As the Toyota recall continues to generate concern, confusion and some headaches for some, one Austin man may have the perfect remedy: Tylenol. He says the pain reliever provides the perfect prescription for how to handle a recall.
In late 1982, when seven people in the Chicago area died from tainted Tylenol, Ron Zolno was the lead researcher for the public relations firm hired by Johnson and Johnson, the makers of Tylenol.
"Within 48 hours, Tylenol recalled all Tylenol nationwide," said Zolno.
After the recall, Zolno acted as the conduit between consumers and the company as it tried to rebuild trust in Tylenol. Zolno says three things were critical to restoring consumer confidence.
"Number one is be up front, number two is be responsive on an ongoing basis and number three is how you follow up, Tylenol did all three really well," Zolno said.
Zolno says the biggest negative for Toyota is that ,unlike the Tylenol case which, despite the nationwide recall, was confined to a small area and caused by a murderer, the automaker's problems are happening nationwide.
"There is some responsibility being associated with them from day one," he said. "It's not me going in from the outside and rigging cars, it's something faulty with construction,"
Zolno says Toyota has a history of well made cars and that should help it weather the storm as long customers are kept informed. Most car owners KVUE talked to agreed.
"I think they have an excellent track record and they are doing what needs to be done to repair the situation, I don't think it's a big deal," said Kathleen Mann, who has previously owned a Toyota.
But Larry Anderson, who's considering buying a car for his teenage son says he's been negatively impacted by the recall.
When asked if there is anything Toyota could do to restore his confidence, Anderson replied, "Not really, I am going to shop elsewhere."
