Rule #1: Take Customer Product Complaints Seriously

Customer feedback

Fending Off the Feds

I recommend every manufacturer, importer and distributor create a system for collecting customer complaint data. Do so can help identify defects or safety issues and prevent a recall.

And don’t think that such a system is difficult to create. It can be as simple as a listing of customer name, contact information and nature of the problem. Or, invest in one of the many complaint management software systems available to businesses.

Putting the data to good use

After the data is collected, it’s best to quickly identify the nature of the problem. If it’s a manufacturing defect, it’s critical to immediately halt production and identify the affected batches. If it’s a design defect, immediately halt production and all potential shipments. Recall the products already in the hands of customers.

Errors on warning labels or instruction may involve creating new ones, repackaging existing products, and sending updated ones to your customers.

Staying ahead of the game

The above are over-simplified examples, but you get the idea. Not taking these steps could easily lead to a full-blown product recall. That means involvement by one of the federal agencies responsible for product safety listed below. And that could potentially result in fines or jail time for non-compliance. That’s on top of the high costs involved when taking the necessary steps in an effective product recall.

Only a systematic collection of customer complaints can help identify defect or safety issues early enough to address and solve the problems.

Federal Product Safety Agencies

Have questions?  Contact us on the web or call 800-622-7370.

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