PR fiasco makes me wonder will we ever learn?

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Driving by the Hyatt over the holidays, I was ticked off by the huge bill board announcing the impending debut Water Taxi service.

To me it was an in your face reminder of a project fraught with delays, empty promises and ego.

The billboard, designed and wrapped up in a sorrel red big Christmas bow, seemed to suggest that it was Government's gift to to the nation, instead of an essential service paid for by taxpayers dollars.

So, I wasn't surprised to see in the Express today that on its debut day, there was confusion on the port as passengers assembled to take the ferry to San Fernando that the service was disrupted. The Express reports conflicting messages:

1) That a sign indicated, "All tickets were sold out"

2) That officials reported that the ferry had experienced engine trouble

Here what's at stake in the confusion that has followed this project from inception; trust.

And elementary public relations should have played a critical role in managing the public's expectations and controlling the mixed messages.

For starters the Minister should have been more cautious about announcing the service launch until the state agency, NIDCO, was absoultely sure that all systems were a go. To promise a date and then break it once, can be forgiven. To do it again and again and again, speaks of ineptness and ensures the political pie (or should I say shoe?) can be legitimately tossed in your face.

Secondly, if the service is going to be hyped so much that it is made to appear that it will be the saving grace of the nation's traffic woes, then make sure you utilise public relations to manage the people's expectations and enthusiasm.

Ensure that your PR team is on call 24/7 during the initial dates. Prepare message points and holding statements for all scenarios including breakdown. Use community service announcements on the radio before the rush hour to inform commuters about problems regarding sailing times, provide a number that the public can access and for heaven's sake, make sure your CSR team at the port is in sync with the messages being prepared by the communications team at head office

All this easy enough to do. PR 101. It makes me wonder will we ever learn.

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Hey, just so you know, there's a note scribbled in red across a white board at the "south terminal" announcing that there will be "no sailings from Thursday 8th until further notice"............sigh

# Posted By Craig Shand | 1/8/09 4:43 PM

Craig, I echo the sigh. Its just because I think this is such an essential service, one that I am looking forward to using, that I feel it has been handled so badly

# Posted By Judette Coward Puglisi | 1/8/09 4:44 PM

I know, we have waited for so long to get the service, one that my 75 year old mother is anxiously awaiting to use as she did the tram and rail.

I do not know why we forget to have all the leaks and cracks checked before opening anything here. After all, would anyone give a gift at Christmas that had stains, cracks or other imperfections on it? Did you say sorrel bows on signs..........?

# Posted By Giselle West | 1/8/09 4:45 PM

Yep, imagine some clever ad agency thought of that. Designing a bright red bow onto the sign announcing the water tax opening. Just shows they didn't have their ears on the ground and were clueless about all the problems that this project has faced.

# Posted By Judette Coward Puglisi | 1/8/09 4:45 PM

Judette, while I agree with your words, I have seen the sad reality after having done Corporate Communications in the government service for merely 11 months. The executives of these organisations have the notion that a PR/Corp Comm department is their mouth piece and they control what should go out, for even simple social marketing initiatives.

They fail to realise that there was a reason they hired us and then they arrive at the false impression that they have the bulk of the mind share when it comes to PR/Corp Comm.

This is why I now regret leaving the private sector and probably why I am thinking twice about making a full year in government service.

It is almost as if they research the mistakes from the past and try their best to repeat them. Oh what a sad state of affairs we are witnessing all around.

# Posted By Kevin Garcia | 1/8/09 4:46 PM

Kevin, I am not sure if I know any government communicator worth his or her salt who doesn't complain that they exist to serve their Minister and not service the functions for which they were hired. Strategy? Forget it. Whim and fancies? You bet!
I follow your angst too much on facebook, you won't make the year, I'd put my money on it and the public service would be poorer for it.

# Posted By Judette Coward Puglisi | 1/8/09 4:47 PM

fuh real though!

i thought i was the only one who thought "but dis ting eh no gift! is a service that we need!" i find that is like giving a housewife kitchen appliances for christmas.

but with the slaughtering that issue took in the media between yesterday and this morning, bouncing back will be a scene.

# Posted By Q D Ross | 1/8/09 4:51 PM

I feel strain on the resources of restraint against cynicism.

The "public relations" of the water taxi project began by kicking Newsday reporters off the gangplank.

Later, soon, the ticketing system broke down, as passengers were surprised to learn they needed picture ID as well to get on board.

A cheerfully efficient (private-sector) water taxi system has operated, beneath media radar, for years, piroguing people Down the Islands and elsewhere around Chaguaramas.

"Public relations" still worse than the north-south water taxi fiasco, and the shutdown of the Licensing Office, mark the short-payment of old people, one of whom was pictured waving a prescription, or some paper, identifying Cataflam the pain-killing drug.

The Ministry has since promised correction of the short payments by the end of January, with no reference to how needy oldsters will afford their Cataflam et al meanwhile.

# Posted By Lennox Grant | 1/8/09 4:55 PM

Thanks Quincy.

Lennox, trust you to put meat on the bones of the situation.

How could I have forgotten about the Newsday? I sadly accept that you have put "public relations" in quotes as you recall the horrors of our daily living.

