Spec application replies policy: a PR litmus test

Roy Greenslade’s post on a blogger’s delight at actually getting a rejection letter after applying for a journalism job brings to mind an important point about managing an organisation’s reputation — it’s not just down to its PRs, whether in-house or outsourced.
Most organisations get spec applications or enquiries all the time. But how they deal with them makes a difference to what PR is about — how stakeholders feel about the brand.
Many, for reasons of time, cost or process efficiency reply only to those they’re interested in and don’t bother replying to the rest. But what impression of the organization does that give to the sender and all those he or she will tell of their disappointment? Not a good one. Probably of being faceless and uncaring. And not likely to give good service.
So the short-term expediency of cost/time advantage inherent in the transactional marketing approach will have the opportunity cost of potential future referral value to friends, family and colleagues who may have a significant customer value to the organization.
Also, who knows where or what that applicant may go on to. The potentially beneficial relationship with the brand will possibly be lost for good. All for the cost of a quick, even standard, reply.
Ok, you’re busy. We’re all busy, but how long does it take to create a standard “thanks, but” reply and save it as a signature in your email program to insert after clicking the Reply button? Or if you’re REALLY busy, delegate replying to a colleague or subordinate? Not as long as you may think.
Why bother? Because brands’ reputations are being judged 24/7 and in this age of Internet-enabled complainers, Jeff Jarvis’s Dell Hell story tells us that every communication has to be taken seriously and dealt with properly or the brand will suffer the consequences.
The benefit is the referral value of simply courtesy. Manners, sadly, aren’t universal, so there’s a competitive advantage to those brands who can ensure really good, polite service is something everyone experiences when interacting with it. Look at John Lewis.
On a personal note, while contacting leading PR firms over the last year I’ve been saddened at how many don’t reply at all.
If you’re a PR, ask yourself what does that say about how well you’re managing your own reputation. Those that take the time to reply, even just to say ‘sorry’, show themselves to be better than those who don’t. And they’re the ones I want to work with.