Most of us have been in a position when we would rather dig our heads in the sand than admit we’ve made a mistake. Don’t answer the phone or check your emails – if you don’t hear the complaints, they’re not really there, right?

Wrong.

Crisis Communications is an extremely delicate issue, and requires diligent, timely and savvy communications strategies on behalf of public relations and marketing professionals. Some companies handle a crisis with dignity and grace, while others do a complete belly-flop or just pass the blame to a supplier.

Both traditional and new media are on fire with the latest Toyota recalls. Stop by any cable news channel’s website and you cannot miss the latest from Toyota’s president, Akio Toyoda. Clearly safety is a major concern for consumers, and Toyota’s sales are decreasing as they have suspended production and sales of 8 product lines. Fortunately, Toyota knows they cannot avoid scathing reviews – they must listen and respond as quickly as possible.

What better way to listen and respond than popular social media platform, Digg.com? Today’s companies must respond to and address issues in a timely manner. The 24/hour news cycles, blogs, videos sites and social platforms publish news at a breakneck speed. If the media gains a foothold on the crisis communications team, managing the company’s message goes out the window in favor of trying to manage the media and misinformation that can quickly spread across the Internet.

Below is a screen shot of an email that came through to me earlier today. Proactively reaching out to past, current and prospective customers is the best way to demonstrate Toyota has taken the reins on the issue and is concerned about the safety of all drivers. In today’s age of instant, digital communication, anything less is simply not enough.

Are you listening to your customers? If not, why? Reaching out first and meeting your customers – both loyal and dissatisfied – not only helps to build a relationship toward fanatic loyalty, but more importantly will help you to improve your business by assisting you to understand the needs and demands of your target audience.