The following article is a little sad for me since McDonald's (in Greenbelt Paseo de Roxas) is usually our meeting place and afterparty pigout place and for their top honchos acting irresponsibly in addressing this issue is disappointing. For a multinational brand like McDonald's, its managers must be always in the forefront in considering its consumers' feedback and suggestion, listen and actually do something about it. I agree that there is too much plastic packaging that goes around and this creates a problem especially in waste disposal. I think McDonald's should not only be more socially responsible and environmentally friendly but must learn in how to deal with the general dining public. After all, they are the reason for your existence. Kaya listen bitches.
My Personal Ordeal with the Arrogant Managers of
McDonald's
My name is Gary Granada, I am a Kaalagad
volunteer, and I need 5 seconds of your time to help reduce the use of
styrofoam in fast food chains.
What was meant to be a nice and simple Saint
Francis Day motorcade-march to McDonald’s yesterday turned out to be a
nightmare. We were rudely treated by McDonald’s, to put it mildly. Weeks
before, we already sought a dialogue with them to reiterate our concern
regarding their reluctance to reduce their use of styrofoam, despite their
pledge to seriously attend to it during our dialogue in 2002! (Jollibee said
the same thing, and while we are not satisfied with their response, at least
they made some effort to shift to other packaging and serving materials.)
We sent them a letter, went to their office,
made follow ups, waited for a response. The most we got from them was
‘you wait for our call’. They never called, never wrote back, but
verbally said they will assign representatives to receive our motorcade’s
representatives.
When we got there, their representatives turned
out to be the
they were told by McDonald’s that they were not expecting us. One of our staff
went up to their 17th floor office to find out whether they were
willing to sit down and talk matters. Told to tell us to wait, we
waited. The giant that it is, the bosses of McDonald’s apparently regard
little children, nuns, mothers, priests and concerned consumers as their
employees. We asked how long we were supposed to wait and got no straight
answer. Finally they sent word for me to come up, just me, no one
else. I thought these people must have seen too many spaghetti movies,
perhaps they thought they had a hostage crisis. I was led to a conference
room that could easily sit six or seven people and was greeted by two bright
boys.
Think about it. Naglakad kami papuntang
McDonald's, at pagdating namin doon, wala man lang bumaba para kausapin kami ng
maayos. At pinatawag ako nitong dalawang batang managers!
It occurred to me that there were far more basic
issues that plague McDonald’s than styrofoam. Like common courtesy.
So I explained to these rich young rulers that the courteous thing to do was to
go down, greet the delegation and ask how they may be of help. I even
asked them where they were schooled, because in the public school in an obscure
town where I came from, they manage to teach such things in Grade One. Their
bloated bright brains must have taken up the space that was meant for their
ears. It felt like talking to an electric fan.
Meanwhile I insisted that somebody from
Greenpeace, the Ecowaste Coalition, Franciscan Movement for Justice, Peace and
Integrity of Creation, and the JPICC of the Association of Major Religious
Superiors of the
can only accommodate three people at most. Fine. So I said I and
our staff will go down and we will send three people up. But at the lobby,
the three representatives we sent were barred by security people from
proceeding, again upon McDonald’s instructions they said.
It looked hopeless.
We decided to wrap up the program when out of
nowhere a condescending woman materialized and introduced herself as the media
relations officer of McDonald's. She said, ‘Why don’t you go to Jollibee
instead, they’re number One.’ To which Father Ben Moraleda replied, ‘We
did, and at least they are doing something.’
On the side, irked by her audacity, Fr. Ben
quipped, ‘And please take that hand of yours off my shoulder, I don’t like
you.’
And all that commotion for a very simple and
very reasonable plan: that McDonald’s reduce the use of styrofoam by 50% within
one year. McDonald’s has once again demonstrated its arrogance and
incapacity to appreciate the sincere and constructive efforts of common folks
to protect our environment. Unlike them, we do not make money doing what
little we can to help make things a little better for everybody.
Five seconds, that’s all I ask of
you to help reduce the use of styrofoam. Sa mundo ng mga mayayabang,
papansinin lang nila tayo kung tayo ay maninindigan. Take 5 seconds
to think twice before choosing where to dine or order food.
