Comments on: Comments on 10210

Post number 10210

zedzebedia — Thu, 13 Sep 2001 12:53:47 -0800

Sample letter intended for businesses who advertise in a Honolulu newspaper. Found here via the always informative Media News.

By: luser

luser — Thu, 13 Sep 2001 13:06:57 -0800

I saw this on MediaNews today. What's wrong with it? If you're a salesperson, and it's totally inappropriate to be selling, why not take some time to let clients know you appreciate them? I don't see this as inappropriate at all. What's your point of view? You fail to say.

By: BT

BT — Thu, 13 Sep 2001 13:14:08 -0800

Maybe zedzebedia's point was that, as a kind of template meant to generate personal-seeming notes, it strikes one as kind of creepy or tasteless. That's how I took it.

By: mattpusateri

mattpusateri — Thu, 13 Sep 2001 13:14:27 -0800

I agree. I got a call from a vendor today who was just "checking in" to see how we were doing. It's not like they are selling something that exploits the crisis. I don't really see the harm.... It's not like those idiots selling Trade Tower memorabilia at eBay or something like that...

By: rcade

rcade — Thu, 13 Sep 2001 13:17:46 -0800

I think it's cheesy to treat a business relationship as if it is comparable to personal relationships.

By: theMargin

theMargin — Thu, 13 Sep 2001 13:19:20 -0800

It's nice to know that the Marketing departments of the United States remain unaffected by the recent tragedy.

By: zedzebedia

zedzebedia — Thu, 13 Sep 2001 13:31:18 -0800

I really don't have a point on it, to be honest. It struck me as interesting.

By: luser

luser — Thu, 13 Sep 2001 13:42:18 -0800

you know, theMargin, your comment sounded sarcastic, but in fact it IS nice to know people are behaving normally. One awkward call I took today: a salesperson in NY was calling me to let me know that THEY were OK. I hadn't thought to call, since I knew they were in midtown, and frankly don't have a business relationship with the person. Whoops. I guess I should have tried, or faked like I tried.

By: mattpusateri

mattpusateri — Thu, 13 Sep 2001 13:43:08 -0800

I think it's cheesy to treat a business relationship as if it is comparable to personal relationships. No question, but that's business. Makes me a little queasy, but its par for the course... Vendors are always trying to build a personal rapport...

By: ao4047

ao4047 — Thu, 13 Sep 2001 14:06:54 -0800

as a kind of template meant to generate personal-seeming notes

like every store-bought greeting card?

By: jcterminal

jcterminal — Thu, 13 Sep 2001 14:13:51 -0800

"like every store-bought greeting card?" yes. cheesy and impersonal. and fake as hell.

By: kindall

kindall — Thu, 13 Sep 2001 14:34:20 -0800

I think it's cheesy to treat a business relationship as if it is comparable to personal relationships. The best business relationships are personal relationships.

By: knutmo

knutmo — Thu, 13 Sep 2001 14:56:23 -0800

This style of interacting with people, the phoniness, the false sincerity and blatant capitalism under the guise of human behavior is one of the reasons the USA is disliked, and hated around the world.

By: dr_emory

dr_emory — Thu, 13 Sep 2001 15:55:06 -0800

Knutmo, I don't think it's entirely accurate to say that the USA is hated "around the world".

By: bunnyfire

bunnyfire — Thu, 13 Sep 2001 16:25:43 -0800

Look, there is such a thing as "business etiquette".....the same thing that has every business sending holiday cards at Christmas, that has suppliers bringing goodies and gifts to contractors the same time of year....I am the assistant to the broker-in-charge to a real estate company and in my opinion this was not tacky. Salesmen are not English majors by any stretch of the imagination-you would be shocked to know how many business letters are based on templates as they are called-so it simply seems to me the person who wrote this mostly just wanted to make sure it got done. In an ideal world they would not have had to be told to write these, they would have been able to come up with the perfect sentiments-but as recent events have brutally reminded us this is not a perfect world. And remember, these are business relationships, not personal-although here in the South where I am those distinctions do get blurry a lot.

By: alball

alball — Thu, 13 Sep 2001 17:38:22 -0800

In my 15 years in business, some of my best and most satisfying friendships have been through my business clients. I am also aware how difficult it can composing a letter from a blank sheet of paper( or computer screen). I applaud this effort, particularly because it suggests a positive and constructive activity at a time when it is so difficult to keep ones mind on the job.

By: rcade

rcade — Thu, 13 Sep 2001 19:35:19 -0800

The best business relationships are personal relationships. Business and personal relationships don't compare, and to pretend otherwise to gain business advantage seems incredibly crass. It's only a shade better than something like GetBinLaden.Com, which uses a desire to capture Bin Laden as a hook to sell you long-distance service.