In this industry, you can almost guarantee that at some point in time you will experience a crisis- that’s business. While you can’t predict how and when it’s going to happen, you can create a plan that will help you be better prepared when it does. Every situation will be different, but having a set of guidelines is a good starting point to help you through it.
Where do you start? Below are a few of my top tips for making your own plan.
This is certainly easier said than done, but when something happens it’s easy to let our emotions get the best of us and cloud our better judgement. In the heat of the moment you may say something that you can’t take back that will affect your reputation for years to come. Before you react, take a moment to sit down and step away from the situation, whether that means not immediately reacting to a negative review, or asking a trusted colleague or friend for advice. Once you’re able to remove the emotional side of the issue, then respond.
Don’t ignore it
As much as you may want to get rid of any bad reviews that you know are unfair, it’s a bad idea. Social media sites don’t take kindly to businesses that delete their poor reviews, and it can get out to prospective clients that you aren’t honest or trustworthy. Transparency is an absolute must these days, and vital to the success of your business. Instead, take your share of the responsibility and come up with a solution that will satisfy everyone. Not only will that client appreciate it, and will speak volumes to others that read your reviews.
Avoid any he said, she said
Playing the blame game never leads to a positive outcome, and in the end will probably make you look bad to outsiders. It’s easy to take the bait, but after a crisis happens none of it matters anyway. The only thing that does is resolving it as amicably and as quickly as possible.
Address the problem internally
After you’ve taken care of damage control with the client, it’s a good idea to look internally at where the breakdown happened. What caused it? Was it preventable? Look at what systems are in place and how they can be changed in the future to avoid another problem. Talk to your staff and let them know what’s going on so that everyone is on the same page for the next event.
Move on
The most important thing to remember is not to dwell on it. There is no point in continuing to beat yourself up about it, so after you’ve dealt with it, learn from it and let it go.
Crises happens to everyone, it’s what we take away from it and better ourselves and our company that matters.
Kevin Dennis is the editor of WeddingIQ and the owner of Fantasy Sound Event Services, a full-service event company based in Livermore, California. Dennis is the current chapter president for Silicon Valley NACE, and a previous national president for WIPA.
See Kevin Dennis at #Catersource 2018!
Kevin Dennis will present Creating Symbiosis Between Caterers & Venues at Catersource 2018. Click here for the session description!
When: Monday, February 19
Time: 1:45 to 2:45
