Read about LegalZoom's customer "service"

Late this past week, I heard back from LegalZoom.com regarding its advertising on Michael Savage's radio show in the wake of his pathetic, gutless, hateful comments regarding autism, as well its advertisements on Talk Radio Network's home page. The letter below no doubt ranks very high on my list of all-time stupidest response letters I've ever received from a company. Quite frankly, a non-response would have been better than a response like this one.

It reads:

Dear RJ,

Thank you for taking the time to share your comments. At LegalZoom, we’re always open to hearing the feedback and viewpoints of our customers.

LegalZoom was founded by attorneys who have worked at some of the most prestigious law firms in the country. We have used our expertise to make it convenient and affordable for people to take care of important legal matters on their own, without a costly attorney.

Thank you again for sharing your comments.

Sincerely,

LegalZoom Customer Support
7083 Hollywood Blvd, Suite 180
Los Angeles, CA 90028
www.LegalZoom.com
1-800-773-0888

Gee, I sure am glad that the company really took the time to read my letter and to craft an appropriate response. If you like, you can send LegalZoom a quick e-mail telling the people there what you think of both their advertising policies, as well as their customer service for being seemingly indifferent to the autism community.

By the way, the e-mail above came from Chyna S. from the e-mail address legalzoom@custhelp.com. Great stuff - one thing's for sure, with a response like this, LegalZoom will never, ever get my business - the company clearly doesn't deserve it.

Hoover responds to Savage controversy

It's refreshing to see that some companies still "get it." (The picture at right could not be more apropos.) Today, I found out about one of them - the parent company that owns the Hoover brand of vacuum cleaners and products. I hadn't even gotten around to writing the company yet, and I heard from a public relations practitioner who works for the company about my Michael Savage post from late last week. Since I didn't write them, it's obvious that the company is concerned with its image, and she found me.

Here is her letter, left as a comment under my original posting about Michael Savage's comments regarding autism:

In response to this posting that lists Hoover as an advertiser associated with The Michael Savage Show and Talk Radio Network, I would like to clarify that Hoover and its parent company, TTI Floor Care North America, are not and have never been sponsors of or advertisers on The Michael Savage Show.

While under the ownership of the Whirlpool Corporation, Hoover-branded ads aired during The Laura Ingraham Show on Talk Radio Network; however, ads have not aired on that program since December 2006 when Techtronic Industries Co. Ltd agreed to purchase the Hoover brand from Whirlpool.

We value feedback from our customers and hope you will contact us directly should you have any questions about this important matter.

Nicole Sinclair
TTI Floor Care North America
Public Relations and Promotions Manager

Just to verify that the letter was legit, I tracked down Sinclair at TTI Floor Care, the parent company that owns the Hoover brand, and left her a voice mail, telling her I appreciated her response.

Now this is exactly the type of response I hope for when I write a letter to a company concerning its advertising policies. And, to repeat, I didn't even get around to writing Hoover, I had just listed the company in my original posting, because it was listed on Talk Radio Network's Website as a "satisfied customer." (Note: TRN has taken down its "partial list of satisfied customers" that used to be in its advertising section. I love it - guess they won't be making that mistake again.) I could still take umbrage about how a company shouldn't even advertise or support a company that employs Savage, but Hoover doesn't advertise on Savage's show, and that's certainly good enough for me.

Bravo to Hoover, and the same goes for Ms. Sinclair for taking the time to write. This is obviously a company that is giving thought as to where it advertises, and what message it's sending its customers by doing so. This company deserves our business.

It's good to see that companies are starting to take notice about the consequences of advertising on Savage's show. In addition to Hoover, Aflac gets it as well.

Considering how some companies are responding to customer complaints about Savage, it's time to start up a Reverse Boycott List of companies that deserve our business for responding in a positive way to complaints about their advertising policies. (Okay, I need to work on a better name for the list.) Aflac and Hoover are the first two to make the list. More to follow soon.

Is this Weiner's idea of an apology?

Update: Savage has responded to Media Matters' inquiries by saying, "I stand by my words." Fine - I stand by my objections and resolve to contact all of his advertisers, with your help.

If this is Michael "Savage" Weiner's idea of an apology, he'd better go back to the drawing board. Wiener (right) made some highly offensive, insensitive remarks about autism last week, and now it appears he's backtracking. Last week, autism was "a fraud, a racket," and now, it's "overdiagnosed" by doctors. Hmm - that's not what he said last week, and the clarification that he's posted on his Website (see below) is simply not good enough. I was getting ready to write more letters to the advertisers of Talk Radio Network (TNR), the company that employs him, when I thought I would check his Website first. Below is what I found - a half-baked attempt to quiet a controversy, with no sign of an apology.

The Autism Controversy

My comments about autism were meant to boldly awaken parents and children to the medical community's attempt to label too many children or adults as "autistic."

