Turn a bad mistake into good reputation

Turn'Bad' Mistakes into 'Good'Reputation

Bad reputation, bad word-of-mouth, unfortunate circumstances, crises' or issues- these are all likelihoods of running a business and a result of human-error.

As a 3rd year public relations student I have studied crisis management and I am aware of the basics involving pre- and post- crisis preparation, management and strategy. 

However, it is my theory that there are some cases in which a company mistake can be turned into an opportunity to increase your companies good reputation. 

I found a perfect example of this through a company called Loews Royal Pacific Resort in Orlando, Florida. 

A man had planned a celebration for his daughter's birthday. The daughter was a devoted Harry Potter Fan and a V.I.P tour of the HP world had been planned for her. 

One of the first of the surprises was a cookie platter from Loews Royal Pacific Resort and a 'Happy Birthday' sign in her hotel room. The father subtly mentioned to his daughter that he thought their might be something waiting for her in the hotel room (the cookies) but when they arrived, to their shock there was nothing!


Understandable, the father was disappointed that his surprise for his daughter hadn't gone to plan.

He called up and the assistant manager replied by empathising with how the father was feeling- she acknowledged that there had been a mistake and took complete blame for it. She then (for reasons unknown at the time) asked the father what the daughter was into. Oblivious to the motives behind the question, the father said the one thing his daughter loves, Harry Potter.

Shortly after, the cookies arrived.

A few hours after that, a note was delivered to the door and offered a complimentary breakfast the following morning. At breakfast, a giant arrangement of Harry Potter balloons tied to a jar of gummy bears, along with a gift-wrapped box and card was handed to the daughter. 

Inside the box contained an authentic Hermoine Granger magic wand – (a $50 item from Universal’s Harry Potter World) and the card read:  "Happy birthday Charlotte! From Cristina and all of your friends at Loews.”

An error was recognised by the hotel and a somewhat embarrassing or negative story had been turned into an over and above effort to ensure the customers' satisfaction!

The story of the 'late' cookie platter and the 'bad' delivery efforts of the company flipped 180 degrees into a positive story about the 'star' service, human touch and genuine care of the company. 

Imagine the positive repercussions for the company as posts on facebook and twitter about the company's success raised its reputation. 


It's all about creating lasting customer relations- one reason why I love studying public relations so much :)

Sarah