It’s been a bad two weeks for Toyota. Let’s recap:
· 1/21/2010: More than 2.3 million vehicles recalled because of the possibility of the accelerator pedal sticking. Toyota continues to sell cars under the recall.
· 1/26/2010: Toyota halts sales of cars under the recall – total of eight models.
· 1/27/2010: The Detroit News reports that the suspension of sales of affected models was a legal obligation, not voluntary as the company had originally stated. Alamo Rent A Car, Enterprise Rent-A-Car and National Car Rental chains pull Toyotas from fleets.
· 1/28/2010: Toyota announces it would widen the recall to include Europe and China. US Congress intensifies probe into accelerator issues.
· 1/29/2010: Toyota’s president Akio Toyoda issues apology.
· 2/01/2010: Toyota announces plan to fix accelerator pedals.
What complicates matters is that this acceleration issue didn’t just sneak up on Toyota two weeks ago. (See timeline.) On December 23, 2009, the LA Times alleged that Toyota delayed recalls and covered up potential safety problems for several years. Fair or not (here is Toyota’s response to the LA Times story in December 2009), the recent developments certainly don’t help Toyota’s defense of its once impeccable image.
TOYOTA’S ATTEMPT TO BREAK THE FALL
Today, Jim Lentz, president and Chief Operating Officer, Toyota Motor Sales USA issued this statement:
“Nothing is more important to us than the safety and reliability of the vehicles our customers drive. We deeply regret the concern that our recalls have caused for our customers and we are doing everything we can – as fast as we can – to make things right. Stopping production is never an easy decision, but we are 100% confident it was the right decision. We know what’s causing the sticking accelerator pedals, and we know what we have to do to fix it. We also know it is most important to fix this problem in the cars on the road. We are focused on making this recall as simple and trouble-free as possible, and will work day and night with our dealers to fix recalled vehicles quickly. We want to demonstrate that our commitment to safety is as high as ever and that our commitment to our customers is unwavering.”
MAKING THE PROBLEM WORSE?
Lentz’s objective is clear: Demonstrate that Toyota has the situation under control – to quell customer panic and place Toyota on path to restore its image.
Is he successful?
I say No. In fact, I think he actually undermines his intentions, fueling greater customer panic and mistrust in the Toyota brand. How? What would be a more effective approach?
CRITIQUING TOYOTA'S STATEMENT
If I were writing Lentz’s statement, here are 3 key points I would cover.
#1 –TAKE FULL RESPONSIBILITY
Toyota’s attempt to pass the blame to the pedal supplier last week only exacerbated the problem and failed to deflect attention away from the automaker. Why? The “blame game” creates a leadership vacuum that causes the public to ask, “Is there anyone in charge here?” This vacuum fuels public uncertainty and panic – and makes you appear powerless to solve the problem. You take charge of an issue by taking full responsibility.
So, Lentz’s statement today needed to firmly communicate that Toyota is taking full responsibility for the recalls – and thus has the power to do something about it. Did he do it?
Not quite. Let’s look at the second sentence: “We deeply regret the concern that our recalls have caused for our customers." Lentz’s word selection – whether intentional or not – tacitly abdicates responsibility, implying that Toyota, too, is somehow a victim in this recall mess.
Here’s what I mean.
· “We regret the concern…”
o Is “regret” the best word here? Regret in this context conveys a sense that you’re sorry that something negative (most often outside your control) has occurred. This seems to weaken the apology and communicate you’re not really in control. I recommend more direct language: “We’re deeply sorry,” or “We deeply apologize.”
o “We regret the concern”? This comes across the wrong way. If consumers weren’t concerned, would Toyota regret this issue? It's the "sorry-I'm-caught" response. Come on! We have extremely upset customers who are inconvenienced out of their minds right now – because of a quality issue with our product that is OUR responsibility to acknowledge, fix and ensure never happens again. We need to stop equivocating!
Therefore, I would rewrite the opening statement more along these lines:
The question over whether this is a factory or supplier issue is irrelevant. This recall has created a major inconvenience and cause for concern for our customers and dealers. We are deeply sorry. We at Toyota take full responsibility and will not rest until we have guaranteed the safety of all our customers – and ensured this will never happen again. In the meantime, here’s what you need to know to determine whether you’re affected by this recall and what remedies we have put in place to solve this problem for you ….
