The Customer Service Survey
The Dick Cheney School of Media Relations
Wed - February 15, 2006 04:58 PM in
As a journalism major in college, the sole quasi-Republican here in the office, the only hunter, and even looking a bit like a taller and thinner version of our VP, I find myself in a quandary. I fundamentally agree that a role of the press is to present the facts, and in so doing act as watchdogs over government idiocy and largesse.
Whether overall the press fulfills that charge well is another topic. But I can say plainly that any journalist who professes objectivity in all things, should be viewed with suspicion. Any individual's "reality", including journalists, has an impact on choices made as to what is true and newsworthy. So it is clear to anyone paying attention that waving the freedom of the press and "the people's right to know" flags and then editorializing against the policies of the current administration without reporting divergent viewpoints, is a bit disingenuous.
Thus it is easy to understand why the VP isn't inclined to be open with the media. It would cause any politician to believe there is little upside to being press friendly and so clam up.
I think I know the horror Mr. Cheney felt at having any hunter's most basic fear come true, and I can also understand that calling a press conference would be far down the list of items on my mind.
But I am also in the business of measuring consumer satisfaction with the levels of service they receive. And one observation seen time and again is if a company messes up, the best if not ONLY right course of action is to be up front and apologetic. We are a forgiving people because we know mistakes can happen, and time and again see evidence that if a company says "I'm Sorry" and means it, the customer often becomes more loyal than if the problem had never occurred.
Given the past hostility between the press and the administration, the incident wouldn't have just gone away. But the Veep is blowing it by not taking the high road and facing the camera to show us the agony I believe he must be feeling, and to simply say, it was an accident and my fault.
Posted by Rick Rappe'
Thus it is easy to understand why the VP isn't inclined to be open with the media. It would cause any politician to believe there is little upside to being press friendly and so clam up.
I think I know the horror Mr. Cheney felt at having any hunter's most basic fear come true, and I can also understand that calling a press conference would be far down the list of items on my mind.
But I am also in the business of measuring consumer satisfaction with the levels of service they receive. And one observation seen time and again is if a company messes up, the best if not ONLY right course of action is to be up front and apologetic. We are a forgiving people because we know mistakes can happen, and time and again see evidence that if a company says "I'm Sorry" and means it, the customer often becomes more loyal than if the problem had never occurred.
Given the past hostility between the press and the administration, the incident wouldn't have just gone away. But the Veep is blowing it by not taking the high road and facing the camera to show us the agony I believe he must be feeling, and to simply say, it was an accident and my fault.
Posted by Rick Rappe'
Posted at 04:58 PM | | | | |