Big news in the U.S. that one of the largest do-it-yourself chains’ security was hacked, and they knew about it for months! Home Depot had its account system hacked, leaking thousands upon thousands of customers private information.
As news has spread of the hack, it only gets worse as the days go on. Now it is being reported that Home Depot knew of the attack for months, and never warned their customer base. What do you think this is going to do for the overall sense of comfort and security of these customers?
For sure, one thing we will see is a drop off in client base. It remains to be seen how steep of a drop off it will be, but surely this will have some effect on that base. As the story unfolds, one question for us is to think through the issue of security.
Now, as I mention this, I’m not telling you to lock down the hatches, so to speak. Rather, what is so upsetting about this story is how they knew for months what was going on, and nevertheless failed to inform the client base and have them at least change their passwords.
Now public perception of Home Depot is at an all-time low. What do you do in your own company to constantly reassure people that you have their best interests in mind?
You see, this security breach simply leads us to the overall question of: Are you communicating with your client base?
Communication is key to a client’s sense of security. So whether it is simply a monthly email, or a newsletter, perhaps even a short podcast…hearing from you will go a long way for your clientele, and believe me, they will be there to stay.
[sc:mbtc]