One of the most fabulous bloggers out there is Jenny Lawson, aka The Bloggess!! She is a self-confessed OCD anxiety ridden 'mommy' blogger with a pension for foul language and ample willingness to overshare with her followers on line. I adore her and all her unfiltered crazy, brilliantness!
Last week, in response to an unsolicited proposition to endorse a product, The Bloggess responded with her canned response to these pitches with a picture of Will Wheaton coallating paper. Funny in itself, but it gets better. The VP of the PR firm replied to all, forgetting The Bloggess was included, and called her a 'f*cking bitch'. You can see the entire exchange on her blog at http://www.thebloggess.com/, see the entry called And Then the PR Guy Called Me a F*cking Bitch I Can't Even Make This Sh*t Up .
The worst part is the guy tried to argue his point rather than put his tail between his legs and apologize. Hello, PR Firm? You think they would be the epitamy of ettiquette! But instead riled up her 160,000 plus followers that innondated Twitter and the company with WTF emails and tweets. Maybe they need a lesson from United Airlines, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5YGc4zOqozo, about customer service and how to do the right thing when no one is watching BECAUSE IT'S THE RIGHT THING TO DO!
Another reminder of the dangers of Reply All....and to say sorry when you should!
I'm kind of torn about the blog you refer to in your post. My problem is that I can see myself playing both roles, that of Jenny Lawson, and of Jose from the PR firm. Though I think her auto response of the guy collating paper is funny, I can see how others (especially those sending out pitches day after day) would find it rude.
ReplyDeleteI had no problem with Erica's response, or Jose's initial take on the situation because he thought it was to a select group of people. I write a lot of texts and emails that if they were sent to the wrong person, I'd be in a bit of hot water, but that's just my personality.
On the flip side, had I intercepted such a "reply-all" where someone was calling me a "F@#$ing a$$hole," I'd probably get pretty defensive and respond the same way. Both got a little hot-headed, and were doing their best to cut the other down. I didn't, however, think it was necessary to bring everyone else into it, and have her followers attack the company. Not yet anyhow. Had Jose said or done any other grossly inappropriate things, and continued pushing it, then I might pull out all the stops, but I don't like it when people go right to that weapon (or ones like it). It's a little bush league, in my opinion. But, I can see how it escalated, and knowing how hot-headed I can get when I feel like I'm being attacked, I might be guilty of the same maneuver. It's just easier said than done when one is removed from the emotional aspects of such an exchange.
Interesting post tho. Thanks.