GrubHub App Store reviews plummet after CEO’s anti-Trump memo
GrubHub is at the center of a social media firestorm after its cofounder and CEO Matt Maloney sent an anti-Trump email to employees earlier this week week. Following the election results on Tuesday, Maloney wanted to reassure his staff that neither he nor the workplace culture he oversees would tolerate hateful rhetoric consistent with Donald Trump’s campaign. However, some misinterpreted the language in his email as a call for Trump supporters to resign, which many viewed as a step too far. Now, GrubHub’s App Store reviews are reflecting the discontent, with one-star posts pouring in and pulling down the average.
“If you do not agree with this statement then please reply to this email with your resignation because you have no place here,” Maloney wrote in his initial email. He was not referring to people who voted for Trump, but rather his assertion that he and GrubHub as a company would “fight for your dignity and your right to make a better life for yourself and your family here in the United States.” Whether people willfully misinterpreted the sentiment is irrelevant at this point. The hashtag #boycottgrubhub has picked up steam and Maloney is facing the consequences.
In a follow-up press release posted to GrubHub’s website yesterday, Maloney tried to clarify his position. “Grubhub welcomes and accepts employees with all political beliefs, no matter who they voted for in this or any election. We do not discriminate on the basis of someone's principles, or political or other beliefs,” Maloney wrote.
It is unlikely the message will resound with many of Trump’s supporters, who are calling for GrubHub to replace its CEO. “Worst business ever. Wouldn’t buy anything from them or follow them because they hate half of America,” reads one App Store one-star review. That said, whatever your feelings on a Trump presidency, Maloney appears to have inadvertently engulfed his company and employees in a controversy he cannot control.
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