Dealers take creative measures to reassure, service recall customers

Feb 22, 2010•Automotive•Blog Posts•General Marketing• by Michelle

A core component of Co-op advertising management is auditing ads to ensure that dealers aren’t creating marketing materials that tarnish a manufacturer’s brand. But what happens when it’s the manufacturer’s actions that put the Dealer’s brand reputation in jeopardy?

As Toyota faces waves of recalls, individual dealers run the risk of their local brands taking a battering along with that of the
manufacturer. And while Toyota runs spin nationally on the recalls and questions about product safety, dealers have to manage crisis communications of their own to ensure their local reputations aren’t damaged.

Michael Sommermeyer, the Nevada-based strategist and PR consultant behind wordymouth.com, says the standards of crisis communication come into play at the local level, as well as nationally.

Sommermeyer likens the process to battle planning and points out the four keys in dealing with crisis communications: 1) Understand the field, 2) Develop a plan, 3) Think logistics, and 4) Have reserves.

That’s just what some Toyota dealers have done to do their part to assuage owner concerns.

People visiting the Pennsylvania-based Ardmore Toyota’s website are greeted with a prominent message atop their normal dealership homepage. The dealership announced extended hours, increased staff, an Open House, and live repair demos, all in effort to comfort concerned customers.

Ardmore owners told the Philadelphia Inquirer that the efforts were helping. “They’re a lot more at ease after they’ve spoken with us,” Paul told the paper. “There are a very few that seem to be overalarmed, and we handle those individually.”

Grossinger Toyota in Lincolnwood, IL, posted a 24/7 toll-free number, recall information, a service appointment scheduler, and a video on what to do if the accelerator sticks. Grossinger started 24/7 hours on Feb. 4 to handle the volume of customers affected by the recall.

Other dealers were taking things a step further. The New York Post featured a Long Island dealership that offered manicures for customers while they waited for the recall repairs. “We’re giving out free movie passes, and we drive them to the movies while their car is being worked on. We’re also giving free manicures,” one senior employee at Atlantic Toyota told the Post. “We are trying to calm them down a little.”

And Dealers aren’t totally on their own to deal with the 4.6 million-vehicle recall — Toyota provided as much as $75K to some dealers to manage the influx of calls and additional staff hours.

Only time will tell whether the extra effort can keep the dealers from feeling the brunt of the reputation damage caused by the recall.
Do you have a creative way that you have — or are handling — crisis communications at your company? We’d love to hear about them. Please share your ideas in the comments.