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Salmonella
outbreak linked to Cadbury's chocolate
This
week, the BBC web site reports the confirmation
of a link between recent outbreaks of Salmonella
and the eating of Cadbury’s chocolate. Click
here
for more details.
Never
underestimate the power of the public. Cadbury’s
has come in for considerable criticism after
it was revealed that the huge product recall
last month took place four months after they
discovered there was a problem with their product.
The company is likely to face charges of supplying
food unfit for consumption. More damaging, however,
is the loss of faith in the brand felt by the
general public. Stephen Shakespeare, Chief executive
of Brand Index, a company that monitors the
reputation of hundreds of organizations, said
that “The loss of confidence in Cadbury is the
greatest we have seen since we started Brand
Index nine months ago. The issue has gone right
into the core of the public consciousness."
This
is a classic example of a company that has failed
to understand the public mood. The public has
an expectation that companies will put the interests
of the customer first, when a company fails
to do this, they do so at their peril.
docleaf
can help you to protect your reputation - another
of our golden rules is Communicate, communicate,
communicate - keep everyone informed and make
sure your information is correct at all times!
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Terrifying ordeal for people in 2
separate travel / leisure industry crises
The comment of one cruise passenger
that ‘it was the most terrifying experience
of my life’ probably sums up how both the passengers
on the Crown Princess and those aboard the Runaway
Train at Alton Tower felt. Although in both
incidents, there were relatively few serious
injuries, the psychological impact is immeasurable.
We can imagine that many people will be having
nightmares for many months to come and sadly
this can be the tip of the iceberg. Some people
may suffer Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
Symptoms of which can include trouble eating
or sleeping, being withdrawn, prone to angry
outbursts, difficulty in concentrating or experience
overwhelming sadness. Everyone’s response to
a traumatic event is different but all deserving
of a sympathetic and respectful response. An
added consideration is if adequate support has
not been provided, it may be harder to defend
subsequent litigation if people develop PTSD
and decide to sue you.
We
hope that both companies involved will seriously
consider providing some psychological support
for all of those people caught up in the events
as well as those witnessing them. By this, we
don’t mean support from well intentioned employees
who have been on a training course. We mean
expert intervention form professionals trained
and experienced in the field of psychological
trauma support.
Click
here
for more details on docleaf's psychological
support services.
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Round
up of recent events
Last
month we said this time of year was the
busiest for us but the headlines of last
week demonstrate just how suddenly and unexpectedly
events can occur.
Monday
17 July - ’37 dead in Javan Tsunami - The
Guardian
Thursday
20 July - ‘Terror of tilting liner as cruise
ship lists violently’ - Daily Mail
British holiday makers clung on for dear
life as their luxury cruise liner tipped
violently washing people out of the swimming
pools and leaving more than 100 injured.
Friday
21 July - ’29 hurt at Alton Towers Crash
- The Sun
Twenty nine people were injured in a roller
coaster crash at Alton Towers. Forty six
passengers were aboard the Runaway Train
ride when the front carriage sheared off.
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