WEEKENDERS: Lia Keeping Assures Cheated Distributors “She’s O.K.”

July 22, 2008 Franchise Publicity

According to a story on Unhappy Franchisee, the Toronto based direct sales apparel company Weekenders closed shop abruptly, abandoning its distributors with little regard for orders that had been placed or commissions and payments due.

According to the Unhappy Franchisee story: “The company, its direct marketing association, the blogosphere and especially the major media have been oddly and curiously mum on the event. In fact, direct sales clothing company Weekenders, which had been in business since 1984, thanked its many loyal distributors by letting them know they were getting screwed over by a form letter after the fact.”

The article quotes the form letter from Lia Keeping, Weekenders Canada President, as saying: and sales spin artist to the end, wrote:

Dear Managers and Coordinators,
It is with much sadness that I tell you effective immediately, Weekenders Global has declared bankruptcy. Our owners have ceased all operations in all countries effective immediately. We all know that our company has been struggling for the past few years. Unfortunately, the end has come, faster than anyone could have predicted and I still find it hard to believe, as I was informed at 11:30 this morning. This is not the way I wanted to tell you, unfortunately, due to circumstances beyond my control, I did not find out in time to set up a call or to call you directly as I would have wished, please understand that.

Of course, Lia Keeping is only the company President. She was just as surprised as anyone!

Yet it is her closing of the letter that puts her up there with the greats of self importance, egocentricity and insensitivity:

I want each and every one of you to know how much the past 23 years have meant to me, how much YOU have meant to me. You have helped me grow both personally and professionally and in so many ways. The opportunity that Weekenders provided has been the best thing that ever happened to me and to you too!

…Take pride in who you are, always remember how proud and privileged I am to have been your friend, your colleague, your coach and your President. I hope you remember all the fun we had together and I am sure our paths will cross again.

Please know, I am ok and I want you to be to. I love you.

Weekenders is a direct sales / multi-level marketing clothing company founded in 1984 and has distributors in the US, Canada, The Netherlands and the UK. The company recently launched its spring/summer line… perhaps as a way to draw in orders it would never have to fill… Perhaps as a way to make sure Lia Keeping and the other top execs didn’t miss their final paydays, with vacation pay and bonuses.

Weekenders distributors: Please know that Lia Keeping is OK and she loves you.

As the Unhappy Franchisee article says: “It’s always good to hear “I love you” after getting you-know-whated, isn’t it?”

WHAT DO YOU THINK? SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS BELOW.

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