Crisis expert on Starbucks apology to African American customers
Associate Professor Dan Laufer analyses the crisis management response from the CEO of Starbucks and compares it with an apology from United Airlines last year.
The CEO of Starbucks apologised on a US breakfast news show recently for the treatment of two African Americans after the manager of a Starbucks café called police to arrest the pair for refusing to leave the premises without buying food.
The men were reported to have been causing no harm or disturbance, and their arrest has been publicly criticised as an act of racial discrimination.
Victoria Business School crisis management expert Associate Professor Dan Laufer analysed the public apology by Starbucks CEO Kevin Johnson and found it appeared to be genuine, therefore an effective response to a public relations crisis.
"The CEO was effective in conveying remorse, compassion and competence during the interview, and his promise of future action to prevent this from happening again helped add authenticity to his apology."
Dr Laufer says Mr Johnson’s body language further showed empathy for the victims, and the tone of his voice indicated a personal outrage regarding their treatment.
"Compare his effective apology to the CEO of United Airlines who, on the same TV show last year, apologised after a passenger was forcibly removed from a flight.
"His apology doesn't appear to be genuine. He had long pauses before answering questions and his voice was a monotone through the entire interview.
"Unlike Starbucks, the CEO of United Airlines didn’t come across as sincere and nor did he convey a sense of control over the crisis."
Dr Laufer has published research on public apologies by CEOs and says there are lessons to be learned from both cases.
"During a public relations crisis, the CEO needs to show they are genuinely sorry, not only through the content of their messages but also in the way they deliver them.
"By being sincere, they maximise the chance that stakeholders will accept their version of the story. If the public doesn't believe the apology is real, they risk having a bad situation become even worse."