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Can You Hear Me Now?

Wednesday, July 12, 2006

WHAT!!! NO DRYER!!!

Subject: Rocks in Dryer
To: Kpjara
From: deb@maytag
Date: Wed, 12 Jul 2006 14:47:43 -0500

Dear KPJARA,

We have received your request in providing dryers to needy moms or moms to be.

We regret to advise that we will not be able to honor this request.

Thank you,
Deb Michel
Corporate Services
_____________________
Can you believe it! After my thoughtful and full explanation and request for consideration to the: CEO; North American President; AND Executive Vice-President of Marketing Operations, all I received was this lousy email reply! (Maybe I’ll make a t-shirt…sort of like those vacation t-shirts you see…wait I guess I’ve never actually seen anyone wearing them…oh never mind!)

I realize some of you may be clueless to what I’m even rambling about…well after viewing a popular blog recently and hearing her testimony about her blog name, I thought I would try to ‘go to bat for her’ and plead her case with Maytag for a new dryer that could handle her extreme-needs!

Well, it’s clear…I’m going to have to stick to Kenmore or my “No-Name” brands for all future appliance purchases. Here is what I submitted:
____________________
Dear Whirlpool “Bigwigs”,

I have a friend (and by friend I mean; one of the people whose musings I read regularly on her ‘blog’). She has four children, the oldest three of which are boys. She has “rocks in her dryer’ in the literal sense. Please refer to this ‘
posting’ for reference.

She is in search of a dryer that can handle this type of abuse. I thought for only one millisecond before stating: Maytag! Obviously as a stay at home mother on a strict budget, she has limited resources to invest heavily in a dryer suitable for her extensive needs.

I figure it couldn’t hurt to ask that you consider including her as a spokesperson for Maytag via her ‘blog’ following, or other potential advertising. By donating a dryer to this mother of four, you immediately get word-of-mouth advertising, and if the dryer performs as reputation states, you could even receive a spokesperson to include in print advertising for a set period of time.

How does this benefit Maytag? Let me explain. You see “Rock In My Dryer” is one of THE most popular links and ‘blogs’ in cyberspace. She has a following of MANY other mommies with dryer needs and other non-mommies or mommy-wanna-be’s, such as myself, who will not make major purchases without word of mouth via someone I know and trust who has similar or greater needs. I’m sure I am not telling you anything you don’t already know from years of successful advertising.

Check her out! She is at
http://www.rocksinmydryer.typepad.com/. See if what I say is true. Please consider this proposal and if you discover, as I’m sure you will, she is the ultimate ‘test launderer’ (with personality and camera-ready) let us know! Who couldn’t use a little POSITIVE advertising in America, the land of competition?

Sincerely and amidst the rock-filled wet pockets of children’s laundry,
kpjara for Rocks In My Dryer
________________________
I didn’t really expect a dryer, but at least an actual LETTER from the corporate office would have been nice. No offense to this poor woman (Deb), who had to send me the “regrets” notification, but clearly, based on her response, she didn’t even get to read a copy of my request.


Apparently, either the dryer isn’t ready to be ‘rock-tested’ or Whirlpool and it’s subsidiary Maytag are too hard-hit by the class-action settlement for problems associated with the Neptune washer to consider this proposal.

It’s a shame really. It also makes me wonder if the blogdom will ever have Executive offices and if only certain people will have access to these high-level blogs? If we ever reach that level, I’m so ‘outta here!’

Alas, poor Shannon will have to increase her pocket security checks prior to dryer usage and who knows; maybe Kenmore will go for it?

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Oh man, this story just gets richer and richer. KP, you're a hoot!

Signed, the needy mom

kpjara said...

Poor "Needy Mom"!

This is corporate America at it's best!

Now wear your dirty clothes with pride!

Shalee said...

Oh my lands, Kim. That is just perfect!

And to be sure, the blogdom is doing more to change the course of industry. Did you know that there are indivuals who surf the blogs to pinpoint individuals who will test products and write reviews about them? There are companies who recognize that we hold the power to make or break a company. If you get moms on your side (the real home power buyers) then they know they have got it made.

You certainly did a great job in trying! You go girl!

Hey, we found out that we need a new roof. Can you do anything for me in that area?

kpjara said...

Dear Shalee,

Apparently my 'word power' isn't quite the 'magic' I intended or thought. Maybe you should go with a PROFESSIONAL GRANT WRITER.

Personally, I think getting what you want, is like finding a dream job...it's all about "who you know!" I had read about market trends and forcasts based on womens spending, but not blog searching for product testing, etc. How awesome is that!

Joy M. said...

I think using blogdom as a new "consumer reports" is a great idea!

GiBee said...

Oh, this is hilarious! You really should try Kenmore. Truly!