WHEN YOU HAVE A CHOICE, DON’T
CHOOSE MCDONALD’S
I feel sad for that woman and those two young
managers. So young, so successful, so ahead of their game, so privileged;
so rude, so arrogant, so lacking in character, so bland. And I have since
stopped wondering why their burgers taste the way they do.
------------<>------------
It will take a bit longer than 5
seconds, but it will go a long way if you can email this page to friends.
Thank you for your time~
Gary Granada
2006
------------<>------------
We have some people asking if the
story about my ordeal with McDonald's is just one malicious smudge
campaign. So I feel compelled to post this letter which is actually a
reply to one email I got regarding the issue. Two things: One, it is
quite understandable that people are skeptical about such things (I myself hate
spams and cons) and that is fine, we should by all means verify sources before
forwarding messages. Two, I am not entirely an obscure person in the
advertising industry, I make jingles and did the music for two Ad Congresses
including the last one. It is against my personal interest to be at odds with
people who regularly employ advertising to sell their goods and wares. But
one needs to draw the line somewhere, as they say.
Hi Niva,
In 2002, we had separate dialogues with both
McDonald's and Jollibee. We specifically suggested for them to
create an Ecolane, where people who bring their own plates may be
accommodated. We even held a small activity with Jollibee in SM
where kids brought their own plates, spoons and forks.
Sometime after that, Jollibee replaced their
styrofoam plates with washable reusable plastic baskets which are better we
thought (This was of course not as a result of our dialogue alone, many groups
have been working on the issue of plactics and styrofoam)
Both Jollibee and McDonald's were less than
accommodating, both did not bother to look into the possibility of the
Ecolane. So we shifted our campaign to schools, expalining to
students and school
admninistrators the ill effects of using disposable non-biodegradable
materials. (We have a simple module and a makeshift exhibit for
aids)
After four years, we thought we needed to go
back to institutional advocacy and press for a zero-use of styrofoam in three
years. The usage extent does not matter at the moment, as we were
using a percentage tracking platform : reduce to 50 on the first year, then 20
on the seond year, then 0 within three years.
To kick off the campaign, we decided to start
where we started: McDonald's.
And that's what happened. It would
have been nice if McDonald's accommodated us and explained to us what they were
doing to precisely address the issue. But they completely ignored
us.
As such, this has gone beyond
styrofoam. We need to persuade big business to be mindful of public
sentiment, hopefully in a cooperative way, but sadly, in this case, through a
more tedious way since McDonald's is too arrogant to listen.
My suggestion is to organize a real effective
consumer movement to force big corporations to behave accordingly and remind
them that their single-minded profit-driven imaginations may be tolerated up to
a point, but always subservient to public welfare.
McDonald's is a giant, it will not be hurt by
people like me, but if get organized, we can at least bring manners and humility
to these people, and who knows that might bring some real change in policy and
praxis.
-
Please forward this to your
friends if you find it appropriate, thank you~
-------------------
To help collate comments on the
McDonald's issue,
please log on to the
PHILIPPINE CIVIL SOCIETY FORUM
http://garygranada.com/cgi%2Dbin/phpbb/
CLICK Institutions
CLICK McDonald's
Or go straight to the topic:
http://garygranada.com/cgi%2Dbin/phpbb/viewtopic.php?t=5
Thanks~
And please forward if you find it relevant
and
appropriate, salamat po~~
McDonald's
hires PR agency
to invite
Fr. Ben Moraleda and Gary Granada
On the evening
of October 17, I got a call from Ms. Bonjin Bolinao. She said McDonald's
was sending a letter to Kaalagad, inviting us to a dialogue. She also
asked me if it were possible to indicate in my website that McDonald's already
sent a letter to Kaalagad (we received the letter the following day). I
promised her that I will publish her letter in my website (http://garygranada.com). I believe the
only way we may have an honest to goodness dialogue where public concern is
concerned is for the public to know the facts. So I'm publishing and
circulating this letter, as well as my reply to Bonjin, in fairness to
everybody.
If you haven't
yet, please read for a backgrounder
My Ordeal with the Arrogant Managers of McDonald's
--------------------------------
KAALAGAD
Attention:
Fr. Ben
Moraleda, Spokesperson
Mr. Gary
Granada, Volunteer
Dear Fr.
