CEO Rude To Bird Owners Who Inquire About Product

[GypsyVisions]

A lady emailed Chefsplanet to ask them if their oven liners contain Teflon. Here's the response she got from the President of the company.


-----Original Message-----
From: David Roberts [mailto:droberts@chefsplanet.com]
Sent: Thursday, January 20, 2005 4:53 PM
To: bsmith05@****
Subject:

Dear B & A:



Yes, this is Teflon. You may also want to think about getting rid of the cat too as they have been know to eat little twiddy too.



David Roberts

President

Chef's Planet, LLC.

2120 E. Rose Garden

Suite E1

Phoenix, AZ 85024

Phone: 602.906.3600

Fax: 602.906.3603

email: droberts@chefsplanet.com

Website: www.chefsplanet.com

[GypsyVisions]

Here's another response he sent to another bird owner. Seems that anyone who wants to avoid teflon around their birds are "California whackos". Gosh this guy burns me up!

From: David Roberts [mailto:droberts@chefsplanet.com]
Sent: Friday, January 21, 2005 9:23 AM
To: 'Rfkerns****
Subject: RE: Response re Teflon


Dear Roberta:


It’s not flip at all. It’s interesting, because someone puts something on the internet, that gains a life of it’s own and people take the information they read on the internet as gospel.


Teflon is the most studied and tested product in America by the FDA and USDA. It’s been studied for over 30 years with no adverse affects to humans or animals. I think that if you use any product, as it was not intended, it can be dangerous. For example; if you had your bird in the kitchen and fried bacon in a cast iron skillet and removed the bacon and left the skillet on the burners at med. High heat, to where the bacon fat started smoking, the fumes from the smoke could kill a small bird. Does that mean that bacon is evil or consumer abuse? Anything that is not used properly can hurt us, from knives in the kitchen to Clorox bleach.

I will admit to you that if you misuse the product and use it in a manner that it was not intended for, you could do harm. But having said that, people have to use common sense with all things……..Look at how dangerous toilets are to small children; leave the lid up and a child falls into the toilet, the child would drown. Should we get rid of toilets too? I don’t think so.


At some point in time, people are ultimately responsible for their own actions. Is it the fault of the Teflon being overheated on the stovetop, on high, with nothing in the pan or the person who misused the product? Did the Teflon kill the bird or did the homeowner?

Quite frankly, the argument over the use of Teflon has been created by the far left California wacko’s, who think all of us should live on the ground and gather berries and nuts.



Just use common since in all things in life.



David Roberts

President

Chef's Planet, LLC.

2120 E. Rose Garden

Suite E1

Phoenix, AZ 85024

Phone: 602.906.3600

Fax: 602.906.3603

email: droberts@chefsplanet.com

Website: www.chefsplanet.com

[SavvyMoon]

Just playing Devil's advocate here... but you need to see the point he's making as well.

Teflon is not "the enemy" of birds or pets.
Just like air fresheners, perfumes, cleaning products, cigarettes,
etc are not "the enemy". It is the USE of these products that
determines their potential harm to us - and/or our pets.

I know many people who have used Teflon (safely) around their birds,
for years and years, with no ill affects.
I know people who keep their birds in the kitchen-
and use non stick cookware.
Would I take that risk? No, I wouldn't.
Would you take that risk?
That's the question to ask (and answer) for yourself.

We all have free will and choice when it comes to buying and using
products.
Do I think Teflon should be banned from the marketplace? No. I don't.
Do I think makers of Teflon products should label their items with a warning about high heat and potential dangers of using it? Absolutely.
Do I think Mr Roberts' reply to those people concerned for their birds was rude and inconsiderate? Absolutely.
But then again I didn't see the letters HE was replying to, either....
It's all how you approach people you know... maybe he felt he was being "accused" or blamed for something? I don't know.

But it would probably be better to be polite to these people who make or sell Teflon/non-stick products and ASK them to "please consider a warning label for consumers with birds or sensitive people in the household who could possibly be endangered from the misuse of Teflon..."

Actually on many non-stick cookware products, they DO warn you about using the product once it becomes scratched or damaged in any way, or on extreme heat settings.

As for teflon being used in toasters, hairdryers, or curling irons, etc... Bird folks go a little overboard "worrying" about those things, IMO.

Savvy*

[GypsyVisions]

Hi Savvy and thanks for your response.

What angered me was not that his products contain Teflon, but his flippant attitude towards consumers who simply inquired about them. To make a joke about the cat eating a bird, and then infer that we are "far left California whackos" is insulting to say the least. What further angered me was his telling the consumer to use common sense when that is EXACTLY what they were trying to do by asking if the product contained Teflon to begin with.

It just blows my mind that the president of the company would show such contempt for the consumer.

[blueroseaviary]

These guys are really feeling the heat now, and backpeddling as fast as they can. This letter originally went to a friend of mine, she wrote the original inquiry. In just a couple of days it has spread from our parrotlet list all over the internet! I have received HUNDREDS of emails in my mail box, I can only imagine how many they have received. One list that it was posted to has over 10,000 members!

They are typing out apologies as fast as their little fingers will let them. I say keep writing to them and educate them on the dangers to Teflon and birds. It does NOT have to be overheated or misused to kill our birds.

In one apology they stated that they are going to add to their website a warning to pet owners about using Teflon in homes with birds. It will be interesting to see if they do, or if their apologies are just as empty as this guy's skull!

