How to protect your reputation

You invest time and money in building and maintaining a good reputation. You make reliable products and provide good service. If something then happens that damages your good name, this could have a serious effect on your business. For example, your customers may leave, your turnover may drop, and employee morale may suffer. “It is crucial to know how to respond and minimise the damage”, says Marjoleine van Klaveren, consultant and partner at Rotterdam-based Bijl PR (in Dutch).

Causes of reputational damage

Reputational damage is usually the result of poor performance. You might have provided sub-par services or a defective product, or people may struggle to reach you.If bad behaviour by you or an employee comes out, this can also damage your reputation. Examples of this include failure to comply with environmental regulations or committing fraud.

Prevent reputational damage

These tips will help you prevent reputational damage:

Invest in your staff

Tell your employees clearly what you expect from them. What is your code of conduct? What does your company stand for and what can clients expect? Make sure that your staff understand that poor customer service harms your company’s reputation. And make sure employees are aware of how they use their private social media accounts. Make agreements about this and document them. For example, you could ask your employees not to post things that may harm your company.

Communicate quickly and clearly

Protecting your reputation begins with quick and clear communication. “Anyone can make a mistake, and most customers will understand," Van Klaveren stresses. "However, they will quickly become less understanding if your company makes a mess of the solution and does not communicate clearly. Take complaints seriously. Reach out to the person behind the complaint, listen to them, and start a conversation. Show them that you regret the inconvenience caused and that you want to fix it.” The quicker you act, the less likely that negative news about your company will spread or become a bigger problem.

Create a crisis communication plan

When a crisis strikes that may harm your reputation, it pays to be prepared so that you can respond quickly. “You should already know what channels you will use. Identify your key customers and relations and figure out how to reach them quickly.”

Write a crisis communication plan to prepare for potential emergencies and think about how to respond. “You could prepare several short standard responses, for example, that you can share through social media or when a journalist calls,"suggests Van Klaveren.  "If you have made the necessary preparations, you can respond the moment you get negative press.”

Monitor social media

News spreads quickly on social media. A complaint from an unhappy customer can quickly start trending. And that can have a big impact on your good name. You can handle complaints on social media well if you: 

• Follow what people are saying about your business online. You can even use tools for this, like Google alerts or Hootsuite. These tools will notify you as soon as someone mentions your company online.
• Take a personal approach and reach out by phone. Some complaints are too big or too sensitive to solve publicly on social media.
• Think carefully about what you can do so that the problem does not get worse. And avoid getting carried away by your emotions. An angry or agressive response can affect your company's reputation. 
• Respond as soon as possible. People who complain on social media expect a swift response. If you step in to solve a complaint quickly, you can prevent it from snowballing.