Train Crisis

This week's crisis is not as obvious as those in the past.  In Los Angeles, an 84-year-old woman and her sister were running to catch a commuter train when another woman stood up and pushed her onto the tracks.  She later died in the hospital. 

The woman and her sister were running to catch a train owned by the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro), and I think this incident could turn into a crisis for the company because people can ask, "What are you going to do to keep this from happening again."  The company's name was released in the article, but there was no statement from them about the incident.  There was also no mention of the incident on the company Web site. 

Maybe the Metro does not think this is a big deal.  But even if it isn't it still would have been smart for the Metro to say we are sorry this happened at our station, incidents like this are rare and we have a good safety record.  

Read the full article here. 

Carnival Crisis

The Carnival Splendor was 200 miles south of San Diego when and engine room fire cut its power on Monday.  No passengers or crew members were hurt and the fire was put out.  But, the ship was left floating with no air conditioning, hot water, or telephone service.  Cargo planes have been loaded to take food to the Splendor, and tugboats are on the way to tow the ship to the closest port in Ensenada, Mexico.  From Ensenada, passengers will be bussed back to California. 

In my opinion, Carnival Cruise Lines is handling this crisis as though they had a plan for situations like this.  Actions have been taken to get the passengers back to California quickly and as comfortably as possible.  They have provided a telephone number for family members of passengers to call with their concerns.  The CEO of Carnival released a statement apologizing for the situation:

      "We know this has been an extremely trying situation for our guests and we sincerely thank them  for 
        their patience.  Conditions on board the ship are very challenging and we sincerely apologize for the
        discomfort and inconvenience our guests are currently enduring."

Carnival is also offering reimbursement to the passengers for this trip as well as vouchers for a free cruise in the future. 

Carnival's quick actions, transparency, and caring for the passengers should keep the company from receiving a negative image in the public's eye.  The comments on this article are positive, saying things like this is how customers should be treated during these types of situations.  I have cruised on a Carnival ship before, and this situation will not prevent me from cruising with them again.

Read the full article here.

Strangled Victims in Houston

This weeks crisis feels more personal to me because it is local.  Since June, three African American women have been found near downtown Houston strangled to death.  Two of the women were over 50, homeless, and found within a few blocks of each other.  The other woman was 24.  Police are trying to determine if these slayings are related. 

The police department is being very careful in the statements they are making.  They have said that they are working with the FBI and evaluating other strangulation cases.  They also said that there is no DNA evidence linking the cases right now.  They are being careful not to say or even insinuate this could the work of a serial killer.  I think that is a very smart move because that would cause panic in Houston, especially among African American women.  They have also advised people who run homeless shelters to stress to the women not to sleep on the streets.  A reward has also been offered for information.  

I think the statements that the Houston Police Department have made show they are handling the crisis very well.  The statements show competence and caring.  They also aren't ignoring the fact that these cases are similar.  They acknowledge that fact but emphasize that there is no evidence to link the cases.  To me, this shows that the Houston Police are honest and at the same time keeps the crisis from getting bigger. 

Read the full story here.