Product Recalls What is Going On?
Dennis AuBuchon
March 20, 2010
Product recalls is a not a favorable subject with businesses or individuals based on what they represent. Today product recalls seem to be increasing in news coverage. With this emphasis come questions as to why they are occurring and what is causing them. Recall can involve significant problems or they can involve minor ones. Either way the consumer who has bought product is affected. The answer is not an easy one to determine. It is great when product recalls are generated they let customers know there is a problem. The announcement is sometimes voluntary and other times it is not.
Issuing a product recall is only the first step in the process. The hard part comes in trying to determine what caused the problem and fixing it. When problems are identified with products from a company the customers have a right to know. They also have a right to know the seriousness of the issues involved and whether the product is safe to use or eat as the case may be.
Product recalls and the information about them is better communicated today than in the past. With the technology we now have information gets posted on the Internet and suddenly it seems to be everywhere. Product recalls has various levels in my opinion. There are those that do not create a safety hazard, those that do and sometimes recall involves products that do not perform their function as intended.
Identifying products for recalls is a big decision for some businesses dependent upon the nature and scope of the problem. The larger the quantity of product impacted the greater the cost. Product recalls seem to be hitting every industry today. There have been food, toys and auto recalls to name a few. Each one has a different impact on those who have bought them. Food recalls or alerts can affect the safety and health of the person eating food involved in a recall or alert. Toy recalls can involve the safety of children playing with them especially if there is a potential choking hazard involved. The last example mentioned is auto recalls. There has been much news coverage with the current controversy over automobile recalls. Congress is holding hearings to determine what happened and what is being done to address the issues involved.
The process of recalls is not a complicated one but it is one that requires diligent efforts by businesses involved to determine what is the cause or causes of the problem. While Congress or individuals may want a quick answer to resolving recall issues this may not always occur. It depends upon the complexity of the process involved in producing the product involved. What is important is that every precaution be taken in producing future products without the issue (s) involved.
Identifying the recall issue is the first key step. The next phase involves looking at the process and examining the potential sources causing the problem. Once the source of the problem is identified solutions to eliminate the problem must be created. It is important in this process to not only identify and correct the source of the deficiency but also to look at other opportunities that may cause issues in the future. Involved in this decision are the principles with which companies operate and how they address issues identified from customers and other sources. Companies cannot ignore the concerns about their products, they must address them.
The key to company success for those that have recall issues is how they address them and how they work to regain the confidence about their products from their customers. Resolving recall issues must be accomplished diligently in making sure the right source is identified without rushing to conclusion. When businesses rush to conclusions about issues they make mistakes and when it involves recalls the decision can be costly in terms of reputation. It is important to assure the public and their customers that they have researched the issue and have fixed the problem. If the problem persists in the future after they have stated they corrected their process the public will lose confidence in their ability to resolve issues about their products. If this occurs a company can potentially lose current and future customers. To stay successful a company must address problems with the right approach through their policy and actions.
Issuing a product recall is only the first step in the process. The hard part comes in trying to determine what caused the problem and fixing it. When problems are identified with products from a company the customers have a right to know. They also have a right to know the seriousness of the issues involved and whether the product is safe to use or eat as the case may be.
Product recalls and the information about them is better communicated today than in the past. With the technology we now have information gets posted on the Internet and suddenly it seems to be everywhere. Product recalls has various levels in my opinion. There are those that do not create a safety hazard, those that do and sometimes recall involves products that do not perform their function as intended.
Identifying products for recalls is a big decision for some businesses dependent upon the nature and scope of the problem. The larger the quantity of product impacted the greater the cost. Product recalls seem to be hitting every industry today. There have been food, toys and auto recalls to name a few. Each one has a different impact on those who have bought them. Food recalls or alerts can affect the safety and health of the person eating food involved in a recall or alert. Toy recalls can involve the safety of children playing with them especially if there is a potential choking hazard involved. The last example mentioned is auto recalls. There has been much news coverage with the current controversy over automobile recalls. Congress is holding hearings to determine what happened and what is being done to address the issues involved.
The process of recalls is not a complicated one but it is one that requires diligent efforts by businesses involved to determine what is the cause or causes of the problem. While Congress or individuals may want a quick answer to resolving recall issues this may not always occur. It depends upon the complexity of the process involved in producing the product involved. What is important is that every precaution be taken in producing future products without the issue (s) involved.
Identifying the recall issue is the first key step. The next phase involves looking at the process and examining the potential sources causing the problem. Once the source of the problem is identified solutions to eliminate the problem must be created. It is important in this process to not only identify and correct the source of the deficiency but also to look at other opportunities that may cause issues in the future. Involved in this decision are the principles with which companies operate and how they address issues identified from customers and other sources. Companies cannot ignore the concerns about their products, they must address them.
The key to company success for those that have recall issues is how they address them and how they work to regain the confidence about their products from their customers. Resolving recall issues must be accomplished diligently in making sure the right source is identified without rushing to conclusion. When businesses rush to conclusions about issues they make mistakes and when it involves recalls the decision can be costly in terms of reputation. It is important to assure the public and their customers that they have researched the issue and have fixed the problem. If the problem persists in the future after they have stated they corrected their process the public will lose confidence in their ability to resolve issues about their products. If this occurs a company can potentially lose current and future customers. To stay successful a company must address problems with the right approach through their policy and actions.
Print
Email
