Do we pay enough attention to emergency processes involving customers?

I confess – I often don’t. But responding to emergencies requires thoroughly thought out process that mobilizes the right resources the right way at the right time. If you don’t plan out responses beforehand you get BP in the gulf coast or Toyota stomping all over its meticulously crafted brand.

But these disasters didn’t trigger me writing this. Instead, it was a superbly well-executed emergency response that still has me shaking my head in appreciation.

In the U.S., we have many, many people contracting salmonella from eating eggs. First, one egg-producing company had to recall about 350 million eggs. Then, a second producer had to recall 150 million more. This second producer supplied Costco, where we buy eggs.
Within scant hours of the recall, I received a well-produced robo-call (so well-produced I didn’t hang up) telling me I’d purchased eggs at Costco that could be carrying salmonella and had been recalled. I was instructed not to use the eggs but bring them back to a store for a full refund.

Can you imagine identifying a gazillion egg purchasers with their phone numbers from membership records and calling them in very little time with a cut-through” message? Yes, good intent towards customers is ultimately responsible. But executing the plan took exceptionally well predefined process and following it to a tee. Kudos to Costco, which I frequently include in my short list of Outside-In, customer first companies.

How about sharing some examples, good or bad, including the process or lack thereof apparently behind them?