Peloton's Tread+ situation
There is a difference between product and behavioral risk, but they need to act
This is in the same vein as the Building Trust series.
Peloton's Tread+ crisis shows the difference between behavioral risk and product risk.
Behavioral risk comes from users of a product using the product incorrectly or maliciously. The risk creating problem is people's behavior. You mitigate this by clearly and visibly messaging proper behavior and having mechanisms to detect incorrect behavior.
Product risk come from products being incorrectly designed and failing during reasonable use. You mitigate this with a safety informed product design process and very rigorous testing processes.
Example of behavioral risk: People falling asleep while driving.
Example of product risk: A SpaceX rocketship blowing up during liftoff.
Peloton doesn't want to recall the Tread+ because it doesn't see the product as failing. They have been willing to recall their bike before, when there were pedal issues, so it's not as if they are incapable of admitting a mistake. They even proactively shared when a child was unfortunately killed. But clearly people are continuing to get hurt. With one child dead and 39 known reports, it is likely that hundreds have been hurt. The issue is behavior. Peloton needs to own its responsibility to educate its customers on proper behavior and figure out how to detect improper use so they can minimize it.
Peloton’s very real risk is lost trust from customers, a stain on the brand, and potential regulatory action removing their product from the marketplace. Over 1M people have already watched this video showing a kid getting stuck underneath a treadmill.
Peloton has already sent two messages to its community, including proactively sharing when a child died from improper Tread+ use. This is from from the follow up note sent by CEO Foley.
You may also have read news reports suggesting that CPSC believes that we should stop selling or recall the Tread+. I want to assure you that we have no intention of doing so. The Tread+ is safe when our warnings and safety instructions are followed, and we know that, every day, thousands of Members enjoy working out safely on their Tread+.
But I urge you to stay vigilant. Remember, the Tread+ is not for children under 16, and children, pets, and objects need to be kept away from the Tread+ at all times. When the Tread+ is not in use, store the Safety Key away from the Tread+ and out of reach of children. Our Tread instructors remind us at the beginning and end of each class to keep these safety instructions top of mind. In addition, many of you have chimed in on social media in recent weeks to share helpful tips, such as working out during naptime, having someone watch the kids while you work out, or using a baby gate to keep children, pets, and objects away. Thank you for sharing those suggestions with our community.
I appreciate that Peloton isn’t just trying to put this under the rug and is speaking to it head on. However, I feel that they could put some more action behind their sentiment. At the minimum, that note should be demonstrating, with a video, all the safety mechanisms that Peloton already has (Safety Key, Warnings, Instructor reminders).
Some additional ideas for Peloton:
Have instructors state what proper use of the product is. They routinely do this during classes with regards to speeds / weights, but it's likely worth stating it for kids explicitly.
Introduce a configurable pass code to make sure the properly trained user, the adult, is using the Tread+.
Introduce a weight sensor in new designs (if there isn't one already). If someone under 60 lbs is trying to use the Peloton, it should be inoperable. Plus then give parents feedback that improper use was detected, similar to how Gmail sends you an email when a new log-in device occurs.
Make sure the first time set up experience has a video stating the importance of kids not playing with the device. Maybe even give the parents talking points for how to talk about safety with kids.
Do a once a month pop up modal before class selection.
Have a 'Safety' section on the website. There is not one to be seen right now, either in the top navigation or at the bottom.
I'm a parent, a Peloton user, and a Peloton stockholder. I love the product. But this risk isn’t going away on its own. Kids like to use the things their parents have.
Peloton needs to address this quickly.