Update 4-16-09: Domino's CEO condemns the original video with his own YouTube video; Domino's has started a Twitter account @dpzinfo for customer concerns; the site now addresses the issue and the New York Times studies the kerfuffle
This afternoon, Neville Hobson and Barbara Nixon alerted me to one of the more disgusting videos on YouTube. Over the weekend, two employees of Domino's decided to have a little fun. They shot videos of themselves preparing food in various ways that would be considered less than sanitary and posted them to YouTube under the name Whiteair2.
Never minding the fact that this would be the number one way to guarantee firing (I wonder if they could try any harder to lose their jobs any faster). The employees have indeed been fired and the videos removed, but Domino's site still has no mention of which location sported the contaminated food or indeed any sort of official corporate statement condemning the employee's actions and assuring the public that this type of behavior is not typical or accepted at Domino's.
The Consumerist reports that some citizens managed to track down the location where the videos were shot, but shouldn't Domino's have a voice here? As the days and hours tick away, the social media space is exploding with customers (and no doubt, former customers) expressing their disgust and outrage at the employee's behavior. Where is Domino's voice in all this? Silent. As their brand is now associated with giggling employees flagrantly putting food to nose, the brand itself is remaining mute while customers shift and form opinions and loyalties.
Domino's, are you paying attention? Give customers a bit of confidence in your brand after this shaking. Don't take your time; respond NOW. Swiftly, publicly, humbly, and everywhere you can. Make a statement on your site. Refute the YouTube video. Send out some Tweets. Take Shel Holtz' advice and get out in front of this situation. Or Brian Solis' wisdom that
The damage to the Domino's brand will not be contained to that one Domino's location--now every time a consumer orders a pizza, she might be wondering if she should call Pappa John's instead, recalling the etched-in-your-brain image of the employee relishing the idea of making the food as unsanitary as possible.
Domino's, are you listening?
