Something that should always be considered in your business plan is crisis management for your construction company. Most businesses and brands need to have some form of crisis plan in place. This is even more important when you work in an industry that can involve heavy machinery and more.
Construction PR are an experienced digital marketing agency, specialising in PR and crisis management. We have all the skills needed to ensure that a crisis doesn’t ruin your brand and completely sink your ship. Our team thought they would use this blog to impart some of their award-winning knowledge with you so you can protect yourself when, or if, crisis strikes.
1. Don’t think you are untouchable – have a plan
We all like to think that we are invincible. The sad truth is, we aren’t. A crisis can strike any business at any time, for a matter of reasons. When it comes to crisis management for a construction company, it pays to have a plan. A lot can go wrong in the construction industry. From legal to safety issues, or unhappy customers, one wrong move and you could be face to face with a crisis that you have to deal with.
To prepare for this, you should devise a plan. This plan should include an assessment of any and all possible issues that may arise. Plus a detailed, step-by-step plan on how to deal with the fall out of that particular type of crisis. It is important to highlight the possible emergencies, how to detect them, and tips for preventing them. Additionally, how to contain the damage if it does happen, the recovery from the crisis, and what the benefit will be from the consequences.
2. Avoid a crisis to begin with
This may sound simple but if you avoid the crisis at the start, there will be no problems to deal with. Taking steps to avoid this can include:
- Ensuring you practice good customer service
- Treating all complaints seriously before they get out of hand
- Carrying out quality checks on final products or projects
- Ensuring machinery and equipment are in line with latest safety guidelines
- Conducting risk assessments in terms of staff, site visitors, and other circumstances
- Making site and structures weather safe
- Check all materials are fire compliant and fire safe
3. Be clear with your response
If you do find yourself having to deal with a crisis, it is important not to panic. Effective crisis management for a construction company will only be successful if your response is carefully put together. Panic within your organisation can cause stress and may seem apparent in your response. Any response should be clear and concise. Make sure to communicate the answer to your entire company to ensure that if anyone needs to, they can also communicate the correct response to the public. A jumbled and inconsistent response can further damage your reputation and may also confuse anyone on the receiving end, such as clients or customers.
A crisis management company like Construction PR can help you to formulate responses that are tailored to certain situations, so you don’t have to. It can be very easy to overreact and stress yourself out. As we all know, dealing with complaints can be overwhelming; we have the experience and the know-how to ensure you deal with it in a manner that shows you in your best light.
4. Put statements in the correct places
When it comes to putting out statements and responses, you must ensure they are placed on the correct mediums. If you just make a statement or an apology on one form of social media, this won’t be good enough. You should ensure you have every platform covered, so that if people are looking to see how you’ve responded, they can find it with ease. You can also get in touch with local and national news outlets if it’s an issue that is picked up by the wider media. Releasing a statement to the press will ensure all angles are covered.
Our dedicated crisis team have a list of journalist and news contacts from the industry that, if you should need to formulate a press response, you will be able to do so with ease. Our relationship with these journalists has grown over the years and we have built a relationship with those we trust. This extensive database includes those that specialise in all areas of the construction industry. We can assure you that no matter what your niche, we can put your statement where it needs to be to make an impact.
5. Respond appropriately
Once a crisis has been identified, plus you have formulated and shared a statement, you should act. In the case of a bad review, you should offer the customer something in return, or an explanation. This could be, for example, a discount or a free service/product. If there has been an instance with a faulty product needing to be recalled, then a refund will be suitable. Crises within the construction industry can be a little more serious than this however, and so for larger issues, such as damage or injury, there may be compensation involved. Ultimately, each case is difference and compensation should reflect this.
The Construction PR team will assist you in offering an appropriate response and solution in line with the incident at hand. We have successfully meditated many predicaments over the last 13 years. With our crisis management knowledge and your familiarity of your business, we can formulate the perfect response.
Contact Us
Crisis management for a construction company is most effective when it is provided by experts, so why not let Construction PR handle it? The team we have are experts and can ensure your brand does not endure any damage to its reputation.
As well as crisis management, we also offer over digital marketing services such as:
- Public Relations (PR)
- Social media management
- Search Engine Optimisation (SEO)
- Graphic design – branding and re/branding
If you think you could benefit from one or more of the above services, get in touch with our team today! Alternatively, you can call us on 01376 386 850 – we would love to hear from you.