BizCom in the News

Wendy's Employee Provides Another Unfortunate Photo

Just days after we saw a Taco Bell employee licking a stack of shells, a Wendy's employee took a direct shot from the soft serve machine. 

Ragan's PR Daily wrote a prosaic version of Wendy's possible response and what the writer calls a "more human statement." Compare the two:

"Wendy’s hasn’t released one yet, but rest assured that it will read something like this: 'At Wendy’s we hold ourselves and our employees to the highest standards. We are aware of a photo circulating online that depicts an employee using company property in an inappropriate manner. We apologize, and will take steps to rectify the situation.'

"A better, more human statement might read: 'We know—it’s gross. But when you employ legions of teenagers, you’re going to get a few bad apples in the mix. We’ll find this dopey S.O.B. and fire him and tell our franchisees not to hire idiots, but let’s face it—teenagers do stupid stuff.'"

 

Wendy's spokesperson Bob Bertini did respond to the Daily News:

"We don't know the exact date the photo was taken, but we believe in it was in  May. The incident was totally inappropriate, and  we're taking it very seriously."

Bertini also said that the employee is not longer working at the restaurant.

 

Discussion Starters:

• What's your view of PR Daily's attempt at a more "human" statement? What are the potential advantages and risks?
• Try another variation of Wendy's statement. What else could the spokesperson say?

Miss Utah's Illogical Interview Response

Good thing she's so beautiful. Top-five Miss USA contender Miss Utah badly flubbed a question about income inequality. NeNe Leakes (Desperate Housewives of Atlanta) asked the interview question: 

"A recent report shows that in 40% of American families with children, women are the primary earners, yet they continue to earn less than men. What does this say about society?"

Discussion Starters:

• What are the (many) logical flaws in Miss Utah's response?
• What organizational strategies would have helped her answer the question?
• What strategies for preparing for an oral presentation and handling questions might have helped the candidate?

HGTV's Flag Tablecloth Draws Fire

In anticipation of Fourth of July celebrations, HGTV suggested using an American flag as a tablecloth.

 

On its Facebook page, the network suggested "Classic Fourth of July Table Setting Ideas" including this tip: 

"Drape a large American flag over the table as a bright and festive table runner. Use a nylon flag so spills can be easily wiped off and the flag can later be hung with pride on a flag pole."

Apparently, the network designers were unaware of "Flag Etiquette," according to the U.S. Government, which includes the following:

"The flag should not be used as a drapery, or for covering a speakers [sic] desk, draping a platform, or for any decoration in general."

As expected, backlash on HGTV's Facebook page came from across the nation:

• I am appalled that you would suggest using the flag that my brother was killed defending in Iraq as something to catch spills on a table at a cookout.

• No one dies for a table cloth.

HGTV issued this apology:

"HGTV Fans, regarding the recent article that appeared on our website...This was a regrettable use of our flag and it never should have happened. We sincerely apologize and have removed the post from our website. We want to assure our fans that HGTV is proud of the American flag and everything it symbolizes for our people."

Discussion Starters:

• What's your assessment of HGTV's decorating advice: was it an innocent mistake, or should the designers have known better?
• What's your view of the reaction? Are people too sensitive? Is this a desecration of the flag? Or something else?
• What's your view of HGTV's apology? What works well, and what could be improved?
• In the excerpt from the government website, I added "[sic]." What does this mean, and why did I add it?

George Takei's Ghost Writer Fesses Up

George Takei, 1960s Star Trek cast member, is highly popular on Facebook. But his posts have been written, at least in part, by someone paid $10 per joke. With 4.1 million likes, Takei's Facebook page is a mix of cartoons, jokes, and other lighthearted posts.

Rick Polito came clean in an email to Jim Romenesko's blog but seemed to have regretted the decision after a few days' rest:

"Polito tells Romenesko readers today: 'I wrote an apology to George and Brad and their guy said he’d pass it on. I just said that I’d been looking for any mention of my book I could get and that I hadn’t meant to expose anything.

"He adds: 'I don’t update his page. I’ve had no direct contact with George. I’ve sent him some memes, as have other comedian types and I was happy for the exposure.'"

In an email to Wired, Takei doesn't share his fans' concern:

"What is this hoo-ha about my FB posts? I have Brad, my husband, to help me and interns to assist. What is important is the reliability of my posts being there to greet my fans with a smile or a giggle every morning. That’s how we keep on growing."

Discussion Starters:

• Compare this situation to that of Mark Davidson, whose tweet writer exposed him on his own Twitter feed. What are the similarities and differences? 
• How do you assess this situation? Under what circumstances is it acceptable for someone to write social media posts on another's behalf? 

Whole Foods Criticized for English-Only Policy

Two employees claim they were suspended for complaining about Whole Foods' policy that employees speak only English while at work. The New Mexico League of United Latin American Citizens and ProgressNow New Mexico are threatening boycotts of Whole Foods. 

On its website, the company posted this response—in both English and Spanish:

Whole Foods Market® responds to AP story about Spanish speaking team members

Article is misleading; company celebrates and honors our diverse team members

AUSTIN, Texas (June 6, 2013) – At Whole Foods Market, we do not have “no foreign languages spoken” policies in any of our stores. Our policy is that the default language is English, for consistent communication, inclusion, and especially for safety and emergency situations. We want our team members to use their judgment about when it’s appropriate to speak other languages. We are proud of our multilingual team members and try to work with customers in other languages whenever needed!

The facts are: two team members in New Mexico became upset when they believed they were told in a team meeting they could not speak Spanish at work. That was not what was communicated. They were suspended with pay due to rude and disrespectful behavior. Their suspension was due to their behavior alone, not for speaking Spanish.

Nevertheless, the store leadership launched a full investigation and seventeen team members who also attended the meeting confirmed that the language policy was discussed, and at no time were the two team members told they could not speak Spanish.

We will be looking at written guidelines across our multiple regions on this front to ensure clarity.

The statement could use some editing. For starters, "Spanish speaking team members" needs a hyphen for clarity. Also, isn't speaking Spanish a behavior? The sentence, "Their suspension was due to their behavior alone, not for speaking Spanish" is unclear, and "due to" is best reserved for owing money.

Image source.

Discussion Starters:

• What's your view of English-only policies at work? Do you buy Whole Foods' justification?
• Assess the company's response. What works well, and what else could be improved?