Comments on: Actual Marketing Opportunities

By: Bruce Wade

Bruce Wade — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 06:39:53 +0000

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.

By: Michelle

Michelle — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 20:32:37 +0000

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.

By: Bruce Wade

Bruce Wade — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 08:37:05 +0000

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.

By: naeem

naeem — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 07:56:54 +0000

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.