Having their products recalled is not a situation any business owner wants to be in. However, all companies should be prepared to deal with such a situation. It’s important that they have a plan for how to manage this unfortunate process. Having a plan in place in the event of a product recall will help you maintain your company’s credibility and your customers’ trust after you’ve successfully navigated the debacle. This guide explores what to do if your company’s products are recalled from internal and customer-facing perspectives.
Issue a notice
The first thing you should do if your company’s products are recalled is issue a statement to the public. In this notice, you should include the exact make and model of the product in question as well as a clear explanation of why the product was recalled. The more transparent you are in your statement, the better. Including ample information will ensure that any customers who have purchased the product will stop using it immediately, thereby ensuring their safety. In this statement, you should also provide information regarding how you plan to move forward from this obstacle. Provide contact information for customers seeking more information about the recalled products, and enumerate the steps your company will take to ensure similar product mishaps don’t occur in the future.
Remove recalled products from inventory
Next comes the question of what you’ll do with the recalled products that haven’t been sold yet. Obviously, you’ll need to remove these products from your inventory and from your company’s website immediately. You have several options when you’re clearing these products out of your warehouse. The safest option is to dispose of the recalled items completely. In most cases, recalled products are taken off the market because they pose some risk to personal health and safety. Disposing of said products through a
product destruction service will ensure they don’t present any further safety risks.
Manage customer concerns
Your customers will likely have a lot of questions regarding the recalled products. Prepare your customer service team to answer these questions and to provide solutions to customers who have purchased the product. Be aware that some customers may want a refund for said product. Provide your customer service team with ample training to ensure your customers leave the interaction satisfied.
