I recently received a email from a good sponsor who helped us put on a event and he was quite disturbed by an email he received from one of our racers that was given a gift certificate as a prize. This was a gift certificate given to them by one of their good suppliers and sponsor of the event.
No strings attached just a gift certificate for an item on top of receiving a cash purse. They were disturbed because of the response by the racer! It wasn’t a “Thank you”, or “could I receive something else I already have one of these”, their response is below:
“I am just writing to inform you that we have decided NOT to accept your
cheap junk -------- system that we won in the --------- class at ---------- event.
The voucher we sent in said it was for a free system, come to find out its 4 inch installer series, SERIOUSLY? You can stick that worthless system up your #@*$#@#@$.
it is under the name "__________" just so you know that way you can send it
through the shredder.”
_____________@@gmail.com
Wow was all I could say at first.
Regardless of the prize that was given, the size of the product, or the type of product, is this a professional way to communicate to a major company in the industry how much we appreciate them participating in the sport?
This is a statement I would expect from a backstreet bar room patron after their 10th drink or the guy walking the streets pushing the shopping cart talking to himself – but one of the racers who is representing our sport that we have tried to pull up it’s bootstraps from the barrel fire booze fest race and launch into a professional level at a Class 1 drag strip?
I apologized immediately to the sponsor for our racer.
You see guys every negative comment made about or to someone about our sport is a reflection upon all of us. Not just the Association, the drag racers, the pullers – but all of the diesel community. This type of person who wrote this statement is now representing every one of you in the diesel community, that is how this major corporation and their management now view all who are involved in diesel motorsports.
When major companies see this type of attitude they not only want to turn their backs on the sport but the entire diesel competitor community. Every racer or puller who in the future sends this company a request to sponsor their vehicle or event will make them think of this person’s response.
“Remember last time we tried to help or give these guys something, forget it, it isn’t worth the trouble”! Then they will allocate the funds or prizes to another group that has not caused them any trouble. Least path of resistance.
It’s a shame when one individual or group of agitators ruins it for everyone else in the diesel community. Call it negative energy or bad karma but it surrounds them like a black cloud and pulls everyone else around them down.
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