Oh boy, do I have a real gripe today! Hold onto your seat mommy bloggers and review bloggers, as I have a story to share with you!
About 8 days ago I was online and looking for a particular product and finally found one company online that sells it. I won’t tell you what the product was, but I will tell you that it sells for around $19.99. Anyway, I emailed the company our Two Classy Chics pitch letter and offered up a copy of our press media kit. This is the same email and press media kit offer that we give to all companies we work with.
The product that I pitched for is something fairly unique, something I am interested in and something I feel our blog readers would love learning more about.
Well, about 4 days later I get an email reply from that particular company and the email reply was something like this:
Dear Shelly,
Thank you for contacting us. Instead of bothering companies, you and your fellow bloggers should get “real” jobs and quit raking companies out of free products. We are tired of bloggers emailing us to “give” them free products for nothing. We are in the business to make money, not give it away…certainly not to bloggers who should get real day jobs and earn a viable income.
We hope you and your fellow bloggers learn a lesson and quit harassing companies like us.
Signed,
(The mean company’s name)
Oh my gosh…I about hit the ceiling when I opened that email at 7am in the morning. Seriously, I was ready to go through my laptop and strangle the idiot that emailed that to me & spoke to me like I was a subclass human being.
First of all, you could of just replied and said, “no thank you” and I would of went along my merry way. By being professional with your reply, I would of ended up purchasing the product from you, because it is GENUINELY something I am interested in.
By you acting like an unprofessional idiot, I will no longer be interested in your product and hence, you have now lost a potential customer. Furthermore, I will be telling all of my friends & family about how unprofessional you are…and now you will lose their business too!
We do NOT expect every company to work with us..nope, we do not! We are not offended when we get “no” in our replies. We do not “reap” in free products! We work really hard promoting companies & their products, nothing is FREE with this job!
With that said, we do EXPECT companies to be dignified and professional with any and all email correspondence with a blogger, potential customer, customer, business associate, what have you! That type of reply was totally out of line!
For those of you who have review blogs, have any of you ever encountered such an unprofessional fool like that person? Geesh!
What an unprofessional response! If that company has been “bothered” by a lot of bloggers it should simply say no thank you nicely.
That’s unbelievable! I’ve been blogging for three years and have never had an email like that. You handled it way better than I would have. I’ve received several “no thank you” emails and I’m quite all right with that but the way they worded their email was way off base.
The company probably is bombarded with review requests. After all, there are thousands (probably more) review blogs out there. I can partially see why they feel assaulted with press inquiries. With that said, all they need to do is say “no thanks”.
I do have what they’d consider a real job. (although I think stay-at-home and work away from home are both okay – no judgment here). I make a decent income and learn a lot from blogs and my own product reviews about products and if I’ll ever purchase in the future from the company. In fact, I recently won a Discover gift card and purchased online from three different companies that I’ve done “free” product reviews for in the past.
I’ll quit rambling on now. I’m just appalled that a company would ever behave like that. Obviously, they don’t know the power of bloggers.
That was just rude and uncalled for. I can assure the bloggers here that yes, you are providing a valued service to me in reviewing items for folks like me. But hopefully my competition does not catch on and work with you so I can have all of you just working for me 🙂
Wow! You ladies are all super supportive and your support, thoughts and comments have meant a LOT to me. I was feeling really bummed when that idiot disrespected me and our blogging profession like that…but you all have made me smile. It is nice to know that the blogging community supports one another like this!
My blog earns me more income (as in real cash and not products) in one day than this person likely makes all week. How’s that for a real job?
HA! NIIICE~!
I take to heart what my fellow bloggers write about – and I would think ANY company would love to have some exposure in our SM streams.
Wow!
Too bad you aren’t sharing the company name – cuz I’d love to know and make sure I treat them with the same respect they treat you with – ie: not picking up any of their products anytime soon!
xxoo
You have to wonder: if he was that rude to you as co-owner, how do they treat customers?
WOW :0 that’s horrible!
I have people emailing ME asking me to review their items. So, I guess those companies must not mind that I don’t have a “real” job.
What baffles me is how much business they are losing by being so blind to this obviously win-win marketing technique. Writing reviews takes time and energy, and is mostly done as a courtesy. The items are a small gift of appreciation for doing the company the favor of spreading the word. Word of mouth and SEO can go an extremely long way for a VERY little cost.
Wow. That baffles me how rude and stupid that company is.
Reading this makes me angry. I am a mother, a wife, a homemaker, a blogger and yes I have a demanding real job as a banking executive. I love blogging as it expresses who I am and gives me an opportunity to get away from the routine. Whoever wrote that response has no real passions, no beliefs and no real aspirations. This individual has no business responding to any requests. I am sorry you received such a response.
