Thought Leadership

A recent consumer survey from Stericycle Expert Solutions found that a majority of Americans claim to take action when they receive automotive recall notices. But data from other industry sources suggests those consumers may believe they are more compliant than they actually are. The survey1 of more than 1,100 Americans revealed that an astounding 87 percent of respondents say they act on automotive recall notices most or all of the time.

Pharmaceutical recall activity saw a disturbing rise not only in the volume of products recalled last quarter, but also in the severity of risk to consumers, according to the Q2 2017 Recall Index. Pharmaceutical recalls increased 6 percent over the previous quarter to 86. More jarring, the volume of recalled drug units circulating in homes and store shelves climbed 444 percent over the previous quarter, making it the most active quarter since Q4 2014.

The topic of self-driving cars is getting a lot of attention among industry insiders, lawmakers, and consumers. The technology for partially automated systems is already widely available and in use. But as more automakers continue to work toward the goal of developing vehicles that require no assistance, questions remain on the risks and benefits. The primary advantage – one that every stakeholder hopes will come to fruition – is a dramatic reduction in traffic deaths.

As the auto industry continues to face challenges with recalls and regulatory pressure to increase repair rates, automakers must take extra steps to improve their outreach efforts. But these efforts are only effective if certain best practices are followed – and if these common pitfalls are avoided: Receiving sporadic repair updates.

Most business leaders have been on the receiving end of a bad customer service experience themselves. But few understand how to prevent that experience for their own companies. Too often, contact center procedures leave customers feeling unengaged. For automakers, this can have repercussions with not only vehicle owners, but in some cases, the media and regulators. Many contact centers rely heavily on lengthy, impersonal scripts. This can leave an already agitated customer feeling even more frustrated.