Kuga saga a prime example of a big company’s don’t care attitude

THE unnecessary failures of large dominant organisations are clearly not limited to big, old, former liberation movements. If Ford’s fiery Kuga saga is anything to go by the private sector seems just as challenged.

Referring to the manufacturer’s recalcitrance in the protracted and sometimes deadly Kuga drama, consumer protection lawyer, Janusz Luterek was quoted saying: “The disdain that we have seen usually comes from manufacturers who produce large volumes of products, as in the electronic and cellphone company sectors.”

Luterek went on to emphasise how Ford’s handling of the situation was similar to the way in which cellphone companies treat their customers as the problem, instead of accepting responsibility and attempting to fix the flaws in their faulty products or systems.

The Kuga saga has been one more demonstration of the ease with which large organisations can lose touch with their customers and supporters. Ironically this is the very same complaint we have about the ruling party.

So one has to ask, is this a South African problem?

What makes it so easy for these large organisations to take the common man for granted?

Many organisations, particularly large, dominant ones, have a terrible instinct to protect themselves and only themselves.

This attitude suggests not only an arrogance but a blindness. In the greater scheme of South African things, it would appear that the big corporations and organisations fail to connect their interests to those of their customers, who by the way, are their primary supporters.

This is contrary to what these organisations say when they market themselves. They usually project themselves as caring, customer-oriented entities that put the needs of customers or supporters first.

As can be seen in Ford’s case, the reality is far different.

The particular danger of treating the customer like a nuisance once a transaction has been completed is that this negligent attitude towards after-service has the potential to produce a terrible result at some point or another.

In Ford’s case it was the tragic loss of Reshall Jimmy’s life in December 2015. Ford is still disputing whether Jimmy died as a result of a fire caused by their product.

Shockingly almost 50 Kugas have burst into flames in South Africa within a three year period.

Spooked Kuga owners were apparently trying to sell their Kugas but could get little back on the good money they paid.

Certainly no one could possibly describe Ford as being sensitive to their customers’ needs.

It will certainly take some time for us to forget the cold manner in which Ford has dealt with Jimmy’s family. It could have been any one of us in that vehicle!

In the US – where I might add, the attitude in the service industry is that the customer is king – Ford recalled the model after 11 cars burst into flames. So why did Ford SA wait so long? Ford SA CEO, Jeff Nemeth, recently conceded: “In hindsight yes, it seems like we should have acted quicker.”

You would have thought that was long obvious.

In fact, I’m not sure what Ford was thinking when a similar product was marketed here without there having been a thorough fix of the issues that came up in the US. It suggests very careless and irresponsible leadership.

What is clear though is that many large corporations like Ford have grown far too comfortable and take South African consumers for granted.

This is an unprofessional, lazy, shortsighted attitude which needs to be thrashed out of big business if it is to be a worthy player in our society.

The citizens of this country must make sure that no producer, firm or organisation gets away with this kind of cavalier conduct.