How do you respond when an IT glitch leaves customers unable to use your service?
That was the issue faced by Sainsbury’s over the weekend as it was plunged into crisis media management mode.
An overnight software update meant the “vast majority” of the supermarket’s online orders couldn’t be fulfilled on Saturday.
And the glitch also caused some stores to be unable to accept contactless payment, with customers having to resort to using a physical bank card or cash to buy goods.
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The computer meltdown led to chaotic scenes with long queues waiting for cash machines – until they ran out of money – and abandoned trollies and baskets in stores.
Sainsbury's tech meltdown sees shoppers unable to pay at tills and without food orders Mirror
The supermarket giant’s social media channels provided regular updates on the situation.
Due to an error with an overnight software update, we are experiencing issues with contactless payments and will not be able to deliver the vast majority of today's Groceries Online orders. Our stores are open as usual, accepting chip and pin and cash payments.
— Sainsbury's (@sainsburys) March 16, 2024
We can confirm that contactless payments are now back up and running in all our stores, alongside all other forms of payment.
— Sainsbury's (@sainsburys) March 16, 2024
Our Groceries Online ordering system is working as normal and customers can place an order for delivery anytime from tomorrow.
But it was an emailed update from CEO Simon Roberts on Sunday that captured my attention.
The update, in the form of a personalised letter, began with an apology – an excellent crisis communication move.
“I want to apologise to you and every customer that has been affected by the issue and to thank you for your patience and for bearing with us,” Mr Roberts said.
“I really understand how important it is for everyone to be able to shop with us conveniently and easily, whenever and however you want to, and I am sorry if you have not received your usual service from Sainsbury’s this weekend.”
I particularly like the words “I am sorry”, and you get the impression he understands the impact it had.
As part of the apology, we also learnt that customers with cancelled deliveries will receive a voucher in their online wallet to try and repair the damage and rebuild trust.
And there is reassurance the issue has been fixed.
“I am pleased to confirm that all the affected systems are now back online,” he said.
“Our stores continue to be open as usual and in-store payment services, including contactless, are fully operational.
“Our online ordering system is still working as normal and any customers whose Groceries Online order was not delivered can place a new order now for a delivery any time from tomorrow.”
Importantly, there was also public praise for staff, the people who would have been in the firing line from frustrated customers.
Mr Roberts said: “I would also like to thank all our colleagues who have worked so hard to resolve this issue and support our customers.
“I’m proud of the way all our team have stepped up to manage the unexpected challenges that we know so many of our customers have experienced this weekend.”
The letter shows visible leadership and ownership – there’s no attempt to blame anyone else for what went wrong.
And it sounds human and authentic. It doesn’t feel robotic and sanitised.
In short, it ticks many parts of the CARE acronym we use during our crisis communication training – Compassion, Action, Reassurance and Examples.
If you want to be picky – and why not? – the “I want to apologise” line should be avoided. If you want to apologise, just say sorry.
And sending it from a ‘no reply’ email address is not a great look or suggest you welcome customer feedback.
But overall, it is a good crisis response that others can learn from.
And it seems to have been well received by the media.
Sainsbury's boss apologises for IT meltdown that impacted contactless payments and left thousands of customers without online orders Daily Mail
IT HORROR Sainsbury’s boss apologises for IT meltdown that left shoppers unable to buy food The Sun
A weekend of IT crises
It was quite the weekend for IT crises.
McDonald’s customers were not 'lovin it' when a “configuration change” brought much of the fast-food empire to a standstill.
The issue stopped stores taking orders in the UK, Australia and Japan - among others.
The company moved quickly to reassure customers that a cyber security attack was not behind the problem.
But the meaningless and tired “sorry for any inconvenience” apology left an unpleasant taste in the mouth.
And Sainsbury’s great rival Tesco also endured tech problems that forced it to cancel some home deliveries.
A spokesperson said: “We are working to fix a technical issue which has meant we have had to cancel some online orders that were due for delivery today. We’re sorry for the inconvenience.”
The fact that three household name brands suffered IT outages around the same time is a warning about the fragility of computer systems.
What would you do if your systems went down? Is an IT failure in your crisis communication plan?
Do you have holding statements on IT issues you can adapt and quickly put out to communicate and try to take control of the narrative?
Do you have any significant IT upgrades in the pipeline? Have you run a crisis test recently to test your business ability to communicate in times of pressure?
It’s worth checking now. Because when it comes to crisis communication and preparedness, every little helps.
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