Just as some drug companies have overdiagnosed "ADD" and "ADHD" to peddle dangerous speed-like drugs to children as young as 4 years of age, this cartel of doctors and drug companies is now creating a national panic by overdiagnosing autism, for which there is no definitive medical diagnosis!

Many children are being victimized by being diagnosed with an "illness" which may not exist, in all cases. Just a few weeks ago doctors recommended dangerous anti-cholesterol drugs for children as young as 2 years of age! Without any scientific studies on the possible dangers of such drugs on children, corrupt doctors made this controversial, unscientific recommendation.

Increasingly, our children are being used as profit centers by a greedy, corrupt medical/pharmaceutical establishment. As the brother of a severely disabled person who suffered and died in a New York "snake-pit" of a "mental hospital," I know first-hand what true disability is.

To permit greedy doctors to include children in medical categories which may not be appropriate is a crime against that child and their family. Let the truly autistic be treated. Let the falsely diagnosed be free.

Michael Savage

In other words, now Wiener is doing a full retreat from what he said last week by attempting to curry favor with the public by making an "it's us against the pharmaceuticals" argument. I'm not buying it. This guy owes the autism community an unqualified apology, period.

And what's more, his pseudo-apologies aren't enough anymore. I'm sick to death of people like Wiener saying whatever it is they want to say, and when a controversy ensues, they apologize to get themselves out of trouble. In other words, they aren't really sorry, they are just sorry that their career and livelihood might be threatened, thanks to their big mouths. (The late Jerry Falwell comes to mind here - how can you say one day that 9-11 happened because of gays and abortions, and the next day you say, "Whoops! Sorry" and have people really believe it to be real?)

My prediction is that eventually Wiener will probably be forced to apologize. But, if it does happen, it will only be because his bosses and/or his advertisers have forced it on him. Again, not good enough - this guy needs to be put in the street. Let him hawk his books to the hate mongers of America, but no radio station is under any obligation to provide him with a forum to spew his venom.

To reiterate, this is not a free speech issue. There's no question that Wiener has the right to express his opinions, however repulsive they may be (and they certainly are). It's about advertisers making his hateful program possible. As I wrote this past weekend, with our corporate media, our purchasing power is about the only thing we have left, and I'm making it abundantly clear to the organizations that advertise on his show that my money's going elsewhere.

Let the letter writing continue. ...

Subway Franchise Headquarters
Attn: Mr. Fred De Luca, President
325 Bic Drive
Milford, CT 06461-3059

Dear Mr. De Luca:
I have been a customer of Subway for many, many years. I flat-out love your food and I've rarely had a bad experience in your restaurants, and I've been in dozens of them in many different parts of the United States.

However, recently I noticed that you advertise on Talk Radio Network, including the program of Michael Savage, who is nothing short of a hate-mongering disgrace. In the past few years, he's made intolerant remarks about Muslims, African-Americans and now people suffering from autism, a disease that Savage last week called "a fraud, a racket." Since your advertising dollars partially make his show possible, I will no longer frequent any Subway Restaurants until your support of his show stops entirely. As much as I love your sandwiches and your restaurants, fortunately I have many fast food choices these days.

I strongly urge you to consider the social implications of where you send your advertising dollars. Savage might have a sizable audience with a great deal of reach, but companies should stand for something. What does Subway stand for? Calling autism a "fraud"? Your regular and potential customers deserve better.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Yours in democracy,
RJ
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Again, I openly encourage all of you to get involved in writing letters to Talk Radio Network's advertisers. A partial list is Here. As I mentioned over the weekend, I certainly don't mind if you use my letter above as a template, but I strongly recommend that you alter the letter somewhat - companies and organizations tend to ignore chain letters. The more you can personalize your letter, the better.

Wow - Michael Savage reaches new low

Michael "Savage" Wiener reached a new low this past week when he referred to autism as a "fraud" and a "racket." I'm wondering when Talk Radio Network will finally realize that employing Savage isn't worth it. And by that I mean that a corporation's reputation is worth more than dollars and cents. It's true (and I still can't believe it) that he gets decent ratings in some markets, but I don't see how. If large swaths of the American people really embrace this guy, than I have little faith for America.

From the transcript:

Now, you want me to tell you my opinion on autism, since I'm not talking about autism? A fraud, a racket. For a long while, we were hearing that every minority child had asthma. Why did they sudden -- why was there an asthma epidemic amongst minority children? Because I'll tell you why: The children got extra welfare if they were disabled, and they got extra help in school. It was a money racket. Everyone went in and was told [fake cough], "When the nurse looks at you, you go [fake cough], 'I don't know, the dust got me.'" See, everyone had asthma from the minority community. That was number one.

Now, the illness du jour is autism. You know what autism is? I'll tell you what autism is. In 99 percent of the cases, it's a brat who hasn't been told to cut the act out. That's what autism is.

