’t sugarcoat reality when people are upset. It only makes things worse. Rip the Band-Aid off quickly and at least talk about it. Whoever handled Delta’s response has a lot of opportunity for improvement and they probably want to find someone else to manage their crisis responses because they did a poor job. Every brand claims to be transparent, but few truly are in their communication, whether in marketing or during a crisis. So, learn from this debacle and be transparent, especially when it matters.
Lesson #2: Speed Is Essential
Delta seemed to move in slow motion. While it might not have been the case behind the scenes, it felt like it to passengers. Delta was slow at every stage of their response: recognizing the problem, communicating their actions, and expressing their feelings. They fell behind at every turn. When in a crisis, there’s only time for one thing: swift action. Because doing nothing or taking time to think about it won’t work. Be quick, be concise.
Lesson #3: Show Empathy
It took Delta four days to express true sympathy and outline a plan for affected customers, and even then, it wasn’t clear. Empathy goes a long way in such situations. Many people were stranded for days, leading to fear and panic, especially for parents of children flying solo. The lesson is don’t hide behind some pre-canned copy that was developed by an overpaid CMO – instead, tell your customers that you see them, see their pain, and validate their feelings. Angry, salty gate agents who fight with passengers aren’t helpful. Be kind and human because when we’re stressed, we all need more of this.
Lesson #4: Effective Crisis Response
I’m sure Delta has a crisis management team, but you wouldn’t know it from the way they responded. And when your CEO is in Paris for the Olympics because your brand is a sponsor, then he needs to get back to HQ to at least show that he cares by being in the middle of the struggle with the rest of the employees who are fielding thousands of calls per hour from angry travelers. Be a great leader by leading well during a crisis. It shows guts, integrity, and that you care.
No one could have anticipated this massive issue, and Delta will get through this, but these lessons should teach us the importance of the basics: transparency, speed, empathy, and an effective crisis response.
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