An unwelcome addition to the Value Menu

It began as a chuckle-worthy news item and turned into an ongoing national story that has cost its corporate victim millions of dollars, while showing the world how to appropriately handle a crisis situation.

The "it" in this case is the now-legendary addition to a bowl of Wendy's chili, a segment of finger purportedly found by a customer while dining at one of the establishment's southern California locations. Over the course of the last several weeks, we've watched said customer turn from a mistreated fast-food diner with an attorney on speed dial, to a jump-suit wearing guest of the local authorities.

Every day brought a new revelation that kept this story on the front page. First came the search for the finger's, er, owner. Then, there was the discovery that this wasn't the first time that this customer had been supposedly harmed by a large, well-funded company. This was followed by the revelation that she told two of her friends that it was a hoax. Then, there was the rather unsavory announcement that the digit didn't have the right "consistency" for something that had been cooking in a steaming pot of chili.

Since landing in the hoosegow, our "victim" has thanked the judge for imposing high bail, and mouthed the words "I love you" to the media, clearly realizing that she's quickly approaching her 15-minute time limit on fame.

But the biggest part of this story for communicators is not the tabloid-worthy news, but how Wendy's has conducted itself. While one may never know if their crisis communications manual contained specific instructions for "finger found in chili," it's clear that cool heads were in charge.

Their tone throughout has always been concerned, serious, and supportive of the authorities. Since the arrest, they've resisted the temptation to say, "Told you so," and have continued to take the high road, relying on the legal system to take care of things from here on out. Dave Thomas would have been proud.

Their handling of this situation will be great lecture circuit fodder for some time to come, as Wendy's has reminded communicators of some very valuable lessons about what to do in a crisis. Specifically:

• Demonstrate leadership. When this situation surfaced, Wendy's immediately focused its public response on the search for answers. They offered a reward for information, they queried their suppliers for, ahem, workers with missing digits, and they pledged their full support to the authorities. All along they prepared for the worst, and hoped for the best.

• Say only what you know, and stay out of the way otherwise. Throughout the investigation, Wendy's reported only on its role and avoided commenting on the litigant or her lawsuit, the work of police, or anything else outside of its purview. Even as the tale began to unravel, they stuck to their messages.

• Have a post-crisis plan. This, too, shall pass. And what happens when it does? Wendy's has already begun the recovery process by offering a complimentary Frosty to all customers during one weekend in May. It's likely they have other plans in place to counteract the coverage when their famous chili eater goes on trial.

The message: No company is immune to a crisis, and no crisis plan is foolproof. But companies that navigate their way through troubling times are those that keep their wits and stay true to their messages, no matter who is sticking what in their corporate chili.