Are you kidding me? That’s beyond ridiculous, and furthermore, blogging is THE NEW marketing tool. There was actually a study done that showed that most consumers will go to a blog for advice, product referral etc than any other website, company or even person. HELLO!! That’s kind of a big deal. If you aren’t working with bloggers, wake up! I’m so sorry you have this experience. SO Dumb. (Too bad we don’t know the company or we could all complain and make quite the scene.
Totally agree with you! Blogging and marketing your products via bloggers is a cost-effective way to market your business and target those who are most likely to purchase your products. Shameful that the company has so much disrespect for bloggers.
I am a blogger AND I have a REAL job!! I am a pediatric intensive care nurse and I happen to make double the amount of money my husband makes! Just because I like to promote my favorite products does NOT mean that I’m out for free hand-outs or that I am lazy. Promoting your products takes my TIME and as companies like to say, “time is money”. Though ideally I would like to get paid for my TIME to promote your product, I will accept free products if I am really interested in it. Products do not pay my bills.
Thanks for leaving your comments Jamie. I am a former OR Nurse and I own 3 successful work at home businesses and work extremely hard for my money. Obviously that company and the owner (it was the co-owner who emailed me) have NO respect for our blogging profession. Bloggers can make or break a companies PR campaign.
That is so unprofessional of them & such bad business! Seriously when we receive products & write about business s , link to their business opening the doors for our readers to meet them, see their products & give our honest reviews (not to mention all the work in giveaways); Is that not working? Time = $$ if they paid for advertising it would cost them so much more $$ than the price of the product! Sorry to hear of your experience.
Exactly Theresa! We (mom bloggers) offer them affordable advertising and we work hard for them! As far as I am concerned, I hope they sink because speaking to a potential customer like that is definitely bad business!
Anything I say right now in response to this idiots response to you would turn out not so pleasant. You are much more professional than me. I would’ve copied and paste the email naming the company. Of course, like you said, you don’t even want to give them bad press, but I tell you what, there are a lot of bloggers out there and one of these times a blogger is going to give them a piece of their mind ON their blog. lol I’m hoping there’s a person higher up in the company who can deal with this jerk! I’d definitely go further with it. You WERE a potential customer. This will have a ripple affect and yes, i do hope it affects their bottom line! UGH!!!
Thanks for stopping by Mimi and leaving your comments. I was REALLY tempted to post their email here on our blog, but unlike him, I am a “true” professional. It just amazes me that companies are still stuck in the dark ages regarding online marketing but what surprised me the most was how “rude” and “ignorant” this guy was to me. Anyway, he lost my business for sure!
Don’t know if I could have been as professional as you in keeping the company name a secret. You are right though, you are MUCH more professional than that person in that you won’t give them bad press.
So totally uncalled for. I’m not so sure I’d have kept my composure had I received that reply.
I haven’t gotten any that rude, and I think I would be with you ready to strangle them for being unprofessional. However, my pet peeve is the ones who say they don’t offer product for review, nor do they pay for reviews; however, if you would like to promote them for free, here’s a copy of our information. I usually professionally thank them for taking the time to let me know their stance and to please feel free to keep my info on file for when their marketing strategy and plans expand. Anyone who does it knows the literal hours we put into it, and while of my own accord I may do free work, don’t be blatantly cheap when we know how much advertisement costs via magazine, radio, tv, and even some blogs!
Yeah, those emails irk me too. “We’d love for you to promote our products without any compensation!” No thank you! I also love those ones who try to disguise their advertising as a “guest post”. Again, no thank you!
I would have probably emailed back reminding him that bloggers hold business and it’s success in the palms of their hands. That would be why companies like General Mills work with us. The world is listening to what we say good or bad. Beyond that we are also customers with families and friends and should be treated as such. I’d have thanked him for his reply and made it abundantly clear that while my blog isn’t for slandering products (because you’re professional like that – good on you!) my personal friends and family will be hearing all about it as would his boss. Then phone them.
Sorry you had to deal with a jerk today!
Not a blogger but a simple no thank you would have worked just fine in response! They need to rehtink who is in charge of answering their email for sure.
wow, just wow! that was such a rude and insulting reply, I can’t imagine how they stay in business with people like representing the company. I wish I knew who it was so I could steer clear but I get why you wouldn’t want to give them press they surely don’t deserve. This company obviously just doesn’t get it.
Hi Jennifer
Thanks for stopping by & leaving a comment. You know..when a celebrity does something bad and gets negative press about it, their fame sky rockets even more (for a short time) so that is why I won’t give this company any press…good or bad!
