OPINION:
Gerry Harvey, the head of national appliance and homewares chain Harvey Norman, should expand his advertising campaign defending Optus following its drastic system meltdown last week.
Mr Harvey has already released radio advertisements defending Optus from the public backlash that resulted from the collapse of its nationwide network last Wednesday.
In them he personally expresses his view that it’s unfair for Optus to be under attack for an IT breakdown, saying such criticism of the telco is a case of “kick them when they’re down” before adding: “I thought Australians were better than that.”
Indeed, so did I Gerry. So did I. As someone deeply involved in consumer affairs for decades I say: “Hat’s off to you Gerry!”
I say it’s about time someone stood up and defended those who simply want to run a business but are caught out occasionally by circumstances beyond their control be they tetchy IT systems or, in my case, consumer protection laws.
Mr Harvey should be at the top of the next honours list for what he’s done. He has planted a flag for all those, like me, who are or have ever been involved in the retail sector.
He has stated a very clear principle with his advertisement.
If you don’t believe me, read his radio script and substitute the word “Optus” for any service, retailer, or product – maybe try it out with asbestos or thalidomide.
You’ll see his defence of Optus can apply to any company or individual, like me, who finds themselves in hot water through no fault – including IT faults – of their own.
I also note that the advertisement recorded by Mr Harvey ends with him saying: “Need a new phone? It’s an Optus deal at Harvey Norman. Tell them Gerry sent you.”
That’s brilliant. Yeah? As my good friend and mentor Russel Howcroft would say.
Gerry’s a genius. Imagine anyone else having the guts to cloak a blatant sales pitch with claims of critics being un-Australian and appeals to stand up for the little guy, in this case Optus.
I hope he expands his ad campaign to defend the likes of Qantas, PwC, and even the Catholic Church from senseless attacks just because they’re hit by events beyond their control.
I now know I’ll be able to count on Gerry to come to my defence the next time I’m under attack and being kicked while I’m down by un-Australian critics as a result of my own honest efforts in the retail sector.
Want to be alerted immediately a new blog hits Australia’s longest running and most offensive satire site? Simply click on the Follow sign or the link below to be emailed new yarns the moment they are uploaded! The very second we go far too far – and trust us we will – you can then quickly unfollow via the three dots!
The Bug Online 