Consumers expect companies to respond during a crisis, and the ongoing coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic is no exception. According to findings from a recent survey by G&S Business Communications, how corporations respond to the outbreak and communicate the affects the pandemic is having on their business is paramount to their reputations.
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According to the survey, nearly three-quarters of Americans (74 percent) said they’re satisfied with how major corporations have responded to the coronavirus crisis thus far.
An additional 71 percent also said their perceptions of a company would become more positive if it shared its coronavirus policies with the public.
Nearly half of respondents (46 percent) said their perceptions of a company wouldn’t change if one of its employees became sick. However, nearly three-quarters (72 percent) said they’d have a negative perception of a company if it failed to publicly disclose that an employee had contracted the coronavirus.
Three-quarters of Americans (75 percent) additionally believe companies should allow their employees to work from home during the pandemic if possible, or should shut down operations altogether (63 percent).
A separate March 16 poll of Americans by consumer insights platform Suzy found that 67 of respondents believe most companies are appropriately dealing with the COVID-19 crisis.
The G&S report confirms that Americans are worried about COVID-19: more than three-quarters of respondents (76 percent) said they’re at least somewhat concerned about the coronavirus affecting them or their family. Only six percent said they’re not at all concerned about it.
Americans primarily reported getting their information about the virus from friends and family (51 percent), web searches (50 percent), content published by government sources (49 percent) and social media (40 percent).
G&S’ study polled more than 1,000 U.S. adults between March 14 and 15.
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