Monday, May 19, 2014

My public apology to Shutterfly

Mr. John Boris
Chief Marketing Officer
Shutterfly Inc.

Dear Mr. Boris,

Please accept my most sincere apology. Following last week's snafu I reacted abruptly. The email provoked feelings of disheartenment and anger. I mistakenly ignored the flaming rule of thumb: wait 24 hours before replying, and be certain that any emotional response you give will not be misinterpreted.

Admittedly I took to social media. I was in sheer disbelief that I was on the receiving end of a congratulatory email celebrating a new arrival; one that did not exist. While many people were able to laugh it off with jokes like "does Shutterfly know something I don't?" I responded much more vehemently.

Having three miscarriages and no babes, I was hurt. I thought only of myself. I was too selfish to consider that on the other end of that email was a human. A person who, just like me, is not perfect. A person who makes mistakes.

If I could take back my outlash on Shutterfly Mr. Boris, I would. Unfortunately we both know all too well that in this digital world, that is not possible. While this may not repair the damage I have done, I do hope that you and the entire team at Shutterfly will be able to accept my apology.

I have learned another valuable lesson in all of this: behind every piece of technology and tool is a person. Someone who unintentionally made a mistake but that doesn't mean they had to pay for it.

Sincerely,
Sarah Robinson

My public apology to Shutterfly after they accidentally congratulate a ton of customers for having a baby

6 comments:

  1. It takes a brave and honest person to apologize like this :)

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    1. Thanks Amanda. Since I was public on my original reaction I felt my apology should reflect the same. xo

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  2. I much agree with Multitasking Mommy. It is very big of you to recognized the other side of the story. ~Catherine

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    1. Thank you Catherine. I try to take ownership and be accountable for my wrong-doings. xo

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  3. I feel for everyone involved. I know that I have been on both sides of a similar situation. We are all human.

    Being the eternal optimist, from sadness can sometimes come understanding and a conscious choice to do things differently next time. My therapist once told me that regrets aren't bad if they remind you to not make the same mistake again.

    All my love, Sarah

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    1. I have very few regrets in life Sarah - I embrace them all as learning experiences. My heart goes out to the person who hit send.

      xo

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