Actual Marketing Opportunities
by Bruce Wade on 12/10/09 at 6:38 pm
4 comments
I have recently observed different scenarios in the everyday business world that created huge marketing opportunities for the businesses involved. Here they are. Let me know what you think should have been done by each business owner.
Story 1: A small coffee shop along Route 62 in the small Karoo just outside Barrydale. A group comes in to order take away home made soup and rolls to drink in the car. They were in a hurry. They relax in front of the log fire and wait for their order. When it comes the soup is steaming hot and smells divine and the bread rolls have just come out of the oven. They pay for the food and get up to leave. The one lady slips and drops her cup on the floor next to our table sending the contents flowing across the floor. She was so embarrassed by her actions that she scoops up the cup with no more than a 1/3 of the original volume and hurries out of the store.
What does the shop owner do?
Story 2: We were standing in the queue at the Kite Festival this past weekend waiting to pay our entrance fee. The family in front of us was not aware of the fee and did not come financially prepared. They have enough for the 3 adults and two of the four children. They are short just R10.
What does the cashier do?
Story 3: I was sent to the shop today to buy some sliced sandwich meat from the local supermarket. Me in my ignorance and lack of sliced meat purchasing experience buy a precut pack with a variety of meats. The lady at the till has some problems with the till slip and I fail to bring one home. My wife identifies the meat as not the type the children like so we need to take it back. I arrive at the store with the package but no slip or proof of purchase.
What does the store manager do?
Let me know your thoughts. Actual answers later this week.
[image credit: jay lopez]
Bruce Wade is a survivor of the corporate and NGO world, author, speaker, business owner and entrepreneur, Bruce now runs the Entrepreneur Incubator; a member based organisation dedicated to serving those in the trenches of business through coaching, mentoring and leadership education. View more articles by Bruce Wade.
naeem
Oct 13th, 2009
story 1 – immediately help the lady out, you or your staff stop her from cleaning the mess and do it yourselves. give a freebie cup of soup. Heck the cost on soup is minimal.
not a matter or marketing, but just a matter of being human and kind.
story 2 – let it slide man, perhaps dont embarass them by loudly saying we’ll let you in. wink at the father or whoever is paying and say “no charge on the little ones” –
story3 – this is a tough one. IF if package is not opened and still in a sell-able condition then swop it out. If its not, offer a discount on the purchase of the correct one, explaining the predicament.
Explain how would htey like to buy meat thats been returned by another customer?
Surely the meat is barcoded, you can pickup the date/time of sale on system without need for a receipt.
Bruce Wade
Oct 13th, 2009
Naeem. Thanks for your input. I must just add that the meat pack in story 3 was a sealed pack not just a handful of cut slices wrapped in a bag.
Michelle
Oct 13th, 2009
story 1: check if you have not been soiled by the spill as it was next to your table. give the clumsy chick another cup and help her out the door. clean up the mess.
story 2: if cashier doesn’t have discount proxy, which she doesn’t, discreetly ask attendees to stand a little to the side whilst an organiser with signing power is called. the cashier shouldn’t take control of company funds if she is not authorised to. rules regarding money and stock need to be strictly adhered to or the blurring of lines can lead staff into naieve mistakes that are larger. Ultimately be compassionate within the rules.
story 3: no till slip sounds like spar vredehoek. the sale should be recorded in the p.o.s. memory card. IF their tills don’t have memory cards what on EARTH are you doing buying perishable food there!? their cold chain maintenance and integrity must be an science-experiment.
Bruce Wade
Oct 19th, 2009
Actual Endings:
Story 1: The staff at the coffee shop were so flustered about the mess that they all ran into the kitchen to get the cleaner and her stinky mop to clean up the mess and forgot to serve the customer in need. She and her party left in a cloud of embarrassment and shame and the huge marketing opportunity was missed.
Story 2: The unempowered cashier was left stranded unable to make a decision so she just said no and made them wait, blocking the queue for others while the poor dad had to run back to his car and find another R10 of change to pay for his two children.
Story 3: The shop being Woolworths, had no problem taking back the product, even at a different branch with no slip and replacing it with the correct item and giving us the cash difference in change. success at last. Well done Woolies.