HELP- a call to arms!

[Streetcar]

I had to wait until I got home to send this as an email. But it was also sent in letter form, in case it gets picked up by a spam filter:

Dear Mr. Beattie,
I have recently learned of a situation involving one of your employees, which you should be made aware of – and likely all ready are.

Over the last year or so, the owner of a Dumfries guesthouse (Mr. Robertson Wellen) has been posting an online pictorial journal of the sights, experiences, and history of regional Scotland. It is to his credit that the gentleman in question does not advertise or feature his business in these photos – rather he posts of his own personal hikes to scenic overlooks, ruins, items of historical interest, local events, and distilleries to name a few. His pictures, while not that of a professional photographer, are nevertheless spectacular and capture (in my opinion) the beauty of Scotland both past and present. He is quite simply an outstanding advocate for Scottish Tourism, and as a direct result of his journals, I have begun planning a trip to Scotland.

However, I have learned that guests of Mr. Wellen’s guesthouse were recently visiting the Dumfries branch of the VisitScotland offices. One of the guests was from the United States. A question was raised about the popularity of the kilt. One of your employees, Mr. Kerr Matthews, reportedly said something to the effect of, “The only kilts we see are on loud-mouthed Americans.”
He apparently went on to say, “There is, in fact, one loud-mouthed American living in Dumfries, who owns a guest house, struts around the town in his kilt and even does his shopping in it!” The person Mr. Matthews referred to was, in fact, Mr. Wellen.

I do understand that in this day and age, the kilt is considered an unusual garment. I also understand that there are many people who do not like to see the kilt being worn by anyone – especially someone who is not “Fully Scottish.”

What I do not understand – and what I take offense to – is a representative of your company, while in his capacity as a representative, being so openly hostile about Americans in general, and specifically about one who is doing so much for Scottish Tourism. How exactly does one promote tourism, while simultaneously insulting both the tourist and those that would host them?

It is my hope that Mr. Matthews’s behavior is not typical of your organization, and that Mr. Wellen may expect some form of apology for Mr. Matthew’s clearly unprofessional behavior.

Additionally, it might behoove your organization to provide Mr. Matthews with some sort of instruction on the merits of reserving his personal prejudices until he is on his own time, and not representing your company.

Thank you for your consideration in this matter.

Sincerely,



Kyle Kizzier

(Address included in the letter)

cc: Malcom Roughead - Director of Marketing
Denise Hill - Head of International Marketing
Ewan Colville - Marketing Manager (North America/Asia Pacific)
Donna Black Press Manager - VisitScotland
Elaine Murray - Member of the Scottish Parliament for Dumfries Constituency

[Riverkilt]

Sent my email. Titled it: Son of an RAF Pilot who protected Dumfries

My father was an American boy from Montana who flew Hurricanes for the RAF during War II. His letters home mention flying sector protection over Dumfries. He joined the RAF because our family is from Staffin, Skye - sent to Canada in the clearances.

I am one of those loud mouth Americans who wear kilts. I own over 50 kilts. Most sewn from material woven in Scotland or Great Britain.

I wear the tartans of my ancestral clans proudly.

And, I'm a freind of the gentlemen your Mr. Kerr Mathews insulted in January that your agency has not seen fit to apologize for you.

While at age 62 I am unlikely to visit the country my ancestors were cleared from - and the country my father protected as an RAF pilot, it was a possibility, a long term goal.

Knowing I would be so insulted by the local tourist agency has made planning a trip to the homeland much less of a goal for me.

I am taken even more by the lack of response, than the insults.

Ron Macdonald
Page, Arizona USA
by way of Skye Glen, Nova Scotia and Staffin, Skye.

[Pour1Malt]

Success!

(well... in part... we will soon see… and a step in the right direction in any case....)

last night... just as we were about to get into our taxi to go to Emma's birthday dinner...

I got a phone call from a very polite sounding English woman named Delia Holland of VisitScotland...(head of the Dumfries office)

A malevolent bit of me wanted to tell her that this was a bad time and to phone me in the morning... but I thought I'd better hear what she had to say....

(I may have missed a bit of the conversation... because I had the phone diverted to my mobile phone... and I was getting in a taxi... riding across town.. getting out of the taxi and paying the driver... while this conversation went on....)

She said she had heard from Elaine Murray MSP...

and... that the very day my letter of complaint was received it was acted upon... Mr. Matthews was 'spoken to'... according to Ms. Holland- he was very upset and had not intended any harm... he was joking, she said.... it was not like him to be insulting, she said…

she also said that an apology letter was drafted by her staff... (around March 1) and given to her... she made a few changes to the letter... and gave it back to her staff to be finalized... a few days later (around March 5)... it came back to her to be signed... she said she did not want the staff to use the electronic signature and that she wanted to sign it herself... then somehow it got misplaced by her... she took full responsibility for the letter not being sent...

she apologized to me for Mr. Matthews comments, for VisitScotland giving a negative impression to me (and Dee, Hamish, Derek), and also for not sending the apology letter to me.... she also asked if she should still send me the letter… I said yes. I expect I will receive it today… or at the latest tomorrow… I will update on this thread when I do receive it….

She asked if she should send copies to Dee, Derek, and Hamish… I said no… that I am in email contact and will keep them posted…. I did not mention that Derek had called her office and could not get a hold of her…

She said she hoped to meet me some day… I said she would… I said that I often am in the Dumfries VisitScotland office and will continue to use their literature for our guests to find things to see in the area…. I said that I was sure that I would run into her at some point….

I thanked her for the apology and the phone call… I told her I was actually more upset about “being ignored” after I sent the letter of complaint than I was about the comments Mr. Matthews made…

She apologized again for the letter not being sent and said that the phone call from Elaine Murray MSP was the catalyst to get her to realize this matter was unfinished….

She was very polite and apologetic throughout the phone call and we ended it by both saying thank you…. and I said I was looking forward to receiving the letter.

…

And I am looking forward to reading the letter… I hope it is exactly what I asked for…

“I expect a written apology from both Mr. Matthews and the VisitScotland Dumfries & Galloway Network Office for these malicious and hurtful statements. The apology needs to be address to me personally and also to Mr. Bicknell, Mr. Gibbs, and Mr. Kellett.”

if it is not… I will follow up with Ms Holland…



.

[Pour1Malt]

thank you
sooooo much
kilted rabble!

I am certain
that it was through
all of our collective protestation
that the written apology is forthcoming….

Thank you, thank you, thank you!

[McClef]

Well Hurrah!

And thanks to Elaine Murray MSP for being the catalyst!

Mair pooer tae her elbow!

[Bob C]

Some of you guys are more trusting then I. I expect this guy has been bad-mouthing Robertson all along and has probably cost him business. I also don't buy, for a minute, that he was "joking."

I further wonder if Robertson would have gotten a response, at all, if you guys (and, more importantly, the MSP) had not gotten involved.

In any event, good show, everyone.

[cavscout]

Great! Whether he was joking or not, he will definitely think twice before saying something like that again (at least without knowing who is in the room).

It would be a nice gesture for those who contacted Ms. Holland to follow up with a thank you note for her quick attention. Too often people only hear about the things that are wrong (especially government officials) that it would be good to encourage them when they've done well.

[Pour1Malt]

Some of you guys are more trusting then I. I expect this guy has been bad-mouthing Robertson all along and has probably cost him business. I also don't buy, for a minute, that he was "joking."

I further wonder if Robertson would have gotten a response, at all, if you guys (and, more importantly, the MSP) had not gotten involved.

In any event, good show, everyone.

sadly... I do not think I can argue against any of what you have said.