Comments on: When Free Giveaways Backfire http://www.moneysmartsblog.com/when-free-giveaways-backfire/ Investing and Personal Finance Sat, 11 Feb 2012 04:38:37 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: brens http://www.moneysmartsblog.com/when-free-giveaways-backfire/comment-page-1/#comment-6907 brens Thu, 10 Jul 2008 20:30:19 +0000 http://www.moneysmartsblog.com/when-free-giveaways-backfire/#comment-6907 i was quite impressed how they had burgers all over the place cooking at the Harveys in Home depot in brantford the service was very efficient friendly and evryone ordered soemthing. not just a milk either.. it was a great experience. the store manager there is terrific though. if your poutine isnt melty he ll make a new one straight away no questions.. i was quite impressed how they had burgers all over the place cooking at the Harveys in Home depot in brantford the service was very efficient friendly and evryone ordered soemthing. not just a milk either.. it was a great experience. the store manager there is terrific though. if your poutine isnt melty he ll make a new one straight away no questions..

]]> By: Four Pillars http://www.moneysmartsblog.com/when-free-giveaways-backfire/comment-page-1/#comment-6266 Four Pillars Sun, 01 Jun 2008 02:09:24 +0000 http://www.moneysmartsblog.com/when-free-giveaways-backfire/#comment-6266 I agree with Cheap that it's up to the company/bar etc to manage the promotion so that clients have a positive experience. Happy clients will come back. Yes, burgers take time to cook but I think they should experiment with just offering them at a discount rather than free in order to reduce the demand to a manageable level. Offering free stuff is just asking for trouble (especially when Mr. Cheap shows up hungry). :) I agree with Cheap that it’s up to the company/bar etc to manage the promotion so that clients have a positive experience. Happy clients will come back.

Yes, burgers take time to cook but I think they should experiment with just offering them at a discount rather than free in order to reduce the demand to a manageable level.

Offering free stuff is just asking for trouble (especially when Mr. Cheap shows up hungry). :)

]]> By: Sods http://www.moneysmartsblog.com/when-free-giveaways-backfire/comment-page-1/#comment-6265 Sods Sun, 01 Jun 2008 01:22:05 +0000 http://www.moneysmartsblog.com/when-free-giveaways-backfire/#comment-6265 I attended free burger day this year and as Karl said, the line was really fast. You have to remember that burgers only cook so fast, so there is a maximum capacity for their grills, there is bound to be hold-ups. I think society in general is getting a little too over the top with special promotions. People waiting outside 27hours for a book signing I was at recently (I was only there a few), or overnight at future shop on boxing day to save $100 on a Camera? I remember people paying $2500 for a PS3 when it came out too. Come on people! /rant off Sods I attended free burger day this year and as Karl said, the line was really fast. You have to remember that burgers only cook so fast, so there is a maximum capacity for their grills, there is bound to be hold-ups.

I think society in general is getting a little too over the top with special promotions. People waiting outside 27hours for a book signing I was at recently (I was only there a few), or overnight at future shop on boxing day to save $100 on a Camera? I remember people paying $2500 for a PS3 when it came out too. Come on people! /rant off

Sods

]]> By: Mr. Cheap http://www.moneysmartsblog.com/when-free-giveaways-backfire/comment-page-1/#comment-6262 Mr. Cheap Sat, 31 May 2008 18:07:19 +0000 http://www.moneysmartsblog.com/when-free-giveaways-backfire/#comment-6262 Karl: Truth be told I wondered if that might be the case. I didn't bother going and looking at their setup inside, so maybe the line was moving quickly and they were doing the best they could. Karl: Truth be told I wondered if that might be the case. I didn’t bother going and looking at their setup inside, so maybe the line was moving quickly and they were doing the best they could.

]]> By: Karl http://www.moneysmartsblog.com/when-free-giveaways-backfire/comment-page-1/#comment-6260 Karl Sat, 31 May 2008 17:23:32 +0000 http://www.moneysmartsblog.com/when-free-giveaways-backfire/#comment-6260 I can see why you get a bad impression of Harvey's, but you can't accuse them for a lack of employees (in my experience anyways). I attended the free burger event last year, and waited about 15 minutes in line to get my burger, and the line was out the door when I got there. They were pretty efficient, and every counter had an employee. More employees could not have been working. I think it's just a problem with really popular promotions that everyone shows up, and there is no possible way to serve the food fast enough to keep up with demand. I can see why you get a bad impression of Harvey’s, but you can’t accuse them for a lack of employees (in my experience anyways).

