Let me know what to say in an emergency

Daniele Catalanotto
Sep 2, 2022
A Service Design Principle to support people during difficult situations

We are on holiday in the Swiss alps. I’m wandering around in our hotel reception while I wait for my wife to come down. As I’m bored, I notice a poster on the wall. It says:

“In case of emergency, call the number 144. You are at the following address...”

That poster is a good reminder for people who are not locals and who might not know the emergency phone number in Switzerland.

The poster goes further. It gives the person in a difficult situation the critical information she should share, the address.

It’s brilliant because it helps the emergency team be quicker. And it’s even smarter because, in an emergency, you might lose your cool and not even remember basic information like the address of your hotel.

So let me ask you:

What emergency information should you display for new people to your service?

How can you help people share and remember the correct information, so they get help quickly when faced with a problem or emergency?

Footnotes

The first draft of this Service Design Principle was adapted into a more understandable English by the lovely Joanna Bienz. Thanks, Joanna!

Daniele’s personal notes

  • This is the second draft of this Service Design Principle.
  • The length of this principle has been reduced by 24% compared to the first draft.
  • Once adapted, even more, this principle could be part of the book “Service Design Principles 201-300.”
  • As always, feel free to share comments, feedback or personal stories to improve this principle.

Like 1
Daniele Catalanotto
Oct 31, 2022

The third draft of this Service Design Principle

We are on holiday in the Swiss alps. I’m wandering around in our hotel reception while I wait for my wife to come down. As I’m bored, I notice a poster on the wall. It says:

“In case of emergency, call the number 144. You are at the following address...”

This poster is helpful for tourists who don’t know the emergency phone number here in Switzerland. The sign is brilliant. You’ll lose your cool in an emergency and forget basic stuff like your hotel address.

So let me ask you:

What information should you display in an emergency for new service users?

Footnotes

The first draft of this Service Design Principle was adapted into a more understandable English by the lovely Joanna Bienz. Thanks, Joanna!

Daniele’s notes

  • This is the third draft of this principle.
  • I’ve reduced the length of this principle by 39 % compared to the previous draft.