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Crisis Communications Done Right

How JetBlue will weather the storm

By Aileen Pincus
The Pincus Group, Inc.

When was the last time you heard the chief executive officer of an American company admit to getting something wrong publicly and repeatedly?

“Humiliated and mortified” is how David Neeleman, JetBlue airline’s founder and chief executive officer, said he felt in a New York Times article about his company’s recent service problems. “Painful to watch” he said on the Today Show. And “sorry and embarrassed” appeared in full-page ads in New York, Boston and Washington, D.C.

The discount airline, a favorite of parents and fidgety flyers everywhere for its personal television monitors, comfortable seats and friendly staff, is in the middle of the worst crisis in its eight-year history. An ice storm forced the cancellation of more than 1,000 flights in less than a week, leaving a stream of angry passengers in its wake. In one case, passengers were held inside planes at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York for more than 10 hours.

In hindsight, it appeared the same gritty determination to avoid cancellation of flights may have been little more than short-sighted mismanagement. What Neeleman called a “weakness in our system” hardly describes the disruption caused by something that airlines should prepare for during the winter.

And yet there was Neeleman, letting the pain and embarrassment of his company’s failure show in a public way and earnestly promising to do better. His brief mea culpa tour couldn’t have been easy but it was exactly the right thing to do.

Meanwhile, because JetBlue’s headquarters were close by, extra airline personnel were quickly brought in to help. It turned out they could do little more than serve as a target for passenger frustration. But like Neeleman, the workers didn’t shirk from the unpleasant duty.

JetBlue’s crisis response won’t satisfy everyone, particularly those travelers who were most inconvenienced. It does however serve an important purpose in allowing the airline to turn the focus from its mistakes to its attempts to rectify them.

Of course, JetBlue also has to be careful not to do more damage to its reputation as the most customer-friendly airline. Emerging from the problems, they will now have to show they are stronger because of it. Customers will have to get refunds and vouchers, flights will have to be redirected and communications improved.

But Neeleman’s performance, I predict, will become a case study in crisis communications done right. The top three lessons his performance teaches are:         

Never underestimate the power of an apology

Anyone watching or reading knew this was a man personally invested in his company’s reputation. Neeleman didn’t shy away from tough questions. He didn’t send someone out to speak for him. He didn’t make excuses and he refused to lay blame elsewhere. True, JetBlue’s Web site was hardly forthright, burying the news deep inside. Nonetheless, customers, potential customers, employees and investors got a very public and refreshing look at how a real leader behaves under pressure. That’s the kind of performance that breeds loyalty from all stakeholders.

Act now or forever hold the pieces

I’m betting Neeleman got strong advice to say nothing publicly, at least not before a lot of highly important people were consulted and then consulted again. Conventional wisdom says that any admission of culpability will only end up costing you more. Not only did Neeleman speak out, he did so quickly, and I’d say, courageously. These days, how many chief executive officers agree to unscripted interviews with national reporters during a time of crisis? 

Define the fix

JetBlue’s bill of rights for passengers may have been chiefly designed to dissuade lawmakers from imposing more regulations on the industry, but that doesn’t negate its affect. It is still a strong statement of the company’s intent to do right.

JetBlue’s crisis of confidence isn’t over by any means but this is one corporation intent on showing it deserves another chance.

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Aileen Pincus, president of The Pincus Group, Inc. , is a former local and national television reporter, senior Hill staffer and public relations executive. She now leads a team of executive trainers for the group’s public and private industry clients.