How KFC Turned a Mess-Up Into PR Magic

Kentucky Fried Chicken earlier this year had an issue. They ran out of what many would consider a critical component of their offering. They ran out of chicken. And so what did they do? They paid for a full-page ad to broadcast their screw-up. Here's the ad. We're sorry. Now, there are several things that are noteworthy in this ad. The first, the playfulness. The second is the headline of the ad, the 2 words, we're sorry. Those are the perfect words to use. Not, if we happen to have interrupted your culinary behavior and habits, for that we sincerely apologize. No, we're sorry. We're sorry. And I love the first line, a chicken restaurant without any chicken. It's not ideal. I love KFC for this, right? And this is from a lifelong vegetarian. The data substantiates this. Acknowledge a mistake and fix it. 96% of the customers will not leave you. Do the right thing even when it's hard. I know it's hard to own your screw-ups. I know it's hard to let a customer go and not hug them too tightly. All these things are hard, but do the right thing, especially when it's hard. Because if you put all those moments together where you do the right thing for the customer, all those moments together is what creates delighted customers. And customer love is the most powerful force you can apply to your firewall. That's How you grow better.