MarketSource team members who work on our Takata airbag recall programs are heroic because they save countless lives every single day. Triggering the largest recall of its kind in U.S. traffic safety history, scientists discovered in 2014 that Takata airbags contained a critical design flaw that causes them to fail to deploy, or even explode, during a car accident. Our recall teams are responsible for locating vehicles that still have Takata airbags, visiting the vehicle owner’s last registered address, and scheduling the repair.
Region Manager Anne Cortez-Teed oversees a recall team covering a large portion of Texas, as well as Puerto Rico. In her 10 years at MarketSource, Anne has worked for both our retail and commercial divisions, giving her a rare set of skills and knowledge to share.
However, her last three years in recall have led to some particularly entertaining stories that also highlight the hard work our recall specialists put in and the unique situations they experience each day. “Some of my favorite stories involve animals,” Anne says. “I’ve seen emus, monkeys, you name it. There’s never a dull moment!”
In fact, during her first week on the job, she learned very quickly not to keep snacks nearby. “On this particular day, I put my granola bar in my back pocket as I walked up to meet with a customer,” she remembers. “As I’m setting up the appointment to get his car repaired, I feel a big nudge out of nowhere. When I turned around, I was face-to-face with a 200-lb. pig! The customer and I laughed and began talking again. The pig then nudged me even harder. I thought maybe it wanted some attention, so I proceeded to pet it…but this pig was persistent, and I couldn’t figure out why. As I was leaving, the pig followed me to my car and bit my back pocket, almost taking it right off! As soon as I sat down, I realized what he was after: the granola bar. I never put snacks in my pocket again.”
Anne has also come across strange items along her recall adventures, including an unusual number of boats where they didn’t belong (it has become an inside joke with her team) and a functioning ATM at someone’s house.
“She thanked me profusely and said, ‘I’m fighting stage 3 breast cancer. Can you imagine if I died because of a recalled airbag?’ After thanking me again for doing what I do, she gave me the biggest hug. When I got back in my truck, I sobbed. It hit me right then: When we are going to these homes to locate affected vehicles, it really does make a more of a difference than we realize.”
However, there is one story from 2022 that holds a special place in her heart. She explains, “I was just diagnosed with Remitting Relapsing Multiple Sclerosis (RRMS) and had been out of work for a bit. When I returned to canvassing, I arrived at someone’s home and saw the vehicle I was looking for. I knocked on the door and there’s no answer. I introduced myself. Still no response.
“As I was about to leave, the vehicle owner’s wife slowly opened the door and invited me in. She was a fragile-looking woman with a scarf on her head. It was clear I had woken her up, so I apologized and told her the reason for my visit. She explained her husband had passed away and it was her car now. While she had received recall notices in the mail, she was getting daily chemo treatments and didn’t have time for a repair appointment. When I told her we had a free service available to repair the car, I can’t even explain the relief that washed over her face. I set the appointment for the following day during her chemo treatment.
“She thanked me profusely and said, ‘I’m fighting stage 3 breast cancer. Can you imagine if I died because of a recalled airbag?’ After thanking me again for doing what I do, she gave me the biggest hug. When I got back in my truck, I sobbed. It hit me right then: When we are going to these homes to locate affected vehicles, it really does make a more of a difference than we realize.”
In Anne’s spare time, she serves as an ambassador for the Multiple Sclerosis Association of America (MSAA) and aims to always be a bright spot in someone’s day. Her kind heart and upbeat personality are the fuel she needs to ensure that happens. “Keeping a positive attitude is key,” she says. “A smile goes a long way.” With many, many smiles, Anne is making a difference in many people’s lives.
#Automotive #MultipleSclerosis #MarketSourceProud