SlimFast email response

[sandnsea]

I got a response from my email to SlimFast. [e-mail]

Thank you for contacting us to share your comments about our relationship with Ms. Goldberg. We do read all e-mails and take them seriously. We also appreciate the opportunity to clarify our
position.

Ms. Goldberg's remarks created a great deal of negative media and consumer attention and this affected Ms. Goldberg's ability to positively communicate our message of weight loss. Because
of this, we decided to conclude the current advertising campaign. Slim Fast believes its decision in no way impacts Ms. Goldberg's freedom of speech, now or in the future.

Thank you for taking the time to voice your concerns.

Kathi Eckler
Consumer Support



My response, please email Kathi as well:


There was a coordinated attack by some right wing groups, there is documented evidence of it. A small faction of our country is dictating the "social values" for the entire country because companies like yours are apparently too stupid to know you're being manipulated Your actions most definitely squelch free speech because when no one stands up for free speech, there IS NO free speech. That isn't all that complicated to figure out. How long of a list do we need? A teacher in New Mexico was fired for printing a poem. A gentleman was arrested for wearing a T-Shirt in a mall. Young people are being suspended from school. People were arrested at Presidential events for wearing T-Shirts, just wearing T-Shirts. Our National Parks directors were put on suspension for speaking out about the budget and intimidating memos were sent out as well. Every person who speaks out against this Administration is put through the most vicious smear campaigns I've ever witnessed. O'Neill, Clarke, Edmonds, a whole list of people. Schwarzenegger is smearing Democrats with "girly-men" instead of discussing the issues at hand. We've got the Dixie Chicks, Susan Sarandon, Tim Robbins, Linda Rondstadt, and Whoopi. There is an endless assault on the right to dissent in this country and unless you like the idea of living in a theocracy, you people who can do something about this better wake the hell up. I will not be purchasing SlimFast or any other Unilever product and I know many people who feel the same way. Did you just forget that half the country ARE Democrats and John Kerry is actually ahead in every single poll?

[Shopaholic]

1. That is a brilliant reply!

Let's see if they'll respond to that!

[tridim]

4. I'll bet 100 bucks that they

send the exact same form letter response again.

[sandnsea]

19. Just spam that email

That's what counts anyway.

And thanks everybody for the nice words. :hi:

[frylock]

2. ohhhhhhhhhhhh snap!!

well done!

[RoadRunner]

3. I just got the exact same e-mail, word for word.

Guess they know how to copy n' paste, huh?

(My reply to them wasn't as good as yours)

[aint_no_life_nowhere]

16. Me too

same exact wording

[Arugula Latte]

26. Me three.

I replied back that I am sick of rightwing bullies and the corporations that kowtow to rightwing bullies.

[Deja Q]

5. Awesome response to their tin-canned nonsense!

Let's hope they read beyond "...too stupid to know...", but the phrase is justified.

[maggrwaggr]

6. cool. Thanks for the e-mail address

here's what I wrote:

Do you have any frikkin' idea how many people you pissed off by firing Whoopie Goldberg?

You people must be REALLY STUPID.

I know that I, as a Democrat, will NEVER EVER buy another OUNCE of Slimfast for the rest of my life.

And there are thousands, millions, just like me.

Man. You people are DUMB AS POSTS.

Sincerely,

A former Slimfast user

[Tarheel_Dem]

7. wow!

what a great response. they haven't responded to me yet (other than the auto-response). but mine was equally scathing. thanks for your energy!

[in_cog_ni_to]

8. Great reply.

I received the same letter from her, but my reply wasn't anywhere as good as yours is.

I hope everyone who receives her letter lets her have it! Remind her that we are boycotting their products!


Here's my letter..not as good as yours, but it runs in the same vein. ;)

Kathi,

Thank you for taking the time to reply to my email. Your firing Ms. Goldberg may not impact her Freedom Of Speech, but you did play right into the hands of the Republican Party. Look at what they did to the Dixie Chicks. Look at what they did to the Ronald Reagan Movie. Look at what they did to the Michael Moore movie, Fahrenheit 911. They cry and corporate America kowtows. It's shameful that Ms. Goldberg was fired over this and I will continue to boycott your products and I'll be sure to remind all of my friends to do the same.

Kind Regards,

[ladjf]

13. I wouldn't get too excited about the quality of your letters.

They are mostly read and responded to automatically, just a computer program.

[in_cog_ni_to]

17. Her reply says that they read all of their emails.

We do read all e-mails and take them seriously.

They must read them because they fired Whoopi and they replied to all the Whoopi support letters. A program reads the letters? I didn't know a program could do that. Anyway, I feel good about standing up for Whoopi. My letters will have to do. ;)

[ladjf]

22. I would take that to mean

that the computer reads all emails. They take them seriously enough to have a the computer respond to each. They might read less the 1%.
I'm just guessing, however.

[in_cog_ni_to]

24. I swear I learn something new on DU

every day! Thanks. That's really good to know.

[hang a left]

9. WE THE PEOPLE

will no longer put up with ANY attempts to silence dissent. We will not buy products from companies that support facism. I have been wanting to try the low-carb approach to weight control. Thank you for the push.

Warm Regards,

Slim-Fast No More

[Mr_Spock]

10. I emailed her a response also even though I never got a response to my

email saying I was boycotting all unilever products.

