What To Do When Things Go Horribly Wrong

By Olga Willard

The news conference to announce a major initiative that will boost the efficiency of the company while adding jobs to the workforce is set for 2 p.m. It is now 2:30 and only a single reporter has shown up. The client is starting to fume.
It probably doesn't happen often to your agency, but it can and does happen.

We remember a time in Moscow when all the materials for a big event for Unilever were being held for a hefty ransom by Customs officers at Sheremetyevo International Airport. The clock was ticking. The client was not amused.

In this case, the show went on, but the problem with Customs proved intractable and too costly as time ran out. Even a desperation attempt to put $30,000 in customs expediting fees on an American Express card was futile.

This is an extreme example, but the type of problem that one can run into in Eastern Europe, where normal rules of business often have the consistency of quicksand.

A common garden variety agency crisis is when reporters don't show up for an event or news conference, despite a massive effort to turn out a crowd and numerous promises from reporters that they will certainly attend.

A universal truth is that news is relative. It is relative to what else is happening that day and what else might come up that trumps the importance of your agency-organized event. It could be anything from an unplanned presidential news conference to a local disaster.

So, how to keep the client from walking out the door?
Realize from the beginning - even though it might not have been the agency's fault - that the agency will have to find a way to make amends. Most likely, this will mean either reducing or eliminating its fee for the event. Short-term sacrifice is better than long-term misery.

Explain the situation. Most clients will understand, given reasonable explanations and the agency's willingness to make amends. However, give credible reasons, rather than excuses.  

Suggest to the client that you have other ideas that will regain the initiative, and then work hard to make the client's dreams come true as quickly as possible. When an event goes bust, there are always options - and they are sometimes better than the original plan.

Look for opportunities to use the misfortune to actually foster a better client relationship. An adroit and diplomatically handled mini-disaster for an agency can result in an even stronger relationship, one that will withstand the occasional bump in the road to long-term success.