When bad news hits your business

This entry was sparked by my experience following a lunch meeting today in downtown Raleigh; I will return to the details of that experience later in this post.

Those of you who live in or near Raleigh have heard the news about Cynthia Moreland, a Wendell woman who disappeared early Tuesday morning. Before I continue with this post, I hope everyone who reads it will keep Ms. Moreland's family in your prayers; it is my prayer that she returns home safely.

According to news accounts, Ms. Moreland was last seen at about 6:30 a.m. Tuesday when she dropped her husband off at WakeMed for work. Her access card to a downtown Raleigh parking garage was used at 6:40 a.m., but she never reported to work at Progress Energy. If the parking deck in question is the one I believe it to be, it adjoins the new Progress Energy buildng and is located directly across Wilmington Street from the old one.

This is the kind of unexpected and difficult situation that presents both crisis communication and media relations challenges for every organization involved. In this case, those organizations are Progress Energy and McLaurin Parking. Progress Energy must convey to its employees that it is safe for them to walk to and from their vehicles -- and they must take steps to ensure that this is actually the case. McLaurin Parking must convey to its customers that the company's parking decks are safe -- and it must take steps to ensure that this is actually the case.

An August 24 article on WRAL.com demonstrates that both companies are taking steps to reassure their employees and customers and to ensure their safety. According to the article, Progress Energy is now offering a 24-hour escort service to walk employees to their cars when they arrive to work early or leave late. The article also indicates that the company is working with both McLaurin Parking and the City of Raleigh to determine how they can most effectively enhance safety and security at the parking deck in question.

Today, I happened to have a lunch meeting in the old Progress Energy building. As a result, I parked in the parking deck in question. As I attempted to exit the parking deck after lunch, a reporter from a Triangle TV station (not WRAL, which has been previously referenced in this post) walked up to my car and said, "We are doing a story on what people think of the safety in these parking decks." I politely declined to be interviewed.

As I drove back to my office, this struck me as a media relations lesson. Even though Progress Energy and the other organizations involved in this situation are already taking steps to remedy the problem -- and even though that fact has already been reported in the local media -- at least one local TV station still wants to talk about the security in the decks. This station was set up at the exit to the deck in question, trolling for whomever they could persuade to be interviewed.

I once heard a media relations professional say, "if it bleeds, it leads." If something like this happens to your business, reporters will be on your doorstep. It is best to be ready for them before they show up.

This situation is one of those "what-ifs"; it is the kind of scenario no one wants to happen, but for which businesses should be prepared. It is always wise to hope for the best, but prepare for the worst. Preparation for the unexpected enables you to respond more effectively when this kind of situation occurs.