Having just written about the importance of not avoiding talking about cancer and effects, I'm now going to contradict myself.
There are, in my opinion, times when it is deeply insensitive, not to say crass, to refer to cancer. When? In mail shots sent indiscriminately to householders! I was enraged last week to open a letter purporting to be from my bank, only to find that it was marketing material trying to get me to sign up to insurance "against female cancers". Luckily for the bank, I didn't get round to opening the mail until after the end of the working day. My first instinct was to call the number on the material and to give the unsuspecting call centre employee a piece of my mind about the insensitivity of sending out such unsolicited junk mail. Don't companies realise that if one in three people is likely to suffer from cancer at some time, this type of marketing material can cause huge offence and distress?
Of course, the call centre operative is not the person to receive the complaint, so I'm glad that I didn't make that call. I am, however, investigating to find out where the idea to mailshot customers of the bank came from and planning the letter I shall be sending once those responsible have been identified... At best, I expect to receive a polite note covering their backs (very sorry to hear you were upset but there are many people who *could* benefit from this insurance....), at worst no response at all. Whatever the outcome, I do think that marketing companies need to be made aware that their actions can lead to a great deal of offence and upset. Is it really worth alienating long standing customers in order to sell a few insurance policies?
There are, in my opinion, times when it is deeply insensitive, not to say crass, to refer to cancer. When? In mail shots sent indiscriminately to householders! I was enraged last week to open a letter purporting to be from my bank, only to find that it was marketing material trying to get me to sign up to insurance "against female cancers". Luckily for the bank, I didn't get round to opening the mail until after the end of the working day. My first instinct was to call the number on the material and to give the unsuspecting call centre employee a piece of my mind about the insensitivity of sending out such unsolicited junk mail. Don't companies realise that if one in three people is likely to suffer from cancer at some time, this type of marketing material can cause huge offence and distress?
Of course, the call centre operative is not the person to receive the complaint, so I'm glad that I didn't make that call. I am, however, investigating to find out where the idea to mailshot customers of the bank came from and planning the letter I shall be sending once those responsible have been identified... At best, I expect to receive a polite note covering their backs (very sorry to hear you were upset but there are many people who *could* benefit from this insurance....), at worst no response at all. Whatever the outcome, I do think that marketing companies need to be made aware that their actions can lead to a great deal of offence and upset. Is it really worth alienating long standing customers in order to sell a few insurance policies?
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