Meineke's Family Values

pathetic (0.00 / 0)

they attempt  a poor mouth rant  and they don't even spell "buisiness" properly??

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by: susanthe @ Wed Mar 17, 2010 at 02:02:18 AM UTC

Random reactions (4.00 / 1)

• I'm always conflicted about small business folks who post political signs. Hooray for their civic engagement! I think. Really stoopid to alienate about half your market, I think.
• Meinecke is a franchise, right? So this clown isn't spending his own hard-earned reputation capital - he's using the chain's assets. Franchise owners in other towns must be... annoyed.
• This isn't a lawn sign - it's a big, expensive piece of advertising real estate. If I were in the market for a muffler, my drive-by reaction would be: "I guess he doesn't have any good deals to tell me about - or even stuff he's proud of, like quick service or top-notch staff."

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by: elwood @ Wed Mar 17, 2010 at 02:46:23 AM UTC

I lost a project (0.00 / 0)

in OK when letters to the editor surfaced with my name.  I generally write letters in support of civil rights and dissent, but apparently my record of civic engagement was too much for this evangelical community.  Such is life.

I'd also suggest that the potential customers he loses is more than made up for by the angries/crazies who will probably flock to the business.  For some reason, this economic loyalty just doesn't work on the other side of the street.  

In the immediate aftermath of Since the start of the financial crisis, the Fed/Treasury lent, spent, or guaranteed $28 $29 $30 trillion to save the banking system.

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by: StraffordDem @ Wed Mar 17, 2010 at 09:27:10 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

retail politics (0.00 / 0)

Carol Shea-Porter did win two elections in CD-01 which includes this franchisee's Dover location.  She was especially popular in Strafford County, which is the most liberal county in the state.

There is a fine line you have to walk when you are in retail.  On the one hand, you have to be involved in civic life, and hence you will be forced take positions on politucal issues.  On the other hand, you don't want to insult your customers, many of whom hold opposite views.

In this case it would be one thing if the guy (the lame joke on the sign sounds like a guy's joke) put up a Guinta yardsign.  Well, I take that back: Guinta is a very weak candidate, and  supporting Guinta is a sign of bad judgement and/or mental weakness.  A Guinta yardsign is a turnoff, even without getting into his political views.  An Ashooh or Bearse yardsign would be a better example.


sitting state rep: running for re-election in 2012.

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by: TimothyHorrigan @ Wed Mar 17, 2010 at 12:56:00 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Yes, but when you're outnumbered by the deprivators, (0.00 / 0)

it's a hard row to hoe.  Democrats are reduced to saying, "it could be worse."  That's not much of a consolation.

Somebody on another blog has made the connection between low federal interest rates (next to zero) and the absence of lending on Main Street.  Wall Street has been borrowing low and lending the money back to the Treasury high.  With a three percent spread on a certain return, there's no reason for them to take any risk by lending to private enterprise.  

Who knows how long this has been going on?  If you look at federal expenditures from 2002-2005, it looks like the federal government was a lending and insuring enterprise and all along the line, like in the student loan program, the financial community were taking their cut.  Just like health insurers were taking a bite out of the medicare dollars and adding no value.

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by: hannah @ Wed Mar 17, 2010 at 09:47:10 AM UTC

It's been going on for a long time... (0.00 / 0)

check out Michael Lewis, author of The Big Short, on 60 minutes.  Don't eat before viewing.
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories...

In the immediate aftermath of Since the start of the financial crisis, the Fed/Treasury lent, spent, or guaranteed $28 $29 $30 trillion to save the banking system.

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by: StraffordDem @ Thu Mar 18, 2010 at 01:32:09 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

New sign? (0.00 / 0)

I called Meineke in Dover to express how offended I am and they said they had a new sign up. Does anybody know what the new one says? I'd like to know before I talk to the national customer care line. I have gone to that particular Meineke twice and I told them I would never go back there.

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by: rhamelin @ Wed Mar 17, 2010 at 14:51:25 PM UTC

Report it (0.00 / 0)

to Meineke's customer care, take your car somewhere else, tell your friends to do the same, and maybe call the actual franchise to let him know that as a result of his sign (which is idiotic in its inaccuracy) you will not be patronizing his business.  Otherwise, it's this jackass' right to put up a stupid, misspelled ad and see the consequences.  My feeling is that businesses should be able to do this without any reaction other than what I just said--if he had posted the same thing but about Judd Gregg, I know I'd be applauding it, so I shouldn't criticize it much now beyond the fact that he doesn't know what he's talking about and that he can't spell.

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by: FrankLloydMike @ Wed Mar 17, 2010 at 15:03:59 PM UTC

send a message (0.00 / 0)

to corporate Meineke

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by: susanthe @ Wed Mar 17, 2010 at 15:52:24 PM UTC

I guess that they only want to service high end cars with stainless steel (0.00 / 0)

exhauasts. Good luck with that.

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by: AboutTime @ Wed Mar 17, 2010 at 17:50:47 PM UTC

I don't want to be hypocritical (0.00 / 0)

I usually applaud Mack's apples in Londonderry when they post, mostly liberal, messages on their signs so I have a hard time criticizing a Meineke owner for doing the same on the other side of the spectrum.

Also, the business owners specialty is probably auto repair and not grammar or spelling and I'm sure the machine's input form doesn't have a spell check.  Was it short sighted of him to misspell something?  Of course it was, but I misspell things all the time when I'm sans-spellchecker.

Criticizing someone's grammar and mistakes is how we earn that lovely "elitist" tag (something I despise) and turn off the middle class and blue-collar workers...

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by: Derek @ Wed Mar 17, 2010 at 21:04:46 PM UTC

that darned free speech thing (0.00 / 0)

He can put whatever he wants on a sign. We can all criticize it, or not, as the case may be. The right gets to do the same.

So, a guy who works on cars shouldn't be expected to be able to spell? That sounds rather patronizing to me. Since when is spelling elitist?  

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by: susanthe @ Wed Mar 17, 2010 at 22:36:02 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

I wasn't patronizing anybody (0.00 / 0)

My point was that everyone makes mistakes.  I make spelling mistakes everyday and I'm on a computer writing all day long.  Disagree with the message all you want, but criticizing the actual person doesn't get anyone anywhere.

You're free to criticize all you want and free to shop where you want, but calling corporate Meineke to rat the guy out over a political message that you disagree with seems a bit extreme.

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by: Derek @ Thu Mar 18, 2010 at 13:06:04 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

your concern (0.00 / 0)

is duly noted, Derek. It's nice that you stop in a few times a year to express your concerns.  

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by: susanthe @ Thu Mar 18, 2010 at 13:28:26 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

I make mistakes in spelling and grammar (4.00 / 2)

But I'm always extra careful, and maybe even ask someone to proofread, before I post to my gigantic electronic roadside sign.

Doesn't everyone?

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by: elwood @ Wed Mar 17, 2010 at 23:14:44 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

absolutely (0.00 / 0)

I proofread my stuff over and over and I still miss mistakes.  I don't usually find them til I go back later and by then it's usually too late.

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by: Derek @ Thu Mar 18, 2010 at 13:08:16 PM UTC

[ Parent ]