Moraleda and Mr. Granada:
On behalf
McDonald’s
to invite you to a dialogue with senior McDonald’s representatives on Thursday,
October 26, at
Citi restaurant, 34th floor,
McDonald’s
would like to discuss with your group their efforts in addressing the various
issues that you have raised. They would also like to formalize their commitment
to your cause of reducing the use of harmful substances in the quick-service
industry.
Thank you for
your attention. Please confirm if you are available on the said date and time.
Should you have further queries, please contact Mr. Stevie Martinez at 889-8332
loc. 131 or 0918-9258163.
Thank you.
Sincerely,
HCN Bonjin
Bolinao
Managing
Director
DDB Phils.
Ad Verbum PR
--------------------------------
And here is my
reply to her letter (thru e-mail):
Dear Bonjin,
I just read
your letter dated
2006
consultative community, Kaalagad is currently consulting its members and staff
as well as our partners in order to come up with an appropriate collective
response.
Offhand, I
would like to share with you my personal view. (Kaalagad is drafting its
official position.)
I am of the
opinion that your letter is insincere, insensitive and mercenary. It is
insincere because you write as though October 6 never happened. No
mention of the incident, no need for apology, no need to explain why McDonald's
acted the way it did.
It is
insensitive because you picked a venue which is one elevator ride from
McDonald's's bosses' office, while we have to commute all the way to
insult to injury, you picked the very same building where we were harassed by
your security people and shabbily treated by your managers.
It is mercenary
because I see PR written all over the page. It is not even signed by
McDonald's but by an ad agency. We are not a 'market' that your college
advertising textbooks may have taught you to regard. We are not a
'segment' of the market that you can simply 'sample', 'profile' and 'contain'
if need be.
Don't treat us
like we are a PR problem. I cannot take this veiled insult sitting
down. So, to cut the crap, I will excuse myself from any possible
dialogue with you or your client.
I have a very
simple, doable and straightforward suggestion to you though. Why don't
you and McDonald's use everything within your enormous financial and media
clout to discredit what I am saying:
DON'T BUY
MCDONALD'S BECAUSE:
1. McDonald's
is arrogant - don't make them more arrogant.
2. McDonald's
uses styrofoam - don't encourage them further.
I urge you to
publicly discredit those two statements. And I shall be very happy, even
eager, to be discredited and proven wrong if you really mean what you
say. Show proof in all your stores and offices that contrary to what I am
saying, McDonald's is a humble giant that puts public welfare above
profit. That way, we all win!
I will publicly
broadcast those statements. I know it sounds laughable for I can't even
afford to pay for one column-centimeter of news item. A little-known
folksinger versus a transnational ad agency of a transnational megacorporation
is a like playing chess blindfolded with one rook less. On the other
hand, I believe there are lots and lots of people who simply seek goodwill and
solidarity. And I suspect many of them are fond of spaghetti and brewed
coffee.
This will be
the last time I'll write to you regarding McDonald's, hell I don't get paid for
writing letters like you do.
Lastly, please
do not take this letter as a personal affront. Like you said over the
phone, we have common friends. I hope we are on the same page then, for
instance, in taking the illegitimate Arroyo government to task over the specter
of state-sponsored summary executions and brazen political opportunism that has
become the norm in this country.
Tell you what,
I hang out at Conspiracy (
beside Equitable Bank, landline 4532170). My favorite singers Cooky Chua
and Noel Cabangon (who by the way once did a commercial for McDonald's) perform
there. Our mutual friend Conrado DeQuiros is a regular. You might
want to check the place out. Please let me buy you a beer, no scripts, no
agenda, but as real persons in a real way.
Sincerely,
Gary Granada
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
To help collate comments on the
McDonald's issue,
please log on to the
PHILIPPINE CIVIL SOCIETY FORUM
http://garygranada.com/cgi%2Dbin/phpbb/
CLICK Institutions
CLICK McDonald's
Or go straight to the topic:
http://garygranada.com/cgi%2Dbin/phpbb/viewtopic.php?t=5
Thanks~
And please forward this information if you
find it relevant and
appropriate, salamat po~~
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