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Although your business may invest significant time and resources to learn about its products and ensure they are safe to use, there may be risks that minor issues could slip through the cracks. And if these problems escalate, they could become serious hurdles that could damage your company, your customers and your brand reputation. 

Product quality guidelines are key for both businesses and consumers. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) establishes product quality and safety guidelines for companies to follow. Failing to do so, however, can be dangerous for many reasons. 

For example, consider Williams-Sonoma, one of the world's leading providers of cookware, cooking utensils and small kitchen appliances. Williams-Sonoma remains a top choice for kitchenware and home furnishings, as it boasts a proven reputation. 

But even companies like Williams-Sonoma sometimes fail to meet federal product quality guidelines. 

In fact, on May 06, 2013 Williams-Sonoma was fined $987,500 by CPSC for its failure to report defective Pottery Barn wooden hammock stands to the federal agency in a timely manner. 

As part of a settlement between Williams-Sonoma and CPSC, the retailer now must:

• Maintain and enforce a system of internal controls to guarantee its products are safe for consumers.
• Be able to provide CPSC with documentation that shows how it is working to improve its internal systems to ensure compliance with federal guidelines.
• Disclose any product defects to CPSC officials immediately.

So what does the settlement mean for Williams-Sonoma?

The fine is substantial, but the biggest financial hit for Williams-Sonoma may come from the harm to the company's brand reputation. 

No one wants to buy a faulty hammock stand, yet Williams-Sonoma failed to take the necessary steps to ensure its products were safe for consumers before they reached the market. This may lead many consumers to feel unhappy and dissatisfied with Williams-Sonoma. And these consumers may choose to share their negative thoughts and feelings about the company with others, resulting in brand reputation damage for Williams-Sonoma. 

Also, Williams-Sonoma put its customers' safety at risk, which may lead many consumers to ignore this company. And if Williams-Sonoma wants to rebuild relationships with its past customers, it may be forced to invest significant time and resources in the hopes of regaining their trust. 

Clearly, a product defect can have far-flung effects on any company. But with a tool like PolyVista Alerts+, businesses like Williams-Sonoma may be able to prevent product issues altogether. 

How does PolyVista Alerts+ work?
PolyVista Alerts+ can serve as a key addition to your business' product safety management strategy because it empowers business managers with the ability to identify and address product quality and safety concerns instantly. 

With PolyVista Alerts+, business managers can utilize an automated alerting system to better protect their customers against unsafe products. Meanwhile, this tool also gives business managers the ability to ensure a company meets federal guidelines at all times. 

In addition, PolyVista Alerts+ can be used in a number of ways, including:

• Product safety and regulatory compliance support – Your business will be able to avoid regulatory compliance penalties and ensure its products are safe. PolyVista Alerts+ even guarantees you will be able to identify when a product risk might exist and address this concern quickly.
• Assistance with consumer quality and warranty concerns – With PolyVista Alerts+, you can stay up to date about consumer quality and warranty concerns. That way, you’ll be able to find out how customers think and feel about your products and work toward making ongoing product improvements.
• Voice of the customer (VOC) and customer experience (CX) management – How do customers view your company and its offerings? Thanks to PolyVista Alerts+, you can gain actionable insights relative to customer behaviors and trends, discover how they think and feel about your business’ products and services and respond to your customers’ requests accordingly.

PolyVista Alerts+ offers substantial value for companies of all sizes, as it enables business managers to reduce product risks and improve product quality simultaneously. This tool may help provide a business with a competitive advantage by ensuring a company can bolster its offerings and provide its customers with safe, reliable products day after day. 

Summary

Preventing defective products from reaching consumers might seem impossible at first. But with PolyVista Alerts+, business managers can use a tool that ensures product defects become things of the past. This tool allows business managers to enhance the quality of a company's products before these offerings reach consumers. Thus, PolyVista Alerts+ can minimize the dangers associated with product defects and recalls.