Frequently, at L2, we hear about client concerns about the potential of TOO MUCH personalization, and “Creepy” possibilities in communication.

Recently, while looking on the web, I found this at TPM.

The fatal attraction method of debt collection

Yes, a company using the WEB (a public forum) to address a private debt. Understand, I know that people default on payments. I know they sometimes need private reminders regarding payment. I know that Debt Collection agencies are mostly staffed with people who are just trying to do their job, and get payments, and most off the time they are doing so politely, and with great patience.

But to say that this is over the line is an understatement. It is not only poor customer policy, it is poor human behavior, and borders on the sociopathic, what this company did to this customer. Her late payments, or failure to pay do not permit grey moral operations on the part of the company. One person’s wrongs do not sanctify detrimental action by another person, let alone a corporation.

Our responsibility as marketers, our very life blood flows in showing relevant messaging and product value to our potential customers and existing customer base….so here comes the tie in to Cattle Rustlers (yeah…took awhile)

Sometimes, I feel like all of us in Personalized Marketing are just like Cowboys in the Old West. Our reputation as hard working trail blazers, willing to go the long dusty road to get our herd to market in a hostile world is well deserved. Our tools are the trusty six-gun at our hip (shooting out messaging), the rope (tying our customers to relevant messaging) and the saddle (as we survey and report back our findings).

When other people use our tools to hold people hostage, tie them up and then drag them behind their horse in the dust, it gives us all a bad name.