6 Ways To Avoid An "Uber" Size Scandal

Everyone makes mistakes but having the right response can save your reputation.

1. Have a plan

Via giphy.com

Only 50 percent of companies have a ready-to-go crisis plan -- and only 5 percent of those have a designated response team. A plan only helps if people are assigned and trained in advance to do the work, and there's a lot of work to manage.

2. Assess the potential reputation/brand damage

Via giphy.com

Measure the crisis on a scale of one to 10. Not every crisis requires a 10 response.

3. Have a statement on standby

Via giphy.com

A major crisis breaks fast, and you need to act fast. Know in advance what your response will be for any foreseeable emergency. Think it through before it happens.

4. Be ready to update

Via giphy.com

In a crisis, people will check your website and ALL of your social sites. Do you have a person who knows how to upload changes to your website? Do you know how to? Most don't, but you can change that today.

5. Don’t forget about social

Via giphy.com

Sixty-two percent of U.S. adults get their news from social media, and 18 percent check it frequently. So, bad news travels even faster. Monitor your social media so you know immediately what's being said. OWC uses Hootsuite, Trendkite and Google Alerts.

6. Be “story” and selfie ready

Are you prepared to respond with a YouTube, Facebook Live, Instagram story or Snap? Especially if the source of the crisis is itself a video, you may want to respond with a video. Be prepped like a seasoned pro.

7. When you'e prepared, it's easier to keep calm and carry on