Oh boy. What a week. Moving on (because what else is there to do?), we’re looking at a stark difference in corporate emergency response policies and how a compassionate response can help you build genuine relationships with your client base.
A Good Example of Empathy
Following the destructive Hurricane Matthew impact, vacation rental company Airbnb immediately responded by waiving its usual booking fee for both homeowners and renters in the disaster area. Homeowners in Florida and the other impacted coastal areas were allowed to list their properties for $0, a feature not typically available. People displaced by the event were able to find housing accommodations on short notice and stay in comfortable places. Their timely and empathetic response was rewarded by numerous glowing articles from local and national publications, not to mention an overwhelming wave of positive 5-star reviews from comforted customers.
And Of Course, Bad Examples
Several hotels and motels in the affected areas responded to the crisis in the exact opposite manner by gouging their typical rates. They knew they ostensibly could raise their rates astronomically and people with nowhere else to go would pay (if not eagerly) whatever they had to in order to stay somewhere safe after evacuating their homes. Predictably, the offenders’ websites were immediately plagued by awful reviews, condemning them of capitalizing on tragedy and being inhumane. We decline to link to any of these establishments in an effort to reduce traffic to their websites.
Your Clients Need You
The very nature of your role as attorneys is to guide and help clients facing difficult situations, and we appreciate all of the compassionate work you do. While we know it’s unrealistic to offer the same level of sacrifice as Airbnb did, you can get creative and devise ways to respond to nonpartisan events with additional service offerings or other helpful returns. We recently discussed the importance of online reviews for your bottom line; going above and beyond for your clients in a particular time of need could certainly aid this effort.
