On Feb 6, 10:39*am, Frnak McKenney
wrote:
On Fri, 5 Feb 2010 09:45:11 -0800 (PST), Too_Many_Tools wrote:
On Feb 5, 9:56*am, Frnak McKenney
wrote:
XMetal-Content: accelerator pedal, cable, wrecked Toyota

* *[...] Background of Toyota discussion snipped





I know that if I were a Toyota owner I'd want to know as early as
possible (a) if I were likely to be affected, (b) warning signs so
I could avoid the problem before it occurred, and (c) what to do if
the problem occurred anyway.
* *[...]
I'm not talking about a massive recall. *That might or might not
have been appropriate early on, depending on what Toyota knew about
the problem and when. I'm thinking of a simple letter --
illustrated with Charts'n'Diagrams -- describing:
* *[...]
Mailing such a letter -- and having the information broadcast
through the USDOT, state xxDOTs, and the media -- would (hopefully)
have two effects:

*1) Demonstrate Toyota's concern with its customers (useful in any
* * possible upcoming lawsuits), and
*2) Decrease the number of persons killed or injured.

* *[...]
I think it's time for another mug of tea.

Frank McKenney
Good comments.

Thanks, TMT. I appreciate the feedback.

I agree that more info needs to be presented to the user.

That will not happen...unless forced.

The more the company admits to the problem, the larger the
economic hit due to lawsuits.

So companies hide the bad news until it blows up in their face.

Sounds like the same kind of situation that so many politicians have
faced... *and then tried to cover up. *The "accepted wisdom" as
voiced by the media is that it's better to come clean early on and
then do one's best to "work past it", but I can understand why
that's hard for most people to do in practice.

"Going public" with a problem -- of any kind, to any audience -- is
long-term thinking, and long-term thinking requires some kind of
faith in the future. *It requires a belief that dealing with the
consequences of one's screwup, however bad it might have been, are
_not_ the worst thing that could happen. *For small screwups this is
easier, as the consequences are generally smaller; being able to
deal with the really big stuff requires believing in something
larger and more important than one's self.

The other problem is even if the info is out there, few people pay
attention and will respond properly during an unexpected event.

This is one place where I believe that directed communication can be
more effective than a simple "broadcast" of information. *You want
(anyway, _I_ would want grin!) this mythical letter to be directed
specifically to the owners of any potentially affected Toyota
models/years, perhaps followed up by robot-calls to make sure the
letter was received.

Sure, follow up with a general announcement directed at the media,
but the key would be to directly address those likely to be
affected, rather than informing (harassing?) the general public.

Now, I admit that I'm speaking from a position rather distant from
the fray (and today, a somewhat snow-covered one grin!), since I
don't own a Toyota and I don't run the company. *Still, I'd think
that owners would be more reassured by hearing about a problem first
in writing, from the manufacturer, and directed at them personally,
than they would be by hearing rumors from the media, politicians,
and bureaucrats. *If the company missive gets there first, the
company might be seen as "screwing up but concerned"; otherwise,
they're "uncaring and had to be forced".

When you are dealing with a multi thousand pound missile driven by
the typical driver, the last problems you want are unexpected
acceleration or lack of deceleration.

TMT

Agreed. *And you can't expect every driver to always be expertly
trained on handling vehicular emergencies and constantly aware of
every facet of driving: the road, the vehicle's behavior, other
vehicles (visible and not-yet-visible), passengers, pedestians,
falling trees, etc. *By the same token, you cannot absolutely
guarantee that every potential design flaw in a vehicle is
identified and fixed before that vehicle hits the showroom.

It's a tough universe.

Frank
--
* * Never test the depth of the water with both feet.
--
Frank McKenney, McKenney Associates
Richmond, Virginia / (804) 320-4887
Munged E-mail: frank uscore mckenney ayut mined spring dawt cahm (y'all)- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Again good comments Frank.

It is unfortunate but it is quite apparent that Toyota has been riding
their reputation for some time while squashing complaints both
externally and internally.

They will pay dearly for it...as they should.

That is the price of not dealing problems when they are small and
easily dealt with.

Reminds me of the health care situation...

TMT