Tuesday 20 January 2015

Go Ahead; Boycott Me

I was listening to a great discussion about the future of the professional movie reviewer on the radio this morning.  Seemed fitting, considering the future of talk-radio is just as uncertain (with all due respect to my friends in the radio biz).

Seems social media has spawned thousands of amateur movie critics.  Welcome to our world, folks.  There are untold thousands of amateur restaurant critics, hotel critics, etc. etc.  Unfortunately they all seem to be only to willing to name and shame, but a little reticent when it comes to recognizing and rewarding.

Recently a charity group in Niagara Falls took to singling out and criticizing a store manager at a major food retailer.  His crime?  Enforcing the 8 items per customer limit, clearly posted.  "But it's for charity!" they wined.  "We're feeding families!"  They might also have added, "and we thought for sure your other customers wouldn't mind if they come in for the sale item and it's all gone because we bought it all..."

A little advance work would have gone a long way.  Why not call ahead, meet with the manager, explain the situation and ask for some cooperation.  For all they know they might have received a better deal, rather than trying to sneak past the rules, playing their charity card all the way.

Instead they're publicly offended, calling for boycotts, applying social media.  They'd probably cheer if the chain were to surrender and make a public spectacle of disciplining their manager.

Shame on the charity.  Shame.  And good luck getting a charitable response from retailers in the future.  You've done your clients, and all reputable charities a great disservice.

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