It put the fear of god into them when Bird Times magazine contacted them and pointed out how mistaken and uneducated they are about the danger of the PTFE's that they use in their products. They didn't want an article about their email to be published in a national magazine and the butt kissing reached enormous proportions! hahahahahaha!

Moral of the story: DON'T MESS WITH BIRD PEOPLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[GypsyVisions]

Hi Jill,

I've had this whole thing on my mind for the last 2 days since it hit the bird lists. They should be kissing butt for being so ugly and rude. After sleeping on it all, here's the email I sent to Mr. Roberts this morning.

Date: Sat, 22 Jan 2005 09:58:50 -0800 (PST)
From: "Gypsy" <gypsyvisions@yahoo.com> Add to Address Book
Subject: PERSONAL ATTENTION: email about birds and teflon
To: droberts@chefsplanet.com
CC: mromley@chefsplanet.com

The uproar that caused all this was because one lady asked nicely if your product contained Teflon. You replied very rudely, not once, but TWICE. In the second nasty email, you told her to use "common sense". Well that's what she was trying to do to begin with by making her initial inquiry.

I can't help but sit here and shake my head at your obnoxious behavior. It makes me wonder how in the world you ever got to be president of any company, as it is clear that you regard the consumer with total contempt.

In the last sentence of your apology letter below, you say you're sorry for the "misunderstanding". I don't see any misunderstanding here. You were being rude and unkind on purpose and your comments were taken as such. No misunderstanding whatsoever.

Sincerely, a consumer who will not be buying ANY of your products,

S. Mueller
Hendersonville, TN

[blueroseaviary]

A consumer simply wrote to the company and asked if the product that they had received as a gift was coated with Teflon or not... read on.

Here is a response we got from the President of Chef's Planet. **** and I
received an oven liner as a gift from a house guest. I sent
Chef's Planet a note asking if the material was Teflon, and how I was
concerned about our birds. I had to ask since nowhere on the packaging or on
their website was the material listed.

***** and I were shocked when we got back this sarcastic response from the President of the company.

If you haven't already, I guess you better add oven liners to your list of
dangerous products.

See you Sunday,
*****



-----Original Message-----
From: David Roberts [mailto:droberts@chefsplanet.com]
Sent: Thursday, January 20, 2005 4:53 PM
To:
Subject:


Dear B & A:



Yes, this is Teflon. You may also want to think about getting rid of the
cat too as they have been know to eat little twiddy too.



David Roberts

President

Chef's Planet, LLC.

2120 E. Rose Garden

Suite E1

Phoenix, AZ 85024

Phone: 602.906.3600

Fax: 602.906.3603

email: droberts@chefsplanet.com

Website: www.chefsplanet.com

[blueroseaviary]

Originally Posted by GypsyVisions

Hi Jill,

I've had this whole thing on my mind for the last 2 days since it hit the bird lists. They should be kissing butt for being so ugly and rude. After sleeping on it all, here's the email I sent to Mr. Roberts this morning.

Date: Sat, 22 Jan 2005 09:58:50 -0800 (PST)
From: "Gypsy" <gypsyvisions@yahoo.com> Add to Address Book
Subject: PERSONAL ATTENTION: email about birds and teflon
To: droberts@chefsplanet.com
CC: mromley@chefsplanet.com

The uproar that caused all this was because one lady asked nicely if your product contained Teflon. You replied very rudely, not once, but TWICE. In the second nasty email, you told her to use "common sense". Well that's what she was trying to do to begin with by making her initial inquiry.

I can't help but sit here and shake my head at your obnoxious behavior. It makes me wonder how in the world you ever got to be president of any company, as it is clear that you regard the consumer with total contempt.

In the last sentence of your apology letter below, you say you're sorry for the "misunderstanding". I don't see any misunderstanding here. You were being rude and unkind on purpose and your comments were taken as such. No misunderstanding whatsoever.

Sincerely, a consumer who will not be buying ANY of your products,

S. Mueller
Hendersonville, TN

Very nicely stated Stacy.... YOU GO GIRL!!!!!

[SavvyMoon]

Originally Posted by blueroseaviary

They are typing out apologies as fast as their little fingers will let them. I say keep writing to them and educate them on the dangers to Teflon and birds. It does NOT have to be overheated or misused to kill our birds.

Actually it *does* have to be overheated, or on the heat source without anything in the pan, or misused in other ways for it to become "dangerous" or life-threatening.
Teflon cookware used in the intended fashion, well away from the birds in the home, is no more dangerous to them than someone standing out on your back porch having a cigarette with your birds inside and away from any windows.
If your statement was true, there would be literally many thousands of dead birds every year from Teflon exposure alone, instead of the relatively few that succumb to the accidental misuse of non-stick products.

One of the reasons folks who have birds and are passionate about them get the reputation of being (like) "California wackos" is because we sometimes really go above and beyond common sense caution and expect everyone else to go along with us. :icon_smil

Life doesn't always need to be a huge drama.
I hope they do start labeling cookware. ALL non-stick cookware.
But how will you make sure everyone READS the labels??
In the end, it's OUR responsibility, not the manufacturers; see what I'm saying?

[Tiki]

Whether or not it was teflon harming the birds or people's misuse of teflon harming the birds--this guy is just plain rude! There are polite ways to phrase just about anything. He needs to take a course in customer service! :aiwebs_02 I wouldn't want him working for me!