How your customer service can create (or prevent!) crises

Erik Bernstein Crisis Prevention Leave a Comment

Failures in day-to-day communications can create serious threats to reputation Customer service is a critical part of crisis management. The way each individual in your company treats stakeholders is a direct reflection of how your company feels about said stakeholders, whether it’s intended to be or not. Provide poor customer …

Customer Service Matters for Crisis Management

Erik Bernstein crisis management, Crisis Prevention, customer service, Erik Bernstein, Jonathan Bernstein, public relations Leave a Comment

Customer service is often the first line of defense when it comes to reputation We’ve all had an awful customer service experience. Whether it was in person, over the phone, or now through email and social media, it never leaves you feeling eager to do business with the entity responsible. …

Customer Rage and Crisis Management Infographic

Jonathan Bernstein crisis management, Crisis Prevention, crisis public relations, Crisis Response, customer service, Erik Bernstein, infographic, Jonathan Bernstein, PR, public relations, reputation management Leave a Comment

Why taking care of angry customers is a crisis management concern Making a habit of upsetting your customers is a sure path to crisis, yet many organizations still aren’t managing to keep folks happy. With the average consumer checking social media before making any major purchase and bad experiences being …

Reputation Management Tips from the Financial Industry

Jonathan Bernstein crisis communications, crisis management, Crisis Prevention, crisis public relations, Crisis Response, Erik Bernstein, Jonathan Bernstein, public relations, reputation management Leave a Comment

A push for change in the world of finance holds lessons for other industries Preventing reputation threats caused by customer dissatisfaction is a common goal of crisis management, and for the financial world (and many other tightly regulated industries) it has the added benefit of helping you avoid running afoul …

If You’re on This List, You’re Overdue for Crisis Management

Jonathan Bernstein crisis communications, crisis management, Crisis Prevention, crisis public relations, Crisis Response, customer service, Erik Bernstein, internal crisis management, internet crisis management, internet reputation management, Jonathan Bernstein, online crisis management, online reputation management, PR, public relations, reputation management 1 Comment

Talk about bad press… Landing on anyone’s “most hated” list is a sign that you may be in trouble, but finding yourself among 24/7 Wall St.’s “10 Most Hated Companies in America” means you’re in desperate need of crisis management. How were the companies chosen? Let’s look at the criteria: …

Crisis Management Quotables…on Learning from Angry Stakeholders

Jonathan Bernstein crisis communications, crisis management, Crisis Prevention, crisis public relations, Crisis Response, Erik Bernstein, Jonathan Bernstein, public relations, reputation management Leave a Comment

Look past the heated tone and understand the issue at hand We don’t think anybody’s going to dispute the brilliance or business savvy of Bill “Microsoft” Gates, so let’s get right into this week’s Crisis Management Quotable: “Your most unhappy customers are your greatest source of learning.” — Bill Gates …

Constant Contact Doesn’t Live Up to Its Name

Erik Bernstein crisis management, Crisis Prevention, customer service, Erik Bernstein, Jonathan Bernstein, PR, public relations, reputation management Leave a Comment

Venting after a pair of poor customer service experiences What do you do when a paid service you’ve used for years decides customer service isn’t a priority? In the past the answer may have been wading past multiple levels of rage-inducing robotic phone services or digging through directories to find …

Customer Service IS Crisis Management

Erik Bernstein crisis management, Crisis Prevention, Crisis Response, Erik Bernstein, Jonathan Bernstein, online reputation management, PR, public relations, reputation management Leave a Comment

Quality service will do wonders for your reputation. Neglect it, and, well, read on… Providing the type of customer service that you would like to experience yourself is one of the most effective, yet least-utilized forms of crisis management. Instead of correcting a problem and moving on with business, many …

Give the People What They Want

Erik Bernstein social media Leave a Comment

You can defuse many crises just by saying, “We hear you.” These days, it’s just as likely that a stakeholder with a question is going to turn to social media as pick up a phone and call your customer service line. Yet statistics show that some 70% of inquiries from …

Technical Support Needs Technical Support: Time Warner is Good for a Laugh

Jonathan Bernstein crisis communications, Crisis Prevention, crisis public relations, customer service 1 Comment

YOU CAN’T MAKE THIS S**T UP Yesterday, for reasons unknown, my Internet broadband speed dropped by roughly 2/3, so I attempted to get Time Warner Cable support via their Live Chat option.  That required, first, that I provide my name and contact information, summarize the issue, and indicate what type …

AAA’s Wrong Way Crisis Management

Erik Bernstein crisis communications, crisis management, crisis public relations, Crisis Response, customer service, public relations, reputation management Leave a Comment

Dishonest promotion causes reputation damage We’re always fans of businesses using charitable-type events or offers to promote their reputations. Run things the wrong way though, and you’ll find yourself in crisis management mode instead of reaping in the praise. When AAA announced its “Tipsy Tow” service for New Years Eve, …