How To Address A Rodent Issue At Your Restaurant: a PR Perspective
Food safety is a pretty hot topic right now after the recent E. coli outbreak at Chipotle. Americans tend to make food safety a high priority, most likely because many of us have a deeply seeded psychological or emotional connection to food. This connection might be exactly why food safety violations and rodent sightings in restaurants stir up so much controversy.
There’s a lot you can do to take preventive measures to keep rodents out of your restaurant, but obviously, accidents or oversights can happen at any time. While none of us at JP Pest Services are in the business of public relations, we’ve witnessed our fair share of food-industry scandals, disasters, and meltdowns. Below, we’ve listed a few steps you can take to save your reputation after a rodent sighting in your restaurant.
Avoid The “No Comment” Approach
To the media, “no comment” is basically an admission of guilt, or can be twisted to make it appear this way. To the public, “no comment” can seem as if you’re not taking the issue seriously. Even if a member of the news media takes you by surprise with an inquiry regarding the cleanliness of your venue, have a response ready. Although you may not have the answers immediately, indicate that your company is taking the appropriate measures to solve the issue. Something to the effect of “we’re working on it” looks and sounds way better than “no comment.”
Of course, sometimes it’s far better to have a Crisis Communication Plan ready just in case a PR disaster strikes. Your Crisis Communication Plan doesn’t need to be incredibly complex, and it doesn’t need to account for every possible unique scenario. Simply devise a clear internal policy that educates your employees on what steps to take when a difficult situation arises, such as a rodent sighting. Make sure your employees know how to respond and whom to contact when a rodent or any other pest is seen in your restaurant.
Be The First To Report The Issue To The Public
It reflects upon your business much more favorably to be proactive rather than reactive. If a rodent is spotted in your restaurant, it’s usually good to go public with a statement before your disgruntled customers do, since their statements will most likely be fairly damaging to your reputation.
Especially for franchises of large, corporate chains, a single incident can quickly lead to hundreds of negative articles and publications that reflect poorly on the parent company. Address rodent issues (or any crises) promptly. Also, note that your official statements should be placed prominently on your website’s front page. Hiding your response elsewhere on your site will seem as if you’re avoiding or ignoring the issue.
Honesty And Transparency Always Win
Lying and manipulating the truth will only lead to more trouble, and trust is an important part of any relationship -- including business/customer relationships. Be open, honest, and completely transparent with your customers (and the general public) when dealing with a crisis.
If you’re trying to solve a public relations conundrum or an image crisis, it’s best to ask for professional help from a reputable PR firm. On the other hand, if you’re looking to fix your rodent problem, we can certainly help! Contact JP Pest Services today to request a free commercial consultation to quickly and completely eliminate and prevent rodents from infesting your restaurant. Let us help you prevent a public relations disaster; I’m sure Taco Bell would agree that it’s better to be safe than sorry!
