How One Business Kept Customers Updated During Hurricane Sandy

For business owners, every local listings site like Yelp, Foursquare, and Citysearch represents an opportunity to market to potential new customers.

But updating each of those those listings with relevant contact information can be daunting—particularly during a natural disaster.

When Hurricane Sandy struck in October 2012, many local businesses were destroyed or critically damaged. Some were forced to close temporarily, while others modified their operating hours or relocated to temporary offices.

Affected busineses needed quick, efficent ways to inform customers—many of whom were experiencing limited battery power and Internet access—of their operating status. Some companies also wanted to promote relevant offerings or send messages of comfort to those who suffered in the storm.

One large retail bank with more than 300 national locations got help from location-information software company Yext in communicating critical information to its customers. Taking advantage of Yext's platform capabilities, the bank's team was able to:

• identify all bank branches that lay in the storm's path
• update 50 web sites with closure information
• inform customers that ATM fees would be waived
• direct people toward customer-service staff available to assist by phone

By getting useful, instant updates to its customers in a time of need, the bank was able to turn its business listings into valuable communications tools.

In the aftermath of Sandy, updating location information proved vital to keeping businesses running and involved with their communities. It's a capability that remains an important part of every business' daily operations, whether there's a natural disaster brewing or not.

Visit Yext for more on managing your company's location information.