The following comment on the Toyota situation was sent in by reader and guest contributor, Robert Imrie.
" When the first of the recalls were announced I thought Toyota was handling things perfectly. Like Tylenol back in 1982 (when they recalled every bottle after someone laced a few with cyanide), Toyota was open, honest (or so we all thought), and quick to announce that they had a plan for fixing their mechanical issues.
Sales would take a short term hit but recover in no time. With the second recall, my thoughts were still upbeat. "No problem. Get them all out of the way at one time. Toyota's cars still last longer than anyone else's and everyone knows it." If only.
The alleged cover up that a senior Toyota executive had boasted that he saved the company $100 million by avoiding a recall a couple of years ago will do far more long-term damage. U.S. competitors are doing their best to convey the message that their cars are safer than Toyota's, of better quality and, oh by the way, way cheaper. Such ads will appeal more to buyers outside of Toyota's traditional target market, but at a time when being green is no longer a dirty word on the political right, the losses will still hurt.
The larger damage will present the next time existing customers shop for a new car and don't automatically by from the same company. Toyota lied to us! We feel like spouses who have discovered marital infidelity. Who's to say there aren't other lies? Mistakes by someone who you trust can be forgiven. But lies make us doubt ourselves - was I just being naive? - and the trust we have invested in another.
Even less philosophical Toyota owners are likely to find themselves, thinking, "Honey, maybe we should test drive that Ford Fusion Hybrid." or "That all-electric Nissan Leaf is so cool and is coming out this autumn and isn't it weird that Toyota isn't making one yet?"
At the precise moment that society is ready to embrace cars that burn no fossil fuels, Toyota not only has no similar offering, but because of its now tarnished image, we might not even care. "
Robert Imrie is a Consultant and Author. He is a partner in DRD International, a consulting company dedicated to helping small and mid-size companies find foreign partners and markets for their products and services. He can be reached at [email protected]
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