In the end, United (finally) got it right. But only after days of excruciatingly bad publicity. Were its belated positive actions too little and too late to repair its image?
United’s floundering also provided a case study of what not to do, and ultimately what to do.
Initial statements are just that — initial. But they are critical. They set the tone for everything that follows. If they’re empathetic and reassuring, they achieve your goal. If they’re cold and clumsy, that’s the perception you’ll be stuck with.
After that, companies need to dig deep and do some heavy lifting to regain the public’s trust.
Step One: Take a serious look at the organization. Ask yourself, “How did we end up here?”
United stuck too strictly to rules and protocol. Their crew treated passengers like cattle instead of customers, and they didn’t think about how the treatment of that person greatly impacted those around him. Then United churned out initial statements that were callous and emotionless.
Step Two: Strategize ways to improve and protect against future lapses.
The changes United made weren’t all directly customer-facing. United’s Board started at the top by declaring that CEO Oscar Munoz isn’t the best choice to become Chairman after all. The Board also changed how it pays senior executives by “directly and meaningfully” linking compensation to customer service.
Step Three: Implement necessary changes — and make sure everyone obeys them.
Some seemed shockingly obvious. For example, once you’ve got your butt in the seat, you won’t be forced to relinquish it (except for safety or security reasons).
Others embrace technology. For example, United is creating an automated check-in where you can let it be known if you’re willing to be bumped —and at what price.
Yet others are competitive, such as raising the maximum payout for being bumped to $10,000, which is $50 more than the new cap instituted by Delta.
Step Four: Focus on the future. Keep improving, build up a bank of goodwill, and don’t let anything similar happen again. If you mess up once, people have a surprisingly large capacity to forgive. Do it twice, and they don’t.
You don’t have to explicitly state it, but Munoz opted to, “We are taking concrete, meaningful action to make things right and ensure nothing like this ever happens again.”
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You can reach Roger Gillott and Eden Gillott directly at 310-396-8696.
Gillott Communications is a Los Angeles-based public relations firm that specializes in high-stakes Crisis & Reputation Management with more than 50 years of expertise in strategic communications, corporate public relations, and working with the media.
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