Summary: Grasping For Salvation

Akio Toyoda recently took over Toyota and he believes he knows what plagues the world's largest car maker. Current problems include being too cocky, undisciplined in expansion and also in denial about the trouble it faces. With the yen rising 7% against the dollar, it makes it even tougher for the company to offer discounts and cash back incentives. Although he wasn't too specific in telling how he would reverse the company's fortunes, Toyoda believes the way to attract a loyal following is to make cars that please the enthusiasts. One way to discover what the buyer wants is by test driving cars. In his first year on the job, Toyoda test drove over 200 different kinds of cars. With loads of data from customer satisfaction surveys and market research, Toyoda will have plenty of information on what the consumer wants.