Reputation Matters, Especially During a Recall

That said, having a good reputation only goes so far. Consumers can forgive a company for one misstep, but repeat incidents will not be seen as an exception or accident. Consumer confidence will wane and they will find new, more trustworthy sources for making purchases.

So what does this research mean to you as a promotional products professional? Part of your reputation-building initiatives should include having a comprehensive compliance program in place to reduce the risk of a product recall. Additionally, you can reduce the impact of having a recall by having an effective recall policy in place to proactively address any product quality or safety issues.

Building your brand’s reputation takes years. But it can be destroyed overnight with a product recall. The best defense of your reputation is a solid set of comprehensive policies and procedures that are effectively executed and strictly followed to prevent product recalls.

D E Fenton is executive director - compliance for Quality Certification Alliance, the promotional product industry's only independent, nonprofit organization dedicated to helping companies provide safe products. With more than 20 years of compliance experience, she offers practical advice and actionable tips that help make the complex concept of compliance easier to understand so companies can implement compliance into their daily business practices. She can be reached at dfenton@qcalliance.org or visit www.qcalliance.org for more information.