ARTICULATED

Yesterday the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) provided a example of how not to do crisis communications.

Check out this summary on the Washington Post website of the alerts issued by WMATA immediately after the crash. The collision happened at 5pm. For the next two hours, Metro issued email alerts (to those who have signed up for them) referencing a Red Line train experiencing “mechanical difficulties.” This pattern extended a full 1.5 hours after Metro issued a press release to the news media acknowledging a collision (5:36pm) and an hour after it issued another press release acknowleding the first two of many more fatalities (6:03pm).

In the comments section of the Post article, people talk of waiting in a downstream station for trains to start up again, only to learn the extent of the problem from a friend across the country.

Even if the email alerts were thorough and timely, those alerts only reach people who carry email-enabled smartphones, and only those whose wireless service works in the subway tunnels.

Riders in trains and stations needed real-time, running information updates from station managers and train operators over P.A. systems. “Folks, we’re getting initial reports there’s been a crash. Can’t say for sure when the trains will be running again. Exercise discretion if you want to stay in the system. More updates as I have them…”

Of course, Metro Rail has bigger fish to fry right now than its communications processes. Nine people are dead. The computerized system for keeping distance between cars is broken. The cars themselves are outdated. The system is overcrowded and starved for dollars.

But in moments of crisis, treating your millions of customers like they are the least important consideration is not sustainable long term. Not any more.