No matter what part of the production line you’re in, no customer wants to find out that they’re foodstuffs have been a part of a harmful, ethically dubious, environmentally unfriendly or unhygienic production line. It’s like finding out your favourite launderette is actually a front for a mafia drug-running operation.
Yet stories regarding poorly maintained or morally repugnant practices are constantly in the headlines. The mistreatment of animals in abattoirs and on factory farms is a mainstay in the press, so much so that it might as well have a section next to the Dear Deirdre… section in the Sun.
Major food providers like Bernard Matthews have suffered rapid downturns in profits for the mistreatment of animals, but even a filthy food factory can come under fire from the press. And some will even be shut down by food hygiene bodies.
The customer decides
These companies ultimately end up in tatters, picking up the pieces from their media bashing like a terrible knitter trying to piece together their latest patchwork quilt.
The message in all this – many customers expect better from food production than most businesses are willing to offer them.
Just look at the popularity of brands that feature words like ‘organic’ and ‘all-natural’. Although most of these foodstuffs are most likely made on the same production line producing chocolate and other heavily processed goods, customers flock to them in their droves.
Even if it’s only for the sake of effective PR, maintaining a high-quality food production process is vital to ensure a continued increase in profits.
Improving your factories
You’re keeping customers happy, and their happiness is vital to the rude health of your business. So what can you do to show them that you’re treating them well?
First things first – you’ll have to put your money where your mouth is.
Invest in a professional food factory cleaning business to regularly clean your entire facility. Not only will this make your premises look super-clean for press photos, but it’ll also rid it of any pests or infestations that could arise in a workplace dealing primarily with food.
Proper PR
Once you’ve secured a regularly clean setting for your factory, it’s time to inform your employees of the dos and don’ts of your company on the factory floor. This is vital, mostly because your company’s reputation can rely on the behaviour of your staff members.
Now that you’ve got your house in order, it’s time to let your PR team spin your good work into a viable money-making opportunity. Let the local press in for tours, release statements celebrating your exemplary hygiene records, and update your company website and social media channels with positive news about your factory.
The quality of your rapport with customers will be largely contingent on your PR team. But that team will have a lot more to work with if they’re promoting the quality of your services rather than hiding the mucky truth.
