And at the very least, don’t have two spokespeople who contradict each other in the public forum (unless it’s an editorial opinion-type individual expression sort of thing).

I quote here from CBC.ca regarding investigation into a Via Rail train accident, where a language complaint has been issued that the rail staff did not provide emergency instruction in French:

On Monday, Via Rail spokeswoman Claude Arsenault had said the rail company, which is owned by the Crown, tries to have as many francophone employees as possible on board its trains, but one needed to take into account that the emergency took place between Toronto and Ottawa.

On Tuesday, another spokeswoman, Julie Durocher, backpedalled, saying that in fact, the company’s policy is to offer service in both languages all the time at all its stations and call centres, and aboard its trains.”

One comment on Monday; another on Tuesday. Yikes!

If you need to correct a company statement, it’s definitely good practice to have the SAME spokesperson offer the retraction!! It’s okay to make corrections to comments, but the way Via handled this one just makes it look like someone said something they shouldn’t have; rather than someone who said correct info at the time and then had to update their statement when they learned more (backpedalled?? you never want to see that word about your company!).

It’s unfortunate, because Via typically has had amazing communication practices (very e-comm savvy; customer service oriented, etc). I’m sure that this will show up in this Friday’s “Touchdowns & Fumbles.”

Obviously, as a fumble.