Yeotch! Takes douchebaggery to new heights! (And I just made up a word!)
You’re a lot nicer than I am…I would expose the company for the rudeness…and, I’m starting to get soooooo frustrated with the way people treat others, especially when they think they are so much better than them…real jobs? Really? BAH!
I hear ya Cassi, I am about fed up with the nonsense myself. In regards that ignorant company owner, I won’t give them ANY TYPE of press at all. With an attitude like that, the company will eventually FAIL.
Wow Shelly, that was totally uncalled for. Its too bad you can’t go further with this one, they should not be able to get away with talking to you in this manner.
Its not an easy job doing giveaways and reviews and I have had some very nice comments from companies saying how much they appreciate bloggers and all we do for them in getting the word out about their products.
I don’t blame you for being upset about this as I would be too. Too bad some people have to be so downright ignorant. I wonder if everyone they come in contact with gets the same reply you did.
Very sad indeed but on the other hand, you don’t need people like that and the companies that do appreciate what we do makes up for those idiots that don’t.
Thanks Sweet D for your comments! This dude was definitely ignorant to me and obviously, he knows nothing about marketing on the internet.
Thank you everyone for your support and for leaving your comments. That email irked me off to no end! It was downright rude, disrespectful and unprofessional. A simple “No Thank You” would of been sufficient or just ignore my email all-together. I stewed over their email for a few days before I said anything as my blood was boiling!
These products are NOT free for bloggers! We look at it as “bartering” for our marketing, writing and advertising services. That dude had some “nerve” to talk to me like that and I am really disappointed in his behavior.
Oh well, their loss! I will NOT be purchasing that product from them. I can live without it!
That is down right insulting, and I would not purchase from that company either. I am a stay at home mom, and this is a real job for me. I don’t get any products for free. I don’t pay money, but I pay with time away from my kids, and with my effort and my creativity. I work hard for the companies I work with. This has me livid.
I did get a snotty comment when I was first starting out from a company. I have had major brands that I love that said they have a no blogger policy just b/c they get asked so much. I get that. I am fine with that, and I purchase from them. The other company, I would never purchase from. If anyone I know tells me about purchasing from them, I tell them my story, and they lose them as customers.
What annoys me, if you ask that guy what is your best advertising, he would most likely say “word of mouth”. Dumb arse, this is word of mouth…on a much larger scale. Instead of my 20 – 30 friends I would tell about your product, I am telling 15000. Plus, you can show it off to your fans, link to it on your pages, so any potential customers can see. It’s advertising for the cost of making your product, plus it’s a write off on your expense sheet. It isn’t even retail value it is costing them.
Some companies get it, and they are amazing, and others don’t get it, and are getting left behind.
Sorry…I am grouchy today, and this made my blood boil.
I agree with Monique’s husband…talk to someone higher up in the company and give them a copy of the e-mail you received. Don’t let them get away with speaking to you in this manner. This is outrageous and would like to know the company name so I don’t give them any business!
Wow! That’s disgusting!
They are about to find out how badly word-of-mouth advertising can bite them in the behind!
I know that you have too much integrity to share who it is but I would love to know so that I won’t ever use them
Companies like this really get under my skin. The entire idea of “free” ticks me off. It is not free, they get promo and advertising. If anything us mommy bloggers and review bloggers get way less than we deserve. I am tired of other bloggers trashing us too. Really? I had a lady refuse to work with me as I posted about coupons and she said my readers were too cheap for her products. As much as I agree not to post the company name, I wish we knew who it was so we could boycott and they could see how valuable us all were
Just like we do not want to post everything that comes our way, we understand companies sometimes are not a good fit. But their response was just plain rude.
I totally agree! I wouldn’t let this one go! Take it as high as you have to get this resolved! Meaning this person educated as to the value of bloggers to companies.
I say release the name and make an example out of how they think we are subpar as our jobs are not “typical” jobs.
That’s insane!
I’ve gotten similar responses. Their loss at the exposure, since many research studies have proven that people trust bloggers endorsements more than celebrities. You could share their name to shame them, but I guess that would just be more promotion than they deserve.
Kim,
Like you, I have read numerous studies that also showed that getting products reviewed & marketed by bloggers is a big benefit to a company, both large and small companies.
Terrible that that happened. My hubby said you need to see if you can find out who is higher up in that company-VP, president, etc.. you want to let them know this happened. Do your research and don’t let them get away with it!
Thanks Monique for your comment. Apparently this fool is the co-owner of this medium-sized company so I really can’t take it further. Their loss!