Response from MKS Supply(RFID press release blunder)

cursesfoiledagain ^ | 1 August, 2011 | Jake

[marktwain]

Remember my emails to MKS Supply and Hi-Point regarding the press release flap? This morning I received an email response from the president of MKS Supply, Charles Brown.

Here is a copy-and-paste quote of the entire email (except for my full name and private information), with no editing.

I appreciate your response to the barcode chip Release that was sent out last week, I am handling each one of the few responses we received individually, I feel if you took the time to contact me and express yourself I should extend the courtesy of responding to you.

I agree 100% with your observation that the “tin foil” comment sounded and read like we were uncaring pompous asses who did not care about the customers we market to, I like to try to put some humor in all of my releases and the shooting press seems to find it a nice departure from the mundane who-what-where-when contained in most the releases they get, however the intent of the “humor” came thru in a totally different “feel”-(yes we forgot the whole internet thing about how you can’t read inflection or feelings)

I also try to let all of our releases “sleep” over night and come back in the next day with fresh eyes and take a look at it …unfortunately I did not with this one.

My family has been in the firearms business since 1953 and I have owned MKS for the last 28 years, always supporting the firearms industry and supporting the preservation of our constitutional rights and being on the watch for erosion of such.

MKS was one of the charter members of the Heritage fund that has pledged 1% of all of our sales to go toward fighting for our firearms rights, I am an NRA life member and support with cash and donations, thru MKS numerous events, friends of NRA, first shots programs, NSSF, US Sportsman’s alliance..in the 90’s we were one of the first to send donations of cash to the organizations in California fighting for our firearms rights. ect.

I am hoping that our ACTIONS of the past and future will show through and one comment that was supposed to produce a chuckle (unfortunately made us look like Jackasses) won’t forever hurt the way we are viewed. I guess I should have just re-stated that the glued in easy to find Barcode chip can be easily removed and left it at that.

Humbly and respectfully yours

Charles Brown

He acknowledges that the release was inappropriate, and takes the burden of error on himself. I don’t know how many others are involved in the press release process at MKS, but the fact that he takes on what is very much a “the buck stops here” attitude speaks strongly in his favour.

This is a good response. It boils down to “This is what we did wrong, this is what we should have done, and it’s my fault.” While the word “apologize” never actually appears in the message, that’s basically what it is and I can accept it as such. His attitude in this email – and the statement that he is responding to each one individually – have moved me from the solidly “never buy from them” category back in to the “I will buy from them if the merchandise interests me” category.

[marktwain]

A good response to the press release that seemed insulting to his customers. Humor often does not travel well on the internet.

[TYVets]

Humor is becoming a rare commodity in 0bamaland.

[TYVets]

Thanks for posting the reply to your email.

[yefragetuwrabrumuy]

It has been many years now, but I remember at least one major corporation had so many problems with poorly written hasty emails that resulted in bad feelings and mistakes that they instituted a policy that all outgoing emails had to be vetted before sending.

The new policy was very helpful.