Today, more than ever, consumers expect more information and transparency from corporations. Part of that expectation stems from social media, where companies have begun to use Facebook and Twitter as channels to offer customers info on a more personal level, and also as a tool for damage control when something goes awry with products or customer service.

In the last month alone there have been a couple of PR incidents that have made headlines. One of those incidents was a viral video of a FedEx employee “delivering” a flat-screen TV by tossing it over a fence into the resident’s yard, effectively damaging the TV. FedEx responded to the highly publicized incident with several Tweets and even a video apologizing for the incident.

And when a Papa John’s employee in New York entered the customer’s name on a receipt as a racist remark, the unhappy customer responded via Twitter for all the world to see.

Papa John’s subsequently reached out to the customer and notified the public via Twitter that the employee had been terminated and that they were very sorry for the incident.

Some companies might have tried to ignore such debacles and act like they never happened. But the important thing for companies to do is to fess up early and be open and sincere about the issue at hand. The firestorm of attention for FedEx and Papa John’s lasted about a week but has since blown over.

So if your company gets its self into a bit of a PR mess, make sure you are transparent and sincere about the issue and don’t try to cover it up. Customers will appreciate the sincerity and will likely remain loyal.