There's always a story to people's rant, don’t be quick to respond – Adelaide Abbiw-Williams to PR practitioners

The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of SES HD PLUS, Adelaide Abbiw-Williams, has advised Public Relations practitioners to be empathetic towards their public before issuing responses to their plights.

Speaking in a captivating session at the World PR Festival organized by Global Media Alliance (GMA) to celebrate World PR Day under the theme, “Harnessing the Power of Public Relations,” Adelaide Abbiw-Williams emphasized the significance of taking a thoughtful approach when dealing with customers’ emotions.

She stressed that rather than rushing to provide immediate answers, it is crucial for PR professionals to engage in meaningful interactions with customers to genuinely understand and appreciate their perspectives. This empathetic approach, she believes, is highly appreciated by customers in today’s modern practice.

“For me it’s not always important to rush to give an answer. It’s important to interact with the customer to understand their point of view. That is where empathy comes in. This is what customers appreciate in this modern times,” she said.

The CEO shared a recent incident that showcased the power of empathy in action. She recounted how a disgruntled customer vented frustration and erronesouly alleged that her firm had given him an HD TV with a damaged screen as prize of a football promo. That was an allegation and false because the television sets were fit for purpose before handing over therefore the screen could have been damaged by the winner in the course of transporting it home. However, rather than attributing blame and dismissing the customer’s concerns, Abbiw-Williams instructed her team to contact the customer and listen to his story.

“Apparently he was so excited about winning the TV that he had given his old TV to his mother so he had no TV and needed to watch the World Cup. That is where the emotions came in,” she said.

Abbiw-Williams recognized the underlying story of disappointment and frustration behind the customer’s anger and determined to rectify the situation. To demonstrate compassion, SES HD PLUS offered to cover the cost of repairing the broken screen.

The customer’s gratitude was overwhelming, and he took to the brand’s social media platforms to commend the company for its exhibition of understanding and care.

“For me, this is something we earned because he came back to our social media platforms to applaud us for how compassionate and caring the brand is,” she added.

This touching anecdote is proof of the power of empathy and the beneficial effects it can have on customer service. Adelaide Abbiw-Williams’s advice to PR practitioners to seek out the stories behind people’s emotions and to avoid hasty responses is a valuable lesson that resonated strongly during the World PR Festival.