Okay, I will come back, at some point to tell you about the eggplant parm, trimmed down, however (It was very good) I am taking a moment to “share.” Please indulge my little rant and do with it what you will.
Let me give you the back story… my husband received, as a gift, for Christmas a bottle of Disaronno. Disaronno is typically too sweet of a drink for me, but I thought it would make an interesting modification on a Manhattan. I was right. I am not sure what possessed me but I thought I would e-mail them and share my idea. I sent an e-mail simply requesting information on how I could send a recipe idea I had using their product. Silly, I know, but I guess I was (pardon the pun) full of the spirit.
Here is the response I got back:
01/17/10
Dear Vanessa,
We are frequently received information, ideas or inventions (“Information”) from people who are not our employees. It is our policy to return, unopened, all identifiable unsolicited Information. If, due to inadvertence or due to lack of knowledge of contents, an envelope is opened, it is our policy to forward the Information to our Legal Department who then returns it to the sender with out giving it any consideration.
Should you want to submit your information to us, please write to:
Bacardi U.S.A., Inc.
Legal Department
Attention: Advertising & Trade Practice Counsel 2100 Biscayne Blvd Miami, FL 33137
and request a copy of our “Unsolicited Information / Idea Submission Policy” (Policy) for completion before submitting your information. Information received before compliance with our Policy with be return without consideration and we assume no risk, obligation or liability whatsoever regarding the reception, retention, confidentiality and consideration of you Information.
Best Regards,
I am leaving the customer service representatives name off, because she was just doing her job and should not be included in my disgust. So follow me on my ride of logic.
Here is basically what she said, if anyone ever wants to contact our company via mail, they are required to write and ask for permission to write to us, once and only once that permission is granted, they may then write. Furthermore, lets say I purchased their product and had a problem with it, and I wrote them to address my grievance. Lets also assume, I didn’t know I had to write and ask permission to write (ughhh…duhhh), they would just send my letter back unread and unopened. Really. Really???
It seems to me the proper response to my question was:
Dear Vanessa,
Please don’t bother, we really don’t care at all about our customers. Your satisfaction, is really and totally irrelevant to us Really. I mean seriously, we are not joking about this. If you have a problem with it, please write us and ask for permission to complain. If permission (oh, and this is such a LONG shot!) is granted, you must twirl around twice prior to licking the stamp or we will not be able to give consideration to your complaint.
Stuff it sucker,
Bacardi.
Grrrr. Look let me make it clear that if they simply responded, that they don’t accept recipes, I would have no issue. I get it, they probably get thousands of recipes from silly girls like me that think they stumbled on to some great new drink. What I have an issue with is that this is their policy for ANY UNSOLICATED mail. Really. Really? Wow. It is sad to me. Maybe I am just sick of companies that seem to have forgotten that they need customers to make money, and that possibly it would behoove them to treat their customers decently. However, I can’t blame them because, we seem to have forgotten the ultimate power we have as consumers, not to purchase their product.
So on that note, I will in no way be a consumer of Bacardi products. The list includes:
Bacardi Rum (that was a surprise huh!)
Disaronno
Martini and Rossi
Dewars
Bombay Saphire (the most overrated martini gin in this girls humble opinion)
Cazadores
Grey Goose
42 below
Havana Club Drambuie
Eristoff Vodka
B&B and Benedictine Liquores
Maybe I should send them a letter letting them know I am not a customer any longer.
11 comments:
That is obscenely horrendous customer sevice. I am shocked at their lack of graciousness toward a consumer, especially one who has taken the time to contact them. Shame on them.Honetly, what idiots! I wish there was a way you could let their bigwigs see this post. Horrible customer relations!!
As a lover of Manhattans though I'm interested in your recipe. You don't even have to ask my permission to submit it to me =)
Lauren, you are my kind of girl! It was a no brainer really. I just used the amaretto as opposed the the sweet vermouth, nothing crazy, but it was good... wow now is it sad I am craving a cocktail at 3 in the afternoon!!
Wow. And they are still in business...what a surprise!!! What sort of legal mumbo jumbo is that?!?!?!!?
Your time is obviously not as Important as their time...I too am no longer participating to this ridiculousness of Bacardi...I boycott as well!
Seriously...get back to basics with human contact and communication, Bacardi!
I'm not a lawyer, but it seems like the issue is with unsolicited ideas. The problem is, if you submit a recipe to them and they use it and it's so good that it creates a huge surge in sales, the company fears that you will come back to them and ask to be compensated. So, this is their way of protecting themselves from being sued. I bet you have to sign a waiver saying you won't seek compensation before you submit your idea to them. Just guessing, but the whole intellectual property law thing is pretty nuts, so it wouldn't surprise me if it has something to do with that.
No Rebecca, clearly you are not a lawyer, because what you said actually makes sense! (just joking, my fathers a lawyer and i have very lovely friends that are lawyers, I just couldn't resist the opening.) I hear you, I do, but most sites flat out say something along the lines, of "you are welcome to submit a recipe, but we not only will not compensate you, we will give you no credit." And that approach I get. Really. I also would get if they just said, no, we don't take recipes, it is the convoluted way they handle what they deem as "information" (cuz you KNOW you have to watch out for that nasty INFORMATION) that just irks me. I don't know, I just believe people that want my money, should be a bit more...I dunno, friendly. Maybe its cuz I am old?? dunno! but I hear you.
Wait, did you ask their permission to post this? lol
I read Rebecca's response, and I think she's right. We have to do the same thing with people who call The Martin Agency with ideas for commercials. If we ever end up using something like they say, they could take legal action. So, for instance, if you had a Gecko idea for us, you would get me on the phone b/c I work on that account. Now, I couldn't actually listen to your idea, and I would have to transfer your call. Seems silly, but true. But you're right, they don't have to be rude about it.
But I'm glad you're posting again!
Chris, I sent them a letter to ask!
My goodness, they really suck. I guess that Bacardi believes that they have plenty of customers and they really don't care about the few/many that do write in w"without" their permission! I think this would be good to add to their web site. Wow!!
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