When Crisis Response Draws More Attention Than the ‘Crisis’ Itself!

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Ah, cancel culture. Love it or loathe it, it’s alive, kicking, and turbocharged by online reviews and the power of the share button.

Now, sometimes the feedback floating around is a bit overblown. Other times, it’s a solid slap-in-the-face reminder for businesses to actually take a hard look at their service delivery.

Recently in Malaysia, we came across a gem of a case: a so-called “resort” (and we’re being generous here) decided it didn’t like what a customer had to say about their stay. Instead of taking the criticism on the chin, doing some reflection, or - here’s a novel idea - fixing the problem, they went nuclear. Publicly. With the promise of a lawsuit.

Yep. They threatened to sue the guest for leaving a bad review.

Cue popcorn. 

Here’s the twist: the hotelier claimed the guest never complained directly. But let’s be honest - from the sounds of the reviews, the staff weren’t exactly lining up to help in the first place. And newsflash: customers don’t need to knock on your office door before sharing their experiences online. They paid. They’re entitled. The photos they posted pretty much told the whole story anyway.

Where it went spectacularly wrong

Sure, companies can sue for defamation if something is truly false or malicious. But stomping your feet and dragging a customer to court because they didn’t enjoy your “hospitality”? That’s a bold move — and not the smart kind.

Instead of quietly letting the review fade into the internet abyss, the accommodation provider lit a bonfire under their own reputation. Suddenly, other unhappy guests popped out of the woodwork with stories of their own. What was once just one bad review turned into a viral train wreck of negativity.

Lessons they (and we) should take away

  • Respond, don’t lash out. Not everyone will love you. That’s business. Listen, acknowledge, and handle it like an adult.

  • Take it offline. A private chat with the customer could’ve solved this. Playing it out online? Recipe for disaster.

  • Don’t be your own worst PR nightmare. Threatening to sue paying guests makes you look guilty, defensive, and, frankly, a little scary.

  • Stay plugged in. If the owners aren’t around enough to see what’s really happening, don’t be shocked when the public tells the story for you.

At the end of the day, people want to relax on holiday - not worry about being lawyered up for posting an honest review.

The moral of the story? Be smart about how you handle criticism. Because sometimes, your response can cause a bigger crisis than the actual complaint.

 

Check out the story this post is based on!


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