Last week, a restaurant called Amy’s Baking Company aired on an episode of Kitchen Nightmares with the awesome Gordon Ramsey. Apparently Amy’s attitude on the show was so distasteful that Ramsey actually gave up on her and helping her restaurant – something he doesn’t do often.
After it aired, Amy’s Facebook page was slammed with nasty comment after nasty comment, which is something we’ve definitely seen happen time and time again, on different brand pages. However, something we don’t see often is a reaction that is so classless and despicable that we could actually label it trolling… from the brand itself. Check it out:
Hard to believe that these posts were actually posted by a company to their fans and audience, isn’t it.
Before I went to bed last night the company’s Facebook page had 33,000+ fans. This morning, the count has reached well over 45,000. People are liking the page, not because they believe in the company, but because they want to see what vulgarity and nonsense will come out of the owners’ mouths, and they want to see it right within their mini-feed. It’s the same reason people flock to follow Twitter pages when they get hacked.
Speaking of hacked, guess what the two owners of this distasteful company did a few hours after posting the above posts… They deleted all of the above and replaced it with the following message:
I just love how they begin this message by saying “obviously”! It’s hilarious and extremely sad to see that still today, some people just don’t get it. But from what we’ve seen on TV and straight through to the Internet, these people don’t just not get it online, they just don’t get it straight through to the core of themselves and their business.
So, as I “obviously” don’t need to point out what Amy’s Baking Company has done wrong, let me instead highlight some key things to do if ever you’d like to make sure that your company becomes the laughing-stock of the Internet!
9 ways to make sure your brand becomes the laughing-stock of the Internet
- Have zero concern for etiquette or quality production or service
- Make sure that the whole world sees how little concern and care you have
- Don’t take lightly to positive criticism or the generous help of others
- Always think that you and the way you run your business is top-of-the-line and in no need for improvement
- Publicly state how much better you are than your customers and fans and how little they mean to you
- Blast your customers, fans, followers and audience whenever possible. Swear at them, insult them and just plain be as rude and obnoxious as you can be
- When all else fails, delete and lie to cover your mistakes
- Never apologize
- When all is said and done, go dark. Everyone will forgive and forget in no time at all
Update May 16, 2013:
After receiving a tweet that may or may not have come from Amy herself (if not, it came from a spoof account), I am adding a bonus point:
10. Attack every blogger and reporter who has written about your epic fail. It’ll help you put more fuel on the fire and continue to be the laughing-stock!
Case Study: In-Depth Analysis of the Paula Deen Crisis
Discover:
- The mistakes Paula made that contributed to an approximate $10 million loss of income
- What Ms. Deen should have done instead – and what she needs to do now
- How to learn from her mistakes and protect your brand
Author of Crisis Ready: Building an Invincible Brand in an Uncertain World, Melissa Agnes is a leading authority on crisis preparedness, reputation management, and brand protection. Agnes is a coveted keynote speaker, commentator, and advisor to some of today’s leading organizations faced with the greatest risks. Learn more about Melissa and her work here.
This is a train wreck. This is everything to do wrong in a crisis situation beautifully demonstrated. And we can't stop watching! The deletion of comments and hacking claims are just icing on the cake.
If they're smart, they'll market this into an egregious reality show. Next stop, guest appearances with Lindsey Lohan, Charlie Sheen, and the Kardashians.
Ha! I love that, Kristin! But unfortunately I don't think they've done it for publicity (or that they're that smart). I think these are just people who are bitter and unkind and it has completely come through with the nation watching.
I’ve been watching the updates and so far, they’ve been attacked for everything possible {including by photographers for publishing undocumented stolen food images} – but the attacks are getting vicious. The trolls smelled blood in the water and they’ve descended. And I’m totally mixing up my analogies, but it’s concerning. When did it become okay to make death threats against people and their families because they’re rude and you don’t like their service/product/whatever?
Phoenix resident and radio host Monti Carlo {she was also one of the top contenders on MasterChef last year – maybe leveraging the Ramsay common ground} interviewed the baking company owners on her radio shows, and she says she’s gotten death threats, been called names, had child protection agencies called and told she’s an unfit parent, and other things just because she had them on her show!
Maybe cyber-bullying played a part in the initial meltdown, maybe it didn’t, but it’s definitely happening now and while Amy’s Baking Company is handling the publicity very badly, no one deserves the treatment they’re getting right now.
All I can do after reading the whole thing is a…face palm. Goodness.
Probably (and unfortunately) the only way that restaurant will possibly learn is if their actions in social media or so hits their finances. If what they've done and will do moving forward works out for them, though, well…
Hi David,
Honestly, I don't think these types of people actually learn. I don't think they see past themselves in order TO learn. They truly are what they portray and don't see anything wrong with it. But it will be interesting to see what happens next with their likes and their little Bakery.
… And if all else fails, it still makes for great lessons for other brands to be aware of and learn from!
A few years back, I used to hang at a bar that had one of the rudest, crudest waitresses you could ever hope to meet. And her section of the bar was always — ALWAYS — full. Moreover, she made more tips than the other waiters and waitresses in the bar.
This woman insulted her customers, was sloppy, just generally horrible. Yet people always sat in her section if they could. Why? Because as distasteful as she was, she was totally entertaining. Oh, and she knew precisely what she was doing.
This is what happened on Amy's FB and Twitter pages. I'd also be willing to bet that the customer count at the restaurant is also up.
Sometimes managing the crisis isn't exactly intuitive.
Excellent example to pull from, Joelin!
This issue was not in need of crisis management since they completely started the madness and kept it going. I agree that people will probably go to their "grand re-opening" and are probably flocking into the bakery as we speak, but once the sensation dies down, they won't have anything short of entertainment and "the laughing-stock of the Internet" to fall back on. It becomes a question of what is worth more to the brand: short-term intrigue and sensationalism or long-term and positive reputation and success.
It looks like her Twitter account was still under the control of hackers when she replied to you, because that's the same crazy stuff they did on her Facebook page! Poor woman…
Not to defend the woman (her behavior is indefensible) but it appears that the twitter reply came from a spoof account. One of many that have popped up for the sheer glee of trying to out crude the master of rude crude.
You may be correct, Karen! For that I've removed the screenshot, but will leave the bonus tip because it's still a good one 😉