| First let me state an important disclaimer. I have no | | | | act. The real question in any crisis situation is "What did |
| first-hand knowledge or understanding of the issues | | | | they know and when did they know it" |
| Toyota is dealing with in its massive recall, other than | | | | The answer in this situation appears to be: |
| what I have read, seen or heard. But I've been around | | | | A lot more than they've said-even to date-and a lot |
| the block enough that I can smell far deeper issues | | | | earlier than they communicated. |
| than Toyota has let on (to date). | | | | In fact the early communications placed the |
| In crisis communications, when the "story" changes and | | | | accelerator problem on floor mats-floor mats? Maybe |
| evolves, there is every reason to believe that a cover | | | | so, in some cases, but that smells like "The dog ate my |
| up is going on. The way Toyota is handling their current | | | | homework" to me. Now they claim it is a mechanical |
| situation is a dreadful example of how not to handle a | | | | issue which can be easily repaired by inserting a |
| bad situation. The problem that Toyota is dealing with | | | | reinforcement bar into the gas pedal. Full page |
| are ongoing reports of "stuck" accelerators in various | | | | newspapers ads in major papers throughout the |
| Toyota models resulting in numerous deaths. Really | | | | country authored by Jim Lentz, President and COO of |
| bad stuff. A disaster. When an auto manufacturer | | | | Toyota Motor Sales USA, are supposed to make me |
| screws up, as Toyota did, people die. Ironically Toyota | | | | feel they are on top on the situation and have a plan. |
| has had a reputation for the highest quality and is the | | | | Sorry Jim, I don't believe you. Too little, too late, and |
| "Cadillac" (bad auto pun) of auto quality. They are | | | | there are still murky unanswered questions, because |
| clearly not the Cadillac of crisp, straightforward | | | | federal officials are now looking into an even more |
| communications. | | | | serious and troublesome problem related to a |
| Here's the golden rule that Toyota has forgotten - The | | | | software malfunction which has yet to be identified. |
| cover up is worse than the crime | | | | Furthermore, there are now reports that the 2010 |
| It is an awful situation where shoddy product quality | | | | hybrid Prius will soon be recalled in Japan. |
| results in deaths. When this happens it is the | | | | When the story changes daily, consumers lose |
| responsibility of the auto manufacturer to be swift, | | | | confidence. Will Toyota get past this disaster? |
| forthright and fair with the families of those injured | | | | Perhaps. But I've lost respect for them as both a |
| killed. Instead it appears that Toyota tried to (and is still | | | | manufacturer and as a marketer. I suspect others |
| trying to) minimize the problem and announced a recall | | | | have too. Respect is not easily regained. |
| only when the tidal wave of information forced it to | | | | |