Nearly 11 million pounds of frozen foods pulled from shelves
According to USA Today, Rich Products has called for the recall of nearly 11 million pounds of frozen mini cheeseburgers, sandwiches, quesadillas, pizzas and other snacks sold under the Farm Rich, Market Day and Schwan’s brands because of potential E. coli contamination.
So often when we write about recalls, it’s tough to even find mention of the issue on the company page, and we were disappointed to find that was the case on the main Rich Products page as well. To be fair, there are two separate press releases regarding the recall linked in the site’s news center, but it’s a world of difference compared that to the highly transparent way the situation is being handled on the front pages of the websites belonging to both Rich Products-owned Farm Rich, which features a full-page spread on the recall, and independent reseller Market Day, which has installed a large banner at the top of its home screen:
Schwan’s silence
Schwan’s, another independent reseller, neglected to post anything at all on its site regarding the recall, not even in the news section. Instead, it’s pulled all products named in the recall from its virtual shelves without explanation, certainly not the response that Crisis Management 101 would dictate.
Responsible recall
Overall, Rich Products is handling the recall responsibly, voluntarily expanding the number of products included in order to better protect its customers and sharing information with the public. The Farm Rich foods site is where its crisis management really shines, though. Not only does it allow visitors to spot recall information right away, but, as you can see in the image, there is also a link to a full FAQ regarding the FDA and USDA news releases on the topic. When we visited the page, the visibility and amount of information instantly available gave the clear impression that Farm Rich being transparent in its recall process, and that the company cares about the safety and well-being of its customers.
Good work Rich Products, and especially to the Farm Rich web team, you’ve got your priorities straight.
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For more resources, see the Free Management Library topic: Crisis Management
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[Jonathan Bernstein is president of Bernstein Crisis Management, Inc., an international crisis management consultancy, author of Manager’s Guide to Crisis Management and Keeping the Wolves at Bay – Media Training. Erik Bernstein is Social Media Manager for the firm, and also editor of its newsletter, Crisis Manager]
Jonathan L. Bernstein, founder and Chairman of Bernstein Crisis Management, Inc. has more than 25 years of experience in all aspects of crisis management – crisis response, vulnerability assessment, planning, training and simulations.
Erik Bernstein is president of Bernstein Crisis Management. Erik started with BCM in 2009 as a writer and subsequently became social media manager for the consultancy itself as well as for a number of BCM clients before moving to the president position.