Really Free?
Women’s clothing stores are notorious for giving special discounts but when you go to redeem them they are outdated, not applicable and plainly no good. For Example, xxxisma gave me a bonus coupon of $20. I went to the Market Mall outlet to redeem the coupon and the manager said that the computer would not accept the entry because the coupon code was ineffective. It was not reasonable. My selected necklace was an exact match – $20. The coupon was $20. I was willing to pay for the GST. The manager insisted that I purchase a higher priced item to use the code. She needed training in better employee communication.
After much frustration, I asked for her to phone head office. She complied. They gave her further instructions. She tried again and was successful in entering the code and I walked away with my free item. But the cost to me was about 10 minutes, feeling hassled and unhappy. So, in the end was the free coupon worth it? So, what would be a better solution for companies that want to give a freebie? I suggest an immediate discount of purchase would be more appropriate. Or better yet, invest in workplace training for your employees to learn how to communicate more effectively with their customers.
