An Open Letter to Companies People Hate
Posted by Ryan
November 12, 2009
Dear AT&T, Walmart, Microsoft, Dell, T Mobile, Sprint, HP, United Airlines, Delta Airlines, Best Buy, and a myriad other* companies** people love to hate,
Thank you for doing what you do. People give you a bad time (myself included), often for valid reasons, and I’m sick of it. I’m tired of complaints.
So, thanks.
Regards,
Ryan
* There are companies I believe should cease to exist, but this isn’t about them. This is about companies people hate when, in fact, their existence makes their lives better–not worse.
** AOL not included. I have my limits.
November 12th, 2009 at 5:31 pm
I’m pretty sure people hate these companies because of inferior/abusive service, quality and/or prices. They continue to exist because of Market Power and assets. No wonder people hate them. Of course in the absence of markedly better service or national availability they persist with minimal successful competition.
November 12th, 2009 at 5:40 pm
I didn’t say there aren’t good reasons to dislike them. I know why people dislike certain companies because I hear their complaints. I also have complaints against some companies.
Fact remains, however, that these companies have made and probably continue to make our lives better. I know of no American company whose dominance in their market came because they made everyone really angry (government organizations don’t count since they exist by decree, but even then it was most likely done by vote). Market power exists because they did something right.
I’ll end reaffirming that I don’t think hated companies are perfect. They do things to make people hate them. But they also do a lot of things right. And for that I thank them.
November 12th, 2009 at 5:45 pm
Great companies (or once great companies) teach us new ways to be miserable by giving us something we didn’t have before, didn’t know we needed, and couldn’t live without once we got a hold of it.
November 12th, 2009 at 7:43 pm
I was so going to click over and say WHAT ABOUT AOL. Glad you excepted it on your own, because holy cow.
November 13th, 2009 at 12:34 am
Did you post this because I was dissing Microsoft earlier? I’ll be nicer from now on!
November 13th, 2009 at 6:17 pm
haha, no. I don’t even remember bashing Microsoft at all. I guess I must be used to that. ha