By Dan Beres, Managing Partner, Recall Masters
When people think of recalls, at least in our industry, most think about vehicles. For many consumers, merely contemplating spending their time at a dealership waiting for recall-related repairs or not having use of their car (even if only for a short period), seems draining and inconvenient. But most consumers probably don’t consider the potential risks recalls pose to their families.
A recent article in Consumer Reports, reviews recalls related to child-safety seats and sleeping infants. While the report focuses on seats, it also mentions proper installation. That installation typically involves the LATCH safety system installed by car manufacturers, which anchors the child safety seat to the vehicle’s frame.
I’m willing to bet that upon hearing the news of a child safety seat recall, most parents would rush to the closest retailer to exchange it for a safe one. Would that be inconvenient? Absolutely. But they would do it because parental instinct and family preservation are ingrained in our DNA.
However, consider the consumer reaction should a vehicle’s LATCH system have a recall. While the consumer may have the safest car seat in the market, without a properly operating anchor, the infant’s safety is at risk. But would parents rush to their local car dealership to get that defective anchor repaired? My guess is that they would not.
Could an anchor system explicitly designed for holding and securing a child seat get recalled? Absolutely! In 2018, Cadillac CT6 sedans got recalled because of an issue with the LATCH system that made it harder to install a car seat correctly. Also, in 2018, 55,000 Volkswagen Atlas models got recalled due to a design flaw in the LATCH system, which couldn’t accommodate wider car seat bases. In 2016, almost 200,000 BMW X3s and X4s got recalled based on the potential for anchors to break while in use.
The point I am trying to get across here is that, no matter what the recall is, an unsafe vehicle is unsafe for everyone inside. It does, however, hit much closer to home and make it more real when a baby’s life is in danger.
Getting more specific about the recall itself helps to create emotions that cause consumers to act. Generalities don’t always motivate people, but start talking about injury to their child – and now they’re listening.
How does all this apply to recalls in general?
Many dealerships do their best to reach out to and inform consumers in their PMA of any existing recalls, as do manufacturers. The problem is that far too often, these messages don’t get read either because they are trashed or filtered into spam. Our industry needs to deliver impactful messages to make a change on recall completion rates.
My point is that consumers not only need to know about existing recalls, but they sincerely want to, as long as they understand the impending dangers. It’s easier to track down existing customers, but that second or third-generation vehicle owner is much more elusive. There are ways, of course, but sometimes, given the costs and investment of time, it may seem like too much of a project for dealerships to tackle.
However, spending time and effort to track down same-make vehicle owners in your PMA, designing professional communications that relay why the recall needs repair, and utilizing multiple channels of communications to reach them makes a huge difference. You stand a good chance of reaching these consumers and increasing service revenue through recall work and other services that may get discovered during the initial inspection. And you can develop a loyal and robust base of new service customers in your area.
It’s hard to imagine a mother or father getting upset with a dealership telling them that the LATCH system on their vehicle is faulty and could endanger a child, but that they can fix it quickly at the dealership and right away. While recalls can frustrate consumers, if prevented in the right way, I think they would respond differently — perhaps with a sense of gratitude. And I guarantee they won’t find your service department or communications “inconvenient.”
About the Author
Dan Beres has 25 years as an automotive industry professional focusing his efforts on the nation’s auto safety recall epidemic.
