Playskool Finds a Classy Way to Juggle a Hot Potato

I have put my foot in my mouth more times than I can count. It is easy to say the wrong thing and can be hard to make things right. Playskool, a division of Hasbro, recently had one of those moments when the company posted the tweet, “Does Dad ever have a day where he’s in charge?”

The comment upset several parents, specifically dads, who felt the tweet minimized the role of fathers. When the complaints started coming in, Playskool was quick to apologize. From my perspective, the tweet wasn’t offensive. It was just out of character for a company that routinely highlights the importance of fathers. Just the day before, Playskool’s Facebook page had posted a really nice message about dads.

Many companies would react to a situation like this by either going silent or by issuing a carefully worded apology. Instead, Playskool took a  very classy approach and sent handwritten notes to several mom and dad bloggers. I received a nice card from Jerry Perez, general manager, Playskool in which he apologized for the tweet and talked about what fatherhood meant to him as a parent of three. It was an unexpected, personal touch that showed just how much Playskool cares about its customers.

I was really impressed with how Playskool handled this situation. They responded quickly and went with a personal approach instead of hiding behind a PR statement. I wish more companies handled issues this way. Well done Playskool!