If there is one thing that no manufacturer wants to imagine happening to his/her venture, it is a product recall. But product recalls are not myths; they do happen. One of the notable cases of product recalls was Volkswagen’s vehicles recall of 11 million cars across the globe after it emerged that the company cheated about their emission standards. The company used $18 billion for the entire process. As painful as it sounds, you need to ask yourself: “What is the best way handle a product recall?”
Offer a Full Refund Where Possible
There is no doubt that a product recall is a crisis! Therefore, it is not going to be cheap. The aim is to carry the process and still maintain a good image in the market. By offering a full refund, it means that your clients will not become permanently cut off from your brand. This is very crucial especially if your brand is a respected entity across the globe. Indeed, you could even salvage the relationship by offering the clients better deals for alternative products right away or later.
Ensure to Have the Best Support for Your Clients during the Recall
When a product recall is announced, the market is thrown into a panic. Like a guardian with a sick child, every call, chat or email matters. You want to ensure that every client that makes a call for help gets the best support. At this point, you should increase customer support and ensure that every client that calls for help provides his/her details for further help. You could even use the details later for remarketing.
In regions with a lot of clients, you could open makeshift support centers. Good examples include makeshift mobile support centers that clients can walk into and get assistance. The aim is to instill confidence in the public and make everyone understand your company cares. In industrial systems, this sense of commitment to can also win you more clients.
Educate Customers about the Potential Harmful Effects of the Product
The moment your product has been marked for recall, every line of communication with the public should be opened to educate the public. Well, it does not matter what the cause of the recall is, the aim is to ensure that the operation syncs with the public (your target audience). There is nothing as assuring as a CEO of a brand that is recalling its products going to a live interview and telling the audience about the impacts of the product, the need for the recall and efforts to address the issue. This will help to clear misinformation, perhaps from competitors, so that resilience after the disaster can be easier and faster.
While product recalls are expensive, how you handle them redefines your ability to bounce back after the tragedy. Do not spare any effort or resources to keep the image of the brand positive during the recall.