[Pepperbelly]

11. outstanding letter! nt

[RoadRunner]

12. My response to their e-mail (not as good as yours, though)

Hi Kathi:

On second thought, I can't believe how ignorant you folks are. Don't you realize that the "negative media and consumer attention" you mentioned were the result of a write-in campaign by a right-wing hate group known as freerepublic.com?

Since your quarterlies are going to be off so much, you might have some free time. How about using some of it by going over there and seeing them brag about it?

What you don't realize is that these right-wing nutcases represent a miniscule percentage of consumers. You threw away your brand franchise for these jerks?

Enough, I give up. My original statement holds: I will never support your company again.

[ClintonTyree]

14. If she had...............

joked about Clinton's penis nothing would have ever been said. She'd still have a job and there would be no controversy. Nobody is allowed to say anything negative about Bush in public. If they do they'll lose their livlihood and forever be branded a rabble rousing traitor.
Democracy is dead in this country, until November. Shit like this will only make me work harder and give more money to Kerry. These evil bastards must be stopped.

[TreasonousBastard]

15. Let's see if it actually impacts their sales...

but that's only part of the key.

Tavis Smiley had a Columbia prof on who made a great case for Jeb putting the pressure on to fire Whoopi.

Not that Jeb actually called and said dump her, but the way it works is that someone from the statehouse calls and reminds them that there's a property tax issue, or some investigation going on. The threat is only implied, but it is enough to get them to ask whether Whoopi is more important than pissing off the Governor.

They are a Florida company, after all.

Just like Disney has that huge business in Orlando, and might not want the state looking too closely at it if they distributed F/911.

[SoCalDem]

18. CALL THEIR TOLL FREE NUMBER

Follow the phone robot instructions, until you get a real person. I did this the other day, and she sat there transcribing everything I said.. They must document calls.. SOMEONE WILL READ THE TRANSCRIPTIONS..

e-mails probably print out into the shredder after the email addresses are saved, so they can spam you with ads..

I spent about 10 minutes on the phone with the person there and gave them the url for free republi'c thread on the subject..

[sandnsea]

20. Good idea

I will do that too!!!

[PopSixSquish]

21. Got the Exact Same Thing

Some PR person must have finally figured out what to tell people

[sandnsea]

23. Reply to it

That's OUR SIDE'S email address and they'll know by our response whether we're serious or not.

[merh]

25. I received the same stupid canned reply today too.

Here is my response to this ignorant company representative:
==================
Dear Ms. Eckler:

I thank you for your reply even though it is a canned reply and lacks sincerity. How sad it is that your company has chosen to punish a known comedian for doing her job. That is what she was doing on the evening in question. She was performing her act at a private function. It was not a publicly broadcast performance and those that gathered were of like mind. The common belief shared by those in attendance was that the person she ridiculed is an incompetent individual who should be removed from office. She was there as a performer supporting a candidate who opposes the candidate she ridiculed. How unusual, how disrespectful, how expected. Have you ever heard of a "roast"? Well, that is what she did, she roasted the man. I would bet that the ridicule at your corporate retreats are more extreme than Ms. Goldberg's comments that night.

While you and your company may not share the political views of Ms Goldberg and/or Ms Goldberg's audience, it was her right as a performer to entertain her audience, an audience that was largely composed of members of the democratic party. I would agree that if the audience was made up of republicans, her humor may have been considered in poor taste and, if that had been the case, Ms. Goldberg should be chastised (and ridiculed for poor judgment and timing). As the audience was comprised of folks that support the man that is opposing the republican candidate, her "routine" was appropriate and from most accounts, funny.

The "great deal of negative media and consumer attention" that you refer to is as distorted as is your company's views and values. A small, very vocal and very hateful group of closed minded individuals generated the hate and perpetuated the myth that became the "tasteless jokes" of Ms. Goldberg. When will the corporations and advertisers of this nation realize that the conservative, mainstream media is not respected, let alone believed and that the conservative, moral majority or not in fact a majority? The American public is growing wise to the deceit of the media and for your sake, I hope one day your company will wise up too.

There are thousands of citizens that have found the firing of Ms. Goldberg distasteful and unpatriotic. You will come to realize that when your sales drop as there are hundreds generating lists of all of your company's products (not just Slim Fast) with the sole purpose of avoiding your company's products. Folks will stop using your products because your actions in firing Ms. Goldberg make it appear as if your company does not respect a basic right afforded the citizens of this nation, freedom of speech.

Watch the polls in November and you will see that members of the democratic party have strong opinions too and their numbers are many.

merh

[in_cog_ni_to]

27. Awesome letter, merh! n/t

[merh]

28. thank you!

It's always fun to tell these type of folks off in a polite and factual way.

[qanda]

29. I *love* your reply

This is what I've been saying (perhaps not as well) for the last two years. :thumbsup:

[jukes]

30. just emailed this:

"Ms. Eckler,

My father retired from the St. Louis Lever Bros. plant in the late '70's. I have always gone out of my way to buy Unilever products, but no more. I will only purchase from your competitors from this day hence.

Shame on you for toadying to a hate campaign arranged by underhanded conservative activists!

I understand that, as a customer relations representative, your job entails formulating excuses for bad policy, but I really don't understand how you can look yourself in the mirror each morning. I'm absolutely convinced your corporate bottom line will suffer from the backlash to this outrage, and i intend to forward this missive to as many board members and major stockholders as I can locate.

Most sincerely,"

[Shredr]

31. Here, here!

Brilliant response. Perfectly put.