I don’t like Target. I think it is sensational.

I’m also aware that business thrive on reputations. In the food trade, it only takes ONE bad review to undo a mountain of work.

This week TV3 released a statement on behalf of production company Top Shelf Productions admitting food samples from the cafes were incorrectly coded and they were unable to confirm which one had produced the contaminated food.

The statement said the employee in charge of labelling the samples had been sacked.

Cafe Cezanne owners Rod Williams and Jackie Wilkinson said the “unbelievable” mistake had ruined their once-thriving business and they had taken legal advice on their next step.

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“If it carries on this way we are going to go bankrupt,” Williams said.

“Our meals are quite reasonably priced and we go for volume in our cafe, but things have been so much quieter.

“We are pretty disappointed and our staff are very upset by everything.”

The cafe received an A grade rating during a food and safety inspection by the Auckland City Council last month.

Both owners said the mistake was unforgivable and wanted to know more about how it had happened.

Wilkinson said they contacted Target before the show aired to say there was a mistake with the food sample.

“We knew there were a few errors in their facts but they went ahead anyway and we have noticed a serious downturn in clientele since then,” she said. “Then they come out with an apology but it’s too late. It’s shocking

via Cafe ruined by Target’s false slur – National – NZ Herald News.

I don’t live in Auckland. I used to: I’ve also worked in Ponsonby, where the main road is basically a series of cafes. People can go elsewhere. Reputation is everything: of course this applies to TV3 as well.

I suggest people should boycott Target until they make good to this firm.