#2 –PUT THE RECALL IN CONTEXT AND SET THE RECORD STRAIGHT
Misinformation fuels panic and Lentz’s statement does little to counter this. Therefore, here are important points we should address to help quell customer concern:
· Put the recall in context. Toyota refers to issues with the accelerator pedal as “rare.” But what exactly is rare? I would quantify it in terms of a ratio. When you put the problem in context, you realize just how small the number really is and can more effectively calm the panic.
· At the same time, reinforce the message that just one instance of pedal failure is one too many for a company like Toyota that is obsessed with quality.
· Set the record straight. Lentz says, “Stopping production is never an easy decision, but we are 100% confident it was the right decision.” But we have a slight problem here. The elephant in the room is that the New York Times and other media outlets have reported that our sales freeze was not voluntary, but compelled by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration(NHTSA).
o If this is a myth, we need to dispel it.
o If it’s true, we need to acknowledge it and demonstrate how aggressively and quickly we’ve moved to comply.
At stake here is defending our good name that’s founded on trust. The public and customers will eventually forgive this recall, if you prove that you’re trustworthy through the crisis. Any hint of cover up or spin will erode trust and make it near impossible for Toyota to recover from this setback.
# 3 –OUTLINE PLAN TO RESTORE CONFIDENCE
Let’s look again at Lentz’s proposal:
We know what’s causing the sticking accelerator pedals, and we know what we have to do to fix it. We also know it is most important to fix this problem in the cars on the road. We are focused on making this recall as simple and trouble-free as possible, and will work day and night with our dealers to fix recalled vehicles quickly. We want to demonstrate that our commitment to safety is as high as ever and that our commitment to our customers is unwavering.
Here’s my take:
· The first sentence is fine. You’re not lurching. You have a solution.
o As a follow-up sentence, I would write something like: “So, here’s our solution . . .” then outline your main points with bullets.
· The second sentence, I would rewrite.
o “The first priority is to fix this issue in the cars already on the road – in a way that is as hassle-free as possible.”
· In the third sentence, instead of “[We] will work day and night with our dealers,” I recommend communicating more of a sense of urgency by writing, “We are working day and night with our dealers to fix recalled vehicles as quickly as possible to minimize the inconvenience to our customers.” Yes, this is a small adjustment. But when you’re trying to win back confidence, saying you “will” do something is much weaker (because you can always put off the future) than saying you “are doing” the action, already fully committed to solving the problem.
o At this point, I recommend that we give consumers specific instructions to make the process as hassle-free as possible. “Here’s what we need you to do…”
o On a strategic level, what is Toyota offering affected customers to ease their pain? Free rental cars during repair? Gift cards, Free vacation? Airline points? Anything? This would help establish some goodwill.
· I would -86- the last sentence because it seems trite. Replace it with a sentence that reminds the audience of the ideals the Toyota brand stands for and how Toyota’s approach to solving this problem ties into those ideals.
WHAT ABOUT LEGAL?
Since I’m not a Toyota insider, I’m certain I’ve overlooked important considerations that went into crafting Lentz’s statement this morning, including Toyota’s legal counsel involved in approving the statement. Toyota’s attorneys would have recommended to “soften” the apology and any language that positions the automaker as being fully responsible. I guess what’s best to restore trust with the public isn’t always in the company’s legal best interest. How do you strike the right balance?
That's a tension I leave to more seasoned crisis communications experts to resolve. My objective in this post is to analyze the copy itself -- the word selection and sentence structure -- to 1) determine whether the statement fulfills Toyota's objective to calm customer panic and restore trust and 2) if not, share ideas to better align the copy to Toyota's objective.
Then PR and legal can battle it out from there.
What’s your take?
About the Author:Sean M. Lyden is a nationally recognized feature writer and columnist on sales, marketing, automotive and technology topics. As a ghostwriter and copywriter, Sean has served clients such as General Motors, SunTrust Service Corporation, Morgan Stanley, Embedded Linux Consortium and Shaw Industries. He’s also co-author of the book How to Succeed and Make Money on Your First Rental House (published by John Wiley & Sons). Follow Sean on Twitter.
Recent Comments