Savage's hateful diatribes aren't even a free speech issue. Sure, Wiener has a Constitutional right to say what he likes, but no one, including Talk Radio Network, is under any obligation to help him put forth his hateful opinions.

It's as if Wiener is deliberately trying to get fired so he can cry "free speech! free speech!" At some point, hopefully Talk Radio Network will oblige him and do what it should have done long ago. Until then, let the letter writing begin. I'm not even going to bother writing Talk Radio Network - my protests will simply encourage rubes like Savage and the powers that be over at TRN. I'll simply target their advertisers, and not give them my business for supporting such a disgraceful company and radio talk show "host." Here are a few I've written so far...

To Legal Zoom, a company that advertises on TRN's Website:

LegalZoom.com, Inc.
Attn: Brian Liu, Chairman and Co-Founder
7083 Hollywood Blvd. Suite 180
Los Angeles, CA 90028

Dear Mr. Liu:
Recently I noticed that you advertise on Talk Radio Network, including the program of Michael Savage, who is nothing short of a hate-mongering disgrace. In the past few years, he's made intolerant remarks about Muslims, African-Americans and now people suffering from autism, a disease that Savage last week called "a fraud, a racket." Since your advertising dollars partially make his show possible, I will not support your company in any way until you stop advertising on both his show, and Talk Radio Network. And I am a potential customer, too; I own a photo business and I'm looking to incorporate soon.

I strongly urge you to consider the social implications of where you send your advertising dollars. Savage might have a sizable audience with a great deal of reach, but companies should stand for something. What does LegalZoom stand for? Calling autism a "fraud"? Your regular and potential customers deserve better.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Yours in democracy,
RJ
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

I was a potential Legal Zoom customer, too. I run a part-time photography business, and sooner or later I will have to incorporate. But, by supporting hate mongers like Savage, my wallet has no room for Legal Zoom.

Here's on to Go To Meeting, another advertiser on TRN's Website:

Citrix Online Division
Brett Caine, President
6500 Hollister Avenue
Goleta, CA 93117

Dear Mr. Caine:
Recently I noticed that you advertise on Talk Radio Network, including the program of Michael Savage, who is nothing short of a hate-mongering disgrace. In the past few years, Savage has made intolerant remarks about Muslims, African-Americans and now people suffering from autism, a disease that last week he called "a fraud, a racket." Since your company supports a hate monger like Savage by partially making his show possible, I will look for alternatives to your product, or wait until you reconsider your advertising decisions. And I am a potential customer, too; I own my own business and you have a product that would certainly be of use to me.

I strongly urge you to consider the social implications of where you send your advertising dollars. Savage might have a sizable audience with a great deal of reach, but companies should stand for something. What does Citrix stand for? Calling autism a "fraud"? Your regular and potential customers deserve better.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Yours in democracy,
RJ
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Hey, give letter writing a try - it's quick, easy and fun. What's more, with the dominance of our absurd corporate media, it's about the only thing we have left - spending our money with organizations that don't support these animals who spread nothing but vile, hateful venom to America.

Below is a list of "happy advertising clients," according to TRN's Website, so use the letters above as a template and send your own. It only takes a few minutes, and it's amazingly empowering.

Not included in the list below is Rockstar Energy Drink, a company that was founded by Wiener's son, Russell Weiner, who serves as Rockstar's CEO. Russell co-founded the Paul Revere Society with his father in 1996, so I don't support Rockstar, either. In fact, when I was in a convenience store last week, I saw a pad of coupons on one of the doors in the refrigerated section. Boom! That was gone - 50 coupons to would-be customers of Rockstar. (At left) Hey, every little bit counts. Again, with the right's dominance of the media, we don't have much left but our dollars and sense.

Hey, one company, one letter at a time is my motto. Below is the list of TRN's clients. Happy writing. ...

ABC
Acura
American Express
Ancestry.com
Boca Java
Bochringer
Bosch
Campbells
Citrix
Consolidated Resources
Direct Buy
Dish Network
Ebay Motors
Efax
General Motors
Gallo Wines
Hoover Read the company's response Here
Legal Zoom
Marshalls
Nautilus
Nivea
Outback Steakhouse
Prudential
Purina One
Simon & Schuster
Staples
Subway
Texaco Chevron
United First Financial
Volkswagon

Write them! Let them hear from you that we aren't going to tolerate people like Michael "Savage" Wiener denigrating tens of thousands of people with autism.

h/t Media Matters for the audio/video clip

Some March gladness w/your madness

My friend Susan sent me this the other day, and it brought a big smile to my face. I suppose it's even just a bit more apropos now, in the midst of March Madness. As I watched it again tonight with my wife Vandra and our parents, I commented that I should post this on CMB. Sometimes I'm too quick to criticize or be negative, but then I see a story like this, and it brings me back down to Earth and makes me realize how lucky I really am.

Anyway, enjoy, and pass it on.