Some quick fixes are great time-savers, some are deadly alternatives; others are a complete waste of not just time, but my time.

by Meaghan Ziemba, Associate Editor, PD&D

I had the pleasure this past weekend to sit in the Beloit, WI ER with my daughter at three in the morning. She started throwing up chicken nachos a little after the dinner hour, Friday; and the vomiting saga continued into the early hours of Saturday. In fear that she may become dehydrated, I wrapped her in a Little Mermaid fleece blanket and hurried off to the hospital.

She lay in fetal position on the hospital bed, staring at the doctor with zombie-like, sleep-deprived eyes as he explained the little tablet he was going to give her that would stop the nausea (and hopefully the regurgitation marathon). I was amazed at how fast the miracle drug worked as he placed it on her tongue to dissolve–at the same time, irritated because she could have been asleep at this time if I just would have brought her in earlier.

As this quick fix cured my daughter, I couldn’t help but think of Toyota (Yes, I am as sick of hearing about it as the rest of you, maybe) but Toyota is not the only major company guilty for shortcuts and quick fixes that help increase profitability–or getting rid of irritating bugs that maybe floating around.

Today’s society is fast-paced. Everyone wants the news as it's happening, and the advancements of technology have brought us closer to those split-second moments of receiving information through our iPhones, Blackberries and laptop devices.

Some quick fixes are great time-savers; for instance, the progressive food choppers, fast food restaurants, Google Maps, and GPS systems.

With everything and everyone constantly on the go and working more than 40 hours a week, who has time to stop for directions, look at a map that doesn’t speak; sit down for home-cooked meals; or even yet, take a knife out of the drawer and chop up fruits and veggies? It’s just asking way too much.

Some quick fixes can be deadly alternatives–cue Toyota– for example, skipping safety and usability testing before releasing a product out into the market. I get every dollar counts towards profitability, and sometimes shortcuts are made during the design process to increase time to market and to keep the competition on their toes. But those shortcuts (as we have seen) can produce fatal scenarios.  

Other quick fixes, however, are not just a waste of time, but a waste of consumers’ time.

Not only did I have to waste time in the ER waiting for a drug that I strongly believe now should be available on store shelves this past weekend; but I wasted personal time sitting in a garage while a mechanic explained to me that a simple oil leak could have been prevented if the proper materials were used instead of a “quick fix” silicon.

My 2008, Hyundai Elantra requires a metal gasket to be replaced every time the oil and oil filter gets changed–which for me occurs quite often due to my commutes from school and work.

The oil place–I refuse to give it credit by naming it here–is responsible for thousands of oil changes each month; so instead of looking at each car as separate models and types (which would waste the company’s time), every car is viewed the same and undergoes the same treatment for oil changes—sealing the oil filter with a silicone, jelly-like material.

The material not only saves time but saves the company money, because it is a cheaper material than the metal gaskets that my car requires. However, it doesn’t save me time or money when I need to purchase kitty litter just to get the oil stains off my garage floor.

My point for all this bantering and ranting is to demonstrate how quick fixes may seem like a great idea in the moment of rushed decisions; especially in the manufacturing and engineering industries–or when six-year old girls are throwing up all through the night. But cutting out certain steps or rushing through them can result in devastating consequences, and turn consumer fans into consumer critics.

And clean-up costs seem to put a bigger dent into company wallets than if things were done properly the first time around.

What are some of your quick fixes? And any suggestions on what brand of kitty litter works best on oil stains can be posted below or sent to meaghan.ziemba@advantagemedia.com.