About a year ago I was making arrangements for an associate who was in town for a conference and looking for accommodation. Before I continue, let me add that I am an enthusiastic environmentalist and advocate for liveable communities who walks, bikes and takes transit everywhere. I don’t even own a driver’s license. So imagine my horror when, on inquiring about bus transportation between one prospective hotel and the conference venue, I was told by the giddy desk clerk on the other end of the line to forget about the bus. “Bus-schmus!” she laughed. “We have a Hummer!”

The dead air on the line (I was busy picking my jaw up off the floor) was quickly recussitated with further explanation. “You just have to let us know in advance where you’re going and when you need to get there and we can drive you,” she said. “In a Hummer!” she added. I was still speechless, and I think she felt I needed convincing. “People just love it!” she gushed. Oh. So that was the problem. I wasn’t “people”. I was a member of an alien species masquerading as human. It wasn’t the first time I’d felt that way.

Needless to say, I didn’t book my colleague into that hotel. (She isn’t human, either). I also wrote a formal letter to the marketing manager explaining my visceral reaction to the corporate policy of providing transportation for guests by uber-SUV and how that immediately and negatively impacted my impression of the hotel’s brand. As a consumer, I want to feel that the places I spend my money–be they restaurants, stores, or hotels–reflect my values. When I want to take the bus, I don’t want to be told that I can get a free-n-fun ride in the symbolic equivalent of a polar ice cap melter. I recommended that the hotel consider the diversity of its potential clients and provide amenities that have appeal to the urban sophisticate as well as the urban cowboy, the guest from Europe as well as the one recently arrived from a southern Ontario suburb. Why not provide free bus tickets, as well as the free Hummer? Like the Hummer was intended to do (but minus the environmental and financial cost), this would set the brand apart from the private bathroom, jacuzzi suite, and in-room coffee maker type of amenities that are found in all North American hotels.

“Corporate social responsibility”, or “CSR” for short, has become a buzzword in business circles and a measure of success in the boardroom. From small businesses like Stagecoach Designs (we, for example, purchase only fair trade organic coffee for use in our office) to global giants like Wal-Mart (which, according to Ethical Corporation newsletter, is now sourcing its seafood from sustainable fisheries), companies are recognizing that it’s good business to do good in your business.

The Body Shop, a symbol of the socially-conscious corporation as a result of its campaigns against animal testing and in support of human rights and environmental protection, was handsomely rewarded for its efforts in 2006 when it was purchased by L’Oreal for a sweet $1.32 billion. Interface Carpet reconfigured its entire operation in order to develop carpeting that was 100% recyclable and discovered that its new carpet was cheaper to make and more durable. The Farmers Diner, a restaurant in Barre, Vermont that serves only locally-produced and sustainably-grown food, has become immensely popular with locals and eco-tourists alike. Nike saw its shares plummet after revelations of sweatshop manufacturing in 1997 and since then has instituted a well-respected “sustainability team” focused on creating products with a more responsible environmental and social footprint.

In writing this article I took a quick peek at the website of the hotel in question and noted that it now makes no reference to Hummers under “amenities” or “guest services”. Nor does it provide any hint of bus tickets, or even a link to local transit information. There is, however, copious information on how to get to the hotel by car. If they’ve sold the Hummer-cum-limo, that’s a bit of good news for today (and tomorrow). But ignoring my bus ticket advice, I’d say, is a missed opportunity, and not just for aliens.

Jennifer Dawson is a cultural anthropologist and writer for Stagecoach Designs. A highly opinionated advocate for corporate social responsibility and liveable communities, her Stagecoach Express persona is that of “CSR Agent”, digging up evidence and developing the case for why businesses should care about their social and environmental impact. Hopelessly addicted to caffeine, Jennifer regularly seeks out a fair trade java jolt. As someone without a driver’s license, she often finds herself literally“walking the talk”.

Stagecoach Express is a newsletter produced by Stagecoach Designs. Each issue is written by one of four in-house experts, each of whom brings his or her storytelling talent and special knowledge to the quest for superior marketing and brand development. Articles printed in the Stagecoach Express are based on true events but identifying information has been modified to protect the identity of the innocent (and guilty).