How To Deal With Product Recall Effectively
Have you ever heard of a manufacturing unit that makes products that are 100% perfect all the time with no defect at all? We are sure you haven’t. It is quite normal that some of the products turn out to be faulty in the manufacturing process. But the bottom line is these defected pieces should be handled inside the organisation and shouldn’t be delivered to the clients at any cost.
Knowingly or unknowingly, if you happen to deliver the defected products, then the odds are good that the products will be recalled. A product recall is considered a death sentence for any business entity as it’s not good for its market reputation.
But if you have some smart strategies to handle product recall effectively, you cannot only save the reputation of the business but can also develop a positive relationship with your unsatisfied customers.
Mentioned below are five ways that will help you deal with product recall in a smart and effective manner.
- Give full refunds
Most companies focus on profits while dealing with product recall. Instead of solving the issue and saving the long-term relationship with the customer, they save the profit of the company. This, for sure, results in the end of a long-term relationship between the client and the company, which is of course not good for business. At times, you should compromise with your profit and give full refund for defective products to keep your loyal customers tied to you.
The profit that you will be compromising on is temporary in nature while the customers you will save with this will stay with you for a long time. So deal with your customers honestly and refund whenever necessary. This will not only build trust in customers but also maintain the market value of the business.
- Communicate with your customers
In case of a product recall, chances are high that clients might get confused and are not entirely convinced with the reason you give them. If this is the case, keep talking to them to maintain their trust in you. You can also hire additional customer service professionals or can hold an informative press conference to cool down the situation.
These small actions go long way in business relationships. Remember, at this critical time your business partners expect a responsible answer from you and failing to be convincing at this point can cost you your loyal clients.
- Be prepared for a recall
You might find it a bit absurd to assume that such a situation may arise but this will make you prepare for the PR follow ups that are likely to happen. The best strategy to deal with PR is how you manage the reaction of your customers without any loss, and also how you promptly handle the situation without affecting the reputation of the company.
In case your business faces a product recall, be ready and react promptly. Announce a press conference immediately and take the responsibility before people, press or your clients can defame you or show your brand in a bad light.
- Co-operate with third parties
If PR takes your brand to the level that involves any third party mediator or government agency to deal with the situation, then make sure that you are taking the right step and your company is not being painted in a negative colour. Also cooperate with the arbitrators or the mediators as much as possible to settle the situation soon.
The more you co-operate with the government panel or any third party mediator, the more smoothly the process will be carried out.
However, even if you have the right strategy to handle PR try to minimise the chances of such occurrences. For that, make sure that the manufacturing process is thoroughly supervised and the final products are kept in quality euro containers at the right place to avoid any kind of damage.
We hope these tips will help you deal with product recalls effectively and smartly. So the next time your business finds itself in a situation like this, be smart, active, prompt and act wisely. Defects and damages are bound to happen, but the way you deal with it speaks volumes about your brand to the public at large.