Hyundai-Kia forstår magt ked af

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Kontanter og en undskyldning gå en lang vej at desarmere store træk vi ikke har hørt meget om det i Europa, men Hyundai og Kia har haft en børste med PR katastrofe i USA i denne måned. De synes imidlertid at have formået at indeholde meget af nedfald i kraft af hurtig undskyldning og generøs kompensation.
Det startede da US Environmental Protection Agency sagde bil beslutningstagere havde overvurderet brændstoføkonomi af mange af deres køretøjer af 1-2mpg, stigende til en 6mpg over erklæring på Kia Soul. Købere og kommentatorer forudsigeligt gik stratosfæren, krævende svar på løgne, for hoveder til at rulle og naturligvis kompensation for alt fra ekstra brændstofomkostningerne til beskadigede videresalg værdier af biler.
I alt omkring én ud af tre biler solgt af virksomhederne i de seneste tre år var ramt-900.000 i alt. Hyundai og Kia skylden proceduremæssige fejl på fælles test operationer i Korea for problemet.
Afgørende, men reagerede de hurtigt på beskyldninger. En undskyldning var udstedt umiddelbart. En erstatning program udtænkt med ejere udstedt med gave kort transporterer en betaling baseret på hvor mange km har de drevet, brændstof prisen hvor de bor og en 15 procent bonus til at sige undskyld. Disse kort vil toppet op til, så længe ejeren har køretøjet.
Rækken rumler, og der er retssager udestående, men afgørende ejere synes at have været formilde mindre end en måned efter historien brød. John Karfcek, Hyundai America 's chef, siger feedback tyder på 90 pct. af ejerne er tilfredse med virksomheder reaktion, men han understreger, at hes arbejder på pacificere de andre 10 procent. Salg prognoser for Hyundai fortsat på kurset; på nogle biler, efterspørgslen overgår udbuddet.
Alle, som går til at vise, at det bedste svar til en stor virksomhed i en krise, er at sige undskyld, så hurtigt som muligt og grave så langt som du kan ind i dit dybeste lommer. Det er en bemærkelsesværdig enkel løsning, som meget få store selskaber, der synes at forstå.

Cash and an apology go a long way to defusing a major row We havent heard much about it in Europe, but Hyundai and Kia have had a brush with PR disaster in the US this month. However, they appear to have managed to contain much of the fallout through the power of swift apology and generous compensation. 

It started when the US Environmental Protection Agency said the car makers had overstated the fuel economy of many of their vehicles by 1-2mpg, rising to a 6mpg over-statement on the Kia Soul. Buyers and commentators predictably went stratospheric, demanding answers to the lies, for heads to roll and, of course, compensation for everything from the extra fuel costs to damaged resale values of the cars. 

In total, around one in three cars sold by the firms in the past three years was affected – 900,000 in total. Hyundai and Kia blamed procedural errors at joint testing operations in Korea for the problem. 

Crucially, though, they reacted swiftly to the accusations. An apology was issued immediately. A compensation programme was devised, with owners issued with gift cards carrying a payment based on how many miles they have driven, the fuel price where they live and a 15 per cent bonus to say sorry. These cards will be topped up for as long as the owner has the vehicle. 

The row rumbles on, and there are lawsuits outstanding, but crucially owners seem to have been appeased less than a month after the story broke. John Karfcek, Hyundai USAs boss, says feedback suggests 90 per cent of owners are happy with the firms reaction, but he emphasises that hes working on appeasing the other 10 per cent. Sales predictions for Hyundai remain on course; on some cars, demand is outstripping supply. 

All of which goes to show that the best response for a major company in a crisis is to say sorry as fast as possible and dig as far as you can into your deepest pockets. It's a remarkably simple solution that very few major corporations appear to grasp.