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Lessons from the Leslie Jones/Ritz-Carlton Twitter blow-up

Last month, comedian Leslie Jones tweeted accusations of racism at the Ritz-Carlton, presumably after staying at the brand’s Los Angeles hotel following her hosting duties at the Black Entertainment Awards on June 25. 

Leslie Jones at the 2017 BET Awards (Paras Griffin/Getty Images for BET)
Leslie Jones at the 2017 BET Awards (Paras Griffin/Getty Images for BET)

The tweet, which accused the hotel of not liking “black people,” ultimately received almost 450 retweets and over a thousand replies. 

Ritz-Carlton was the first to respond back to Jones on Twitter, apologizing for the experience she’d had and encouraging the “Saturday Night Live” star to contact it via direct message.

Marriott did not respond to a request for comment, but the Ritz-Carlton Los Angeles had this to say in a story published by the Hollywood Reporter

“Diversity and inclusion are part of the fabric of The Ritz-Carlton culture and operations. We remain committed to providing an environment where all feel welcome. While we do not comment publicly about individual guests, we take every guest concern seriously and work quickly to resolve issues.”

So, from a PR perspective, how well did Marriott handle the situation? According to crisis management consultant Tom Pagano, when it comes to crises avoided, Marriott gets a gold star.

“The good news is, Ritz-Carlton jumped on it right away,” Pagano says. “From a public perspective, it certainly gave the impression that the hotel was quick to respond to any problems just as they would do with any customer. And we can assume it was settled amiably because Ms. Jones did not take back to Twitter and continue a campaign against the hotel.”  

Marriott aside, Pagano says there are several standard benchmarks hospitality companies should have in place when up against a tweet – or any social media post – that could quickly get the company in hot water if not handled immediately and with finesse.

1. Stay focused on the principal

In the case of Jones, this is what Ritz-Carlton and Marriott did well. There may have been over a thousand replies on Jones’ tweet, but for the most part Ritz-Carlton only engaged with Jones on Twitter and kept that reply short, attempting to defuse the situation.

“Address the issue transparently and quickly,” Pagano says. “You want to respond immediately, you want to take responsibility for what took place or didn’t take place. And then work to restore your reputation.”

2. Have a crisis management plan in place

Whether it’s a two-page document or a 200-page volume, put together a crisis management plan and make sure employees at all levels have access to it. And at the end of the day, that plan will be the most successful when there’s easy access to the CEO, the face of the company.

“One of the most important things is to have direct access to the decision-maker, whether that’s the president of the company or the CEO. Then that individual has to take the lead to be the face and the voice of the company,” Pagano says.

3. Eliminate bureaucracy

If a lower-level employee has difficulty accessing that decision-maker in a time of great strain, coming out of a crisis situation with the company’s head held high can be a tough feat. 

“No need to run things past division directors and managers,” Pagano says. “Follow the motto: Just do the right thing. You’ll be good every time.”

4. Build up a bank of goodwill

The negative tweets and angry Facebook messages will come, and one way to be prepared is to plan ahead, laying a foundation of positivity before all the bad stuff happens. Plant a tree. Have your company volunteer or participate in fundraising activities for charitable causes. Others are more likely to have your back if you demonstrate some good old kindness before things ever get out of hand.  

“Be a good corporate citizen, so in times of need, their friends are there and their friends will speak on their behalf and speak up for them. That’s really important,” Pagano says. 

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