Sensitivity training and political neutrality training may become more commonplace as companies seek to proactively manage reputational risks by better communicating their expectations to frontline employees, experts say.
“There is often a disconnect between internal risk management and the people on the front lines with customers, and employees are not prepared properly,” said Andrea Bonime-Blanc, New York-based founder & CEO of GEC Risk Advisory, which provides strategic risk consulting to company boards and executives.
Employee training is one strategy for helping companies manage the risk of an adverse event going viral, according to Deborah Hileman, South Bend, Indiana-based president and CEO of the Institute for Crisis Management, which helps companies address brand risk management strategies.
“People fire off before thinking about what they are saying or doing,” she said.
Ms. Hileman cites the recent incident at an Olive Garden restaurant in which a woman requested a server who was not black — a racial incident that could have been managed better with strict protocols. She said that often retailers haven’t adequately trained their employees to address such incidents.
These situations typically only get corporate attention if someone is there to witness them, Ms. Hileman said. “That’s how we found out about it. Somebody saw it and posted it,” she said.
While some incidents that are widely disseminated on social media often involve a rogue employee, or one who makes a poor choice and who is often later fired, “the other side of it is if the client is being rude or provocative,” Ms. Bonime-Blanc said. “These employees should leave the situation quietly and get their management involved … but not everybody does.”
Personal politics can be another risk factor, experts say.
“I think it’s extraordinarily important for a direct customer service representative to maintain political neutrality,” Ms. Bonime-Blanc said. “If you are a waitress and people have MAGA hats on, then just do your work and serve the people.… Keep your political feelings for when you are not working.”
“The volatility that we are seeing in politics has bled into our interactions,” said Ms. Hileman, who said political neutrality is a good place to focus.
“There is opportunity in training, especially in customer service,” said Lance Ewing, Houston-based executive vice president of global risk management and client services at Cotton Holdings Inc., who previously worked in risk management for the hospitality industry. “Whatever your viewpoint is, your salary, your job comes from serving those customers no matter what race, religion, profession. … Serve them with a smile and say, ‘Thank you very much,’ and move on.”