I still maintain that in all of the above scenarios: honesty, transparency in communications followed by quick and effective action will help.

# Posted By Judette Coward Puglisi | 1/8/09 4:55 PM

I am just curious to know who this 'service' was really set up for? Seems as tho the actual users were not the main focus........I dunno.........just a thought.....Mr Ross - "...is like giving a housewife kitchen appliances for Christmas..." - real deep....
Can someone explain the purpose of the photo ID?

# Posted By Lois H.Y. Lewis | 1/8/09 4:58 PM

I recall that a few years ago someone jumped or got pushed off the boat to Tobago and for days officials didn't know who it was or if it was a suicide or otherwise.

# Posted By Judette Coward Puglisi | 1/8/09 5:00 PM

LOL a picture ID to go from NORTH to SOUTH...
Just now I'll have to show ID when I get on the bus...
Maybe they are working on a frequent traveller card :)

# Posted By Nikisha Moore | 1/8/09 5:01 PM

To satisfice - that is the aim of most public services and the people that run them. Imagine, there is not even sufficient parking for half of the passengers that a trip can accomodate. Trees have been cut, debris piled and an area fenced over three years ago for what I assume is to be an extension of the current parking lot. Yet, today in that same fenced area the lumber and debris are overgrown by savannah grass and the taxi service "launched". I dare to say operational because there are too many hiccups. Judette, you wonder if we'll ever learn. I wonder if politicians would ever seek to satisfy rather than satisfice the public.

# Posted By Rella Ella | 1/8/09 5:01 PM

Well we all saw what happened yesterday.....this is the result of buying an old, almost fully depreciated vessel and fooling the nation about its efficiency.....not me...I will hire a dinghy instead!

# Posted By Carlene Jubraj | 1/8/09 5:02 PM

Is ID required on the Tobago Fast Ferry?

# Posted By Nik J-n | 1/8/09 5:03 PM

Yes you do. A policy implemented when the gentleman I referred to above died

# Posted By Judette Coward Puglisi | 1/8/09 5:04 PM

ahhhhh. I have only used the Fast Ferry once. Before said circumstance. No ID, or security procedures beyond a sniffer dog were required if memory serves me correctly.
btw Increase in Tobago crime correlation with the introduction of the fast ferry? What do you think?

# Posted By Nik J-n | 1/8/09 5:04 PM

"btw Increase in Tobago crime correlation with the introduction of the fast ferry? What do you think?"

hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm!!!!!

# Posted By Q D Ross | 1/8/09 5:05 PM

Judes, I wonder also about Goverment ... sorry Minister;s communicators... I though Neil would be the best... why not shoot for a job to help the Goverment out of their woes od Public Relations fiasco... it may help them a lot if you would. We've had and continue to have too many issues that need serious efficient and effective addresss. They need help!

# Posted By Christine Herbert | 1/8/09 5:05 PM

A senior editor at Newsday lamented recently about the arrogance of government PR officials, which, sadly Judette, she said is also meted out from PR people in the private sector. Anyway, she said the media is treated as THE ENEMY. Imagine one PR person told her once that they (Newsday) are making her work hard..lol. I didn't know the media's job was to make PR easy.

# Posted By Laura Dowrich | 1/8/09 5:06 PM

Judette, as in all industries, some directors are more open to strategy as opposed to operating on a whim and a fancy. I suspect that the PR ppl behind the WTS have a real task given that some key persons are very short on embracing the value of good PR practice! To me, the casualty in all of this is the ordinary joe and jane who just want to get to work on time and without hassle. The lesson, for me, is if we start from the point of a solid "people-first" strategy, we bound to mus' remember that ppl need to know up front the information about the IDs etc. I think that is really where the thing sort of broke down.

# Posted By Marva Newton | 1/8/09 5:06 PM

Marva, I agree with you completely.

Customers ( all stakeholders perhaps) want dialogue, they want to be informed and they want to be listened to, not in a top down manner but more in a peer-to-peer fashion.

The scenario would have been completely different had strategic and effective PR been utilised: from information booths staffed with competent CSRs, to specific numbers to call for information, to a team of communicators on 24/7 standby for crisis scenarios. The public interest in the water taxis was so high, it deserved nothing less.

# Posted By Judette Coward Puglisi | 1/8/09 5:07 PM

Laura, your comment pains me but at the same time it points to the continued dichotomy between the two schools of thought in PR : the Edward Bernays school of "manipulation" versus the Arthur Page school of "transparency.

I subscribe to the latter but I am also realistic enough to know there are two sides here: the business communicator who tries to protect the reputation of the firm and the media who sometimes want information that goes counter to that.

It is not the media's job to make PR easy, it's up to PR pros to advise and educate, to ensure that consistent and transparent messages go across all platforms, including the media.

Sometimes we are at odds and that is a necessary tension in the relationship as the media pursues 'the story'. I know from experience and because I straddle both worlds that there is so much work to be done, (education) on both sides.

# Posted By Judette Coward Puglisi | 1/8/09 5:07 PM

Judette I hope your consultancy fee is in the mail.

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PR fiasco makes me wonder will we ever learn?