Domino's apologizes for booger-sandwich video
In its trial by social media, Domino's Pizza seems to already have been found guilty.
Two employees of the Domino's in Conover, N.C., made a video which featured one of them putting cheese up his nostrils (and then putting it on a sandwich) and passing a salami around his wind-passing backside (and then putting it on a sandwich).
The employees, Kristy Hammonds and Michael Setzer, have been fired and charged with delivering prohibited goods.
Yet this is not the first time employees of fast-food outlets have used YouTube as an emotional outlet from their rewarding work.
Last year, Burger King fired an employee for making a video while bathing in the restaurant's kitchen sink and uploading it to MySpace. Yet the brand seems to march confidently on.
Why is this Domino's video appearing to have such a deleterious effect on the brand? Perhaps it's that it has simply gained a viral life far beyond its makers' expectations.
Or perhaps it's that in recessionary times people are relying far more on fast food to get through their budgetary week and are desperate, despite stories to the contrary, to know that these restaurants are sanitary.
While Ms. Hammonds and Mr. Setzer are at pains to point out that the food was not actually served (and, of course, we all believe them), the blog Good as You seems to have uncovered four videos in total featuring the pair.
And nauseating viewing they really do make. Especially the one showing, presumably, Mr. Setzer wiping a dish sponge on his bare backside.
Domino's first reaction, one of caution, has now been replaced by something that bears a resemblance to panic.
Domino's President Patrick Doyle has posted his own video to YouTube, in which he apologizes for the incident and attempts to reassure. His arguments seem reasonable.
However, as you watch it, you wonder if the video just might make things a little worse in the short term. Mr. Doyle fails to look into the camera. Instead his eyes peer at 45 degrees, presumably in the direction of a script. The effect is not reassuring.
What is even more unfortunate for Domino's is that the posting of the video apology has caused even more YouTube commentary about the company, some of it extremely unflattering.
And to think that just a couple of days ago, Domino's was madly touting its Bailout Package. It's Big Taste Bailout Package, to be precise. Will you be nosing through the Domino's menu tonight?
Chris Matyszczyk is an award-winning creative director who advises major corporations on content creation and marketing. He brings an irreverent, sarcastic, and sometimes ironic voice to the tech world. He is a member of the CNET Blog Network and is not an employee of CNET. 
The biggest problem with most fast food places, and often many other restaurants, is a lack of adult supervision. It's cheaper to let the kiddies work without paying a real adult to manage them. There's nobody there to put a stop to the shenanigans.
Apparently if you eat fattening cardboard pizza made by underpaid, exploited workers, your odds seem to get worse all the time.
What makes him Right-Wing, exactly? That he holds a job? You should try one, it is much better than your food stamps (which you can't use at Domino's, sadly).
A job ain't welfare.
Apparently he didn't get the memo that making it obvious that your reading off a teleprompter is not sincere.
Now I used to love Domino's pizza but hiring people like this woman who sexually assaulted a child for 4 months,had to register as a sex offender. Well I could overlook that these were just uneducated morons. But what pisses me off is you hired them and one of them is a registered sex offender. Not get drunk, sleep with jailbait type, regret for the rest of your life type sex offender. She abuses a 14 yr old girl for 4 months. AND YOU HIRE HER TO MAKE US OUR PIZZAS???
You've got to do ALOT more than say you are reforming your hiring practices. How about getting rid of sex offenders like Myspace did and telling us straight out that you are. And other miscreants. We need to know those who make our food are not criminals. Especially, especially sex offenders. She abused a child, why couldnt Domino's connect the dot that she may abuse our food as well. Obviously she cant be trusted to do anything. In islam, they'd behead this woman or stone her. This is one case for Sharia law
- by starbux347 April 21, 2009 2:00 PM PDT
- Scripted or not, it was important for management to respond. Would have been better to speak off the cuff, giving the message a more sincere/authentic feel, but kudos to Dominoes for communicating via the same social channel its wayward employees used.
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