The other morning, incentivized with a coupon for a discounted breakfast at my local National Casual Dining Restaurant that also serves ice cream (Got it yet Sherlock?), I drove to my destination, selected a booth, and presented my coupon as a surrogate to ordering something specific from the menu.
I was told by the server, “Oh, we don’t do that on Fridays.” The coupon didn’t mention that!
As I silently withdrew my coupon, and started to look at the Menu for a non-discounted alternated, a few thoughts came to mind:
- Looking around the Restaurant on this late Friday morning that was at best 10 to 15 percent filled, or better stated, 85 to 90 percent empty, I mused, “Don’t they want my business even at a discounted rate?”
- Wasn’t this the chain that only lasted a month before it filed for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy (Restructuring) and announced it would close 63 out of 487 of its outlets (about 1 of every
in the process?? - My final thought – “Why am I looking to order an item at full price that I didn’t come here for???”
With that, I left the restaurant and got back into my Ford to escape this situation. On the short drive back to my home, I kept thinking about how this ailing Chain in a stagnant Economy would be so Customer unfriendly!
In Marketing Textbooks including the Marketing 101 Text that I teach from each semester, a recurring theme is being Customer Friendly for success. The same mantra is preached evangelically in the number of books that are written each year by the current published Marketing and Sales Gurus. Lastly, I would not think of conducting a Project for a Client without their Customers gaining primary consideration within its Objectives.
If this is all logical and even obvious, then why does this Chain have a missing link of this attribute? In this age of Social Media why does this Company appear anti-social?? Isn’t it easier to be Customer Friendly than Customer Unfriendly???
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Bryan Pazaras is a Marketing Strategist, Qualitative Researcher, and Adjunct Professor of Marketing at SUNY Westchester. As Managing Owner of Ideas and Informed Insights Inc.he can be reached at bryanpazaras@aol.com or at 914.242.0545
DISCLOSURE: NO CONNECTION, UNPAID, NOT MY OWN
I have not received any compensation for posting this content. The views expressed in this guest blog do not necessarily reflect the views and policies of HJMT COMMUNICATIONS, LLC. Individual links could be associated with affiliate marketing sites and through the use of affiliate links contained herein, I may collect fees from purchases made.
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