After Toyota of Kirkland notified the public of the diagnosis via Facebook last week, Toyota Motor North America said it was developing a dealer information kit to guide its retailers. It includes resources on taking care of customers and employees, plus Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines, a Toyota spokesman said.
Several other automakers said they haven’t given guidance to dealers on what to do should coronavirus strike their area or stores.
But National Automobile Dealers Association CEO Peter Welch said it’s a question NADA has gotten from several members.
On Friday, March 6, it launched a coronavirus resource Web page called Staying Informed and Prepared During COVID-19 with links to government and state agencies including the CDC’s Interim Guidance for Businesses and Employers.
Toyota of Kirkland, owned by O’Brien Auto Group, planned to reopen Monday, March 9, according to a dealership statement provided to Automotive News by Toyota Motor North America.
A spokesman for the automaker said the infected employee, who works in sales, originally was diagnosed with pneumonia in mid-February and took time off before returning to work in late February.
The employee learned the afternoon of March 3 from his doctor that he tested positive for the virus. He then told his supervisor.
The dealer learned about the case that evening, and O’Brien officials called the CDC early March 4 and were instructed to clean the store and notify employees and customers who had contact with the individual, the Toyota spokesman said.
“CDC did not tell them to close the dealership,” he said. “That was the dealer’s decision. We think it was a good one.”
Toyota said employee and customer concerns factored into the decision and that the dealership informed employees as soon as it could and has been calling customers who visited the store between Feb. 18 and March 3.
Toyota of Kirkland, via a Facebook message, directed Automotive News to social media posts for updates. An O’Brien representative declined to comment.
Public relations
Bruce Hennes, CEO of Hennes Communications in Cleveland, said health agencies are the arbiters on whether a business should close amid a medical situation. But generally the key to dealing with such a situation is to be open and honest.
“We always tell our clients: Tell the truth,” Hennes said. “Tell it all, tell it first and tell it fast. That’s really the mantra of crisis communications.”
The dealership, in its Facebook statement, asks employees with “flu-like” symptoms to seek medical care and self-quarantine for at least 14 days.
Thirteen people have died in Washington state from the virus, with 12 of the deaths in King County, where Kirkland is located.
“We are in direct contact with the CDC and are closely following their guidelines and directions to ensure the health and safety of anybody visiting our dealership,” Toyota of Kirkland said in its statement. “Our goal is to prevent the spread of the virus while protecting you, our employees and our community.”
Larry P. Vellequette contributed to this report.
