Last week I wrote to you about the importance of reputation and then the phones at Breathe starting ringing……
Our clients hadn’t found horse-meat in our products but a handful had read a story that was inadvertently published by The Business of Dentistry Magazine, in which Breathe was mentioned in less than complimentary terms.
A great opportunity for us to put our own crisis management to the test!
When anyone publishes a story in which they say something about a company or person they have to offer the ‘right of reply’ – it is a basic rule of journalism.
And if what is being said about us, or your practice, is incorrect or unsubstantiated, there may be grounds to pursue a legal settlement, think Lord McAlpine and Sally Bercow. However the damage, in a lot of instances, has already been done and lawyers are not going to help.
So, how did we handle it?
We spoke to the Editor in Chief of the publication, Practice Plan Managing Director Nick Dilworth, to understand how the story came to be published and asked about the procedures he has in place to ensure he isn’t exposing his company to this kind of risk.
Nick could not have been more helpful, indeed he has provided a good example of how to respond to a crisis.
He was honest, he gave the issue his time and attention, he investigated quickly and he apologised. He identified there had been a human error, which led to comments being published that shouldn’t have been – despite very robust procedures! And he will be featuring Breathe clients in the next edition of the magazine, which will be published in the summer.
There is a note to you from Nick at the end of this article.
So what have we learnt from our experience this week?
How people feel about your business, your practice, you as an individual, can have an impact on your reputation – whether a feeling is justified or not.
People are human, they make mistakes, however robust your procedures are.
Calm, professional, honest co-operation is the best way to resolve issues when they arise.
If you’ve made a mistake, human or procedure, apologise.
Best wishes
JJF
jonathan.fine@breathebusiness.co.uk
07860 672727
And now for Nick….
I’m writing to you as the publisher of The Business of Dentistry Magazine and wanted to let you know we’ll be featuring Breathe in the summer edition.
We’ll be telling the story of how it helps practices grow and attract new patients and would like to feature a couple of real life practice examples, or case studies, which is where you come in.
If you would like to tell your Breathe success story and be considered to feature as a case study in one of the industry’s most widely circulated magazine please contact: jane.chrispin@breathebusiness.co.uk
Many thanks for your help and I look forward to reading your stories.
Nick Dilworth
Managing Director of Practice Plan and Editor in Chief of the Business of Dentistry magazine