The Record

"Any company, regardless of size, that puts products into the marketplace should establish a written policy and procedure for conducting recalls… Manufacturers, importers, distributors and retailers should be prepared for recalls so that if one occurs, they can follow an already developed and practiced plan, and minimize potential damage to their reputation and bottom line…"

A company has two major goals in a recall — protecting their customers and protecting their images — and they're better able to do both if they are prepared, Schoem said. "Really good companies do at least an annual review of the process, the procedures and contingencies," he said. Just because you've never had a problem in the past doesn't mean you're safe in the future, he said. "The worst time to try to figure out what to do and how to do it is in the middle of a crisis."

-- Alan Schoem