Let’s assume I offered to sell you a house in an area known for its street crime. And to assure you that it was a good deal, I informed you that the probability is slim that you will have any problems. Would you buy the house? Probably not. Why? Because there are some risks you simply want to avoid.
If I was attempting to sell you a car and told you, “there is a slim probability that you might experience uncontrollable acceleration” - would you buy it? Probably not. Because you likely enjoy life, and want to feel safe in your car. But what if you already own the car and find out that there is a slim probability that you might experience uncontrollable acceleration - does this make you feel better?
Well in the congressional panel yesterday, Jim Lentz, Toyota’s top U.S. sales executive essentially told Toyota owners to feel good about their Toyota investment because there was only a slim probability that you might experience uncontrollable acceleration. Jim Lentz, stated that Toyota plans to install an electronic program that allows the brake to override the throttle on some vehicles. And for those that don’t qualify,Lentz stated, ”the probability is slim” that they would have any problems. Furthermore, Lentz inferred that electronics could still be at the root of some unintended acceleration problems.
Toyota has a huge credibility and trust challenge going forward. Everyday, Toyota is making things worse and they can’t figure out how to overcome it. When Mr. Lentz was asked why Toyota had moved away from a business model that prized quality and openness, he offered a simple explanation: “We lost sight of our customers.”
And maybe this is the simple and heart wrenching challenge facing many companies today. “We simply lost sight of our customers.”
The answer going forward is simple Mr Lentz, isn’t it?
