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Two years ago, I wrote about a shoe store
— the DSW chain, to be more precise — and how well it had handled a data breach, and the attendant reputational risk.
More recently, I held up RC2, the maker of Thomas and Friends toys, as an example of the growing reputational risk of manufacturing in China. (A number of their trains, including some models owned by my sons, turned out to have lead paint on them and were recalled.)
Well, to RC2's credit, they recently sent us a letter that said all the right things, including a rather lovely line noting, "We are saddened to think that a toy would become a cause of worry." The letter came with a free train (Fergus, for those of you in the know) as a "token of appreciation for [our] patience and loyalty" while they work to replace our sons' six recalled trains. We were also told that a check for the postage we spent to send back the trains was in the mail, and were given a number to call if we had any additional concerns (we don't).
I was impressed. What more could they possibly do? And, of course, as a business journalist, I wondered about the cost and the organization that went into the whole effort.
Unfortunately for RC2, my wife just shrugged when I asked her what she thought of the company's efforts to make good. We're both busy parents, and unlike me, she doesn't have the luxury of turning RC2's plight into a point of professional curiosity. In fact, by the time I saw RC2's letter, my kids had drawn all over it with crayons, and the new Fergus (we already had one) was buried in a pile of other, non-recalled trains.
So, I'm still impressed. But my own personal window into RC2's problem shows how hard it is for companies to recover that most intangible of assets: reputation.
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