Public Relations Measurement - Managing a Crisis Managing a Crisis - Essay Example

Public Relations Measurement - Managing a Crisis Managing a Crisis Public Relations Measurement - Managing a Crisis Managing aCrisis BackgroundIndustries such as restaurants which provide services to customers can be particularly affected when they experience image issues (Lovelock and Wirtz, 2011). For instance, when a restaurant’s customers consume contaminated food stuffs and are exposed to bacteria such as E-coli, it can seriously affect the restaurant. In most cases when such incidences take place, it is not just one or two customers who are affected by the contaminated foodstuffs.

Usually, there may be a dozen or more customers from franchises in different states across the nation who show symptoms of having consumed contaminated food after visiting different branches of a restaurant. They may begin to show the symptoms a few days after eating at the restaurant. Once the connection is made and investigations are launched by city health officials, it is likely that the foodstuffs that carry the E-coli bacteria are the ones that will be examined. A trace-back investigation will likely be conducted where public health officials investigate the suppliers of the foodstuff for the restaurant’s franchises across the different states.

The Handling of the SituationThe resulting image problem could actually cause the restaurant in question to shut down if it is not dealt with appropriately. In such cases, it is first important to ensure that all the produce that came along with the batch carrying the contaminated foodstuffs is disposed of. It will also be necessary for the restaurant to be shut down for a certain period of time. This will be required by the city health officials who wish to conduct their own investigations as to the sanitary practices, or lack thereof, of the restaurant.

The restaurant might also want to launch its own investigations into the matter.Most of the time when such incidents occur a restaurant is forced to revise its relationships with all its contractors or suppliers. This becomes especially necessary when the source of the contaminated foodstuffs is discovered. Once the problem’s source has been discovered and dealt with, it is then prudent for the restaurant’s management to inform the public of its discoveries as well as the steps it intends to take to ensure that the problem does not occur again.

The restaurant’s management should also include an apology to the public and seek to make amends to the customers who were affected. This does not mean just paying their hospital bills, but also offering foodstuffs for a particular number of days (Arduser and Brown, 2005). The restaurant can also inform the public of a number which can be used by members of the public to speak of medical problems they might still be experiencing as a result of eating at the restaurant. It should also seek to actively put all its resources into the purpose of regaining the trust of customers as well as impressing the public with its dedication to ensuring that such an incident does not occur again.

These proposals will obviously mark a large dent in the restaurant’s financial resources; but they are vital if the restaurant is to regain public trust (Kotler and Keller, 2009).To ensure that this issue does not occur again, the restaurant has to make serious changes to aspects concerning how its foodstuffs are supplied and transported. It also has to adopt more stringent requirements for its foodstuffs suppliers. It may also be necessary for the restaurant to purchase instruments that test the vegetables as well as meats for bacteria prior to preparation.

The restaurant might also have to show its support of stronger legislation on food preparation in restaurants in order to reassure its customers that it is seriously handling the problem of contamination. Scenario StatementIf the contamination happens in a national franchise such as Burger King or MacDonald’s, there have to be more comprehensive gestures towards reassuring the public. For instance, such a restaurant could initiate a public relations campaign aimed at cleaning its image. It might also be necessary to inform financial analysts, and investors of all the steps that the company is taking to ensure that there are no further incidences of contamination.

ReferencesArduser, L., & Brown, D. (2005). HACCP & sanitation in restaurants and food service operations: A practical guide based on the USDA food code. New York: Atlantic Publishing Group Inc.Kotler, P., & Keller, K. (2009). A framework for marketing management. New Jersey: Pearson Prentice Hall. Lovelock, C., & Wirtz, J. (2011). Services marketing – people, technology, strategy. New Jersey: Prentice Hall.