礼节美语 227 A Product Recall 1

公司主管开会，执行总裁Rick说：

Rick: The Board of Directors has come to a decision. Our company will take an image hit, and it's going to be very expensive, but it seems we have no other choice but to start a recall. Samantha, would you care to explain a bit more.

Samantha: A year ago we began receiving reports that several of the air conditioner models we manufacture can sometimes overheat. In very rare circumstances this overheating might lead to electrical fires. So far there have been three fires that may be connected to our air conditioning units.

R: Unfortunately, one person was seriously injured. Therefore, even though there is no definitive proof linking our ACs to these fires, we decided to take action immediately.

Samantha介绍说，公司生产的几款空调发生过overheat - 机身温度过热的现象，可能起火，到目前为止，至少有三起火灾怀疑跟他们公司生产的空调有关，还有一人受重伤。执行总裁Rick说，虽然没有 definitive proof，确凿证据， 但公司董事会还是决定立即采取行动，start a recall. 召回相关型号的空调。recall is spelled r-e-c-a-l-l, recall是召回有问题产品的意思。这样做不仅会有不小的经济损失，而且还要take an image hit. 公司形象也会受到打击。Hank问：

Hank: How many units are we talking about here? And what is this going to cost us?

R: We will be recalling over 15,000 air-conditioners. The company will refit them with new thermal sensors and stronger wiring.

S: As far as costs go, we estimate the company will lose well over $6 million dollars.

H: Six million??! But we're not even sure we're responsible. Is a recall really the best way to go?

R: I believe that from both a business perspective and a moral perspective, a recall is necessary.

S: I think Rick is right. If there's even a chance that our products could cause injuries we have a responsibility to step in.

公司估计要召回一万五千台空调，召回的产品改用更耐热的电线，还要安装thermal sensors热感应器，经济损失将超过六百万美元。公司执行总裁Rick和主管Samantha都觉得，不论是从商业角度还是从道义角度出发，只要公司产品可能跟火灾的发生有一点关联，他们也有义务step in, 站出来。

R: Even if we look at it purely from a financial standpoint, six million dollars spent fixing any possible errors is definitely cheaper than being defendants in a lawsuit where somebody was seriously injured or killed.

H: So what's the procedure?

S: Next Monday we will issue a press release explaining that - even though there are no definitive links between our products and fires - we want to be good corporate citizens and have therefore decided to err on the side of caution.

Rick补充说，即使单纯从经济角度出发，花六百万美元修补产品的缺陷也比被人告上法庭的花销小。产品召回的第一步是，下星期一公司先发一份news release新闻简报，说明公司立场，虽然没有确凿证据证明火灾和公司产品有关，但公司还是决定召回产品，to err on the side of caution，是“慎重起见，保险起见”的意思。新闻简报以后还有哪些措施呢？我们下次继续谈。