An e-mail claiming that fast-food vendor McDonald`s employees were filmed by M-Net magazine show Carte Blanche mishandling food intended for customers has proven to be a hoax, but the damage to the company`s reputation in the minds of some of its clientele has been done.
The hoax e-mail, which spread quickly throughout SA, claimed that Carte Blanche planned to air footage of McDonald`s staff "spitting on white people`s hamburgers when ordered", according to the e-mail.
"We absolutely deny the rumor being spread in the e-mail," says Terrence Reese, president and MD of McDonald`s South Africa. "We did contact Carte Blanche, who denied the existence of the footage."
This is confirmed by a press release on Carte Blanche`s Web site: "An urban legend relating to a well-known hamburger fast-food chain is currently circulating SA. This false rumour states that Carte Blanche has captured hidden camera visuals of the fast-food chain`s employees allegedly mishandling food meant for its customers. The programme does not have such footage in its possession. Should we acquire such footage, we will be the first to broadcast it."
Despite attempts to curb the damage, many apparently still believe the hoax. An anonymous source close to McDonald`s says business was down 20% last week, partially due to the economic climate, and partially due to the e-mail.
"People are still spreading this e-mail," says Reese, who denies the claim that McDonald`s has seen a substantial drop in sales due to the urban legend. "Our sales trends are correct according to the economy and the time of year," he says.
"I think that hoax e-mails can be quite damaging initially, but the feeling from most is that these sorts of e-mails aren`t to be believed," says Heath Turner, sales and marketing manager for e-mail specialist The E-mail Corporation. "E-mail is a powerful tool. It spreads like wildfire and has a snowball effect," he adds. "Amateur e-mail users are more likely to believe these hoaxes than those who have been online for a year or more."
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