I attended the free burger event last year, and waited about 15 minutes in line to get my burger, and the line was out the door when I got there. They were pretty efficient, and every counter had an employee. More employees could not have been working. I think it’s just a problem with really popular promotions that everyone shows up, and there is no possible way to serve the food fast enough to keep up with demand.

]]> By: Jerry http://www.moneysmartsblog.com/when-free-giveaways-backfire/comment-page-1/#comment-6246 Jerry Fri, 30 May 2008 18:44:33 +0000 http://www.moneysmartsblog.com/when-free-giveaways-backfire/#comment-6246 My wife worked for a company once, and we would comment (practically every week) that "It's almost as if upper management has no business training or experience at all!" This was tongue in cheek, because in actuality, they really >didn't< know what the he** they were doing. This general cluelessness would lead them to constantly pulling stunts like the "Free Burgers If You Are Willing To Wait Two Hours" or the "Free Gas -- Until We Run Out" described above. Owning and running a business is no insurance that the proprietors have any common sense, as "Harvey" has demonstrated! Jerry My wife worked for a company once, and we would comment (practically every week) that “It’s almost as if upper management has no business training or experience at all!”
This was tongue in cheek, because in actuality, they really >didn’t< know what the he** they were doing. This general cluelessness would lead them to constantly pulling stunts like the “Free Burgers If You Are Willing To Wait Two Hours” or the “Free Gas — Until We Run Out” described above.
Owning and running a business is no insurance that the proprietors have any common sense, as “Harvey” has demonstrated!
Jerry

]]> By: Mr. Cheap http://www.moneysmartsblog.com/when-free-giveaways-backfire/comment-page-1/#comment-6218 Mr. Cheap Thu, 29 May 2008 22:31:59 +0000 http://www.moneysmartsblog.com/when-free-giveaways-backfire/#comment-6218 We're actually thinking about putting up a "visitor feedback" page with all the hate mail we get. It's only been 2 or 3 "hate mail" messages so far, but they were... passionate. We’re actually thinking about putting up a “visitor feedback” page with all the hate mail we get. It’s only been 2 or 3 “hate mail” messages so far, but they were… passionate.

]]> By: ThickenMyWallet http://www.moneysmartsblog.com/when-free-giveaways-backfire/comment-page-1/#comment-6216 ThickenMyWallet Thu, 29 May 2008 21:54:16 +0000 http://www.moneysmartsblog.com/when-free-giveaways-backfire/#comment-6216 You get hate mail about your blog? The only person who complains about my blog is my Mom who writes: "I spent you to school for this?" You get hate mail about your blog?

The only person who complains about my blog is my Mom who writes: “I spent you to school for this?”

]]> By: Rachel @ Master Your Card http://www.moneysmartsblog.com/when-free-giveaways-backfire/comment-page-1/#comment-6205 Rachel @ Master Your Card Thu, 29 May 2008 10:43:37 +0000 http://www.moneysmartsblog.com/when-free-giveaways-backfire/#comment-6205 It does seem rather silly to run a promotion to try to improve the reputation of your company but do it badly and end up putting customers off - better to have no promotion at all! It does seem rather silly to run a promotion to try to improve the reputation of your company but do it badly and end up putting customers off – better to have no promotion at all!

]]> By: Mr. Cheap http://www.moneysmartsblog.com/when-free-giveaways-backfire/comment-page-1/#comment-6191 Mr. Cheap Wed, 28 May 2008 18:16:06 +0000 http://www.moneysmartsblog.com/when-free-giveaways-backfire/#comment-6191 Matt: Yeah, I was going to post a link to that, but decided against it. If anyone's interested, some info is here: http://www.frugalshopper.ca/phpbb2/viewtopic.php?t=98703&sid=6f74f52961f244fe4a41be50919da73a Matt: Yeah, I was going to post a link to that, but decided against it. If anyone’s interested, some info is here: http://www.frugalshopper.ca/phpbb2/viewtopic.php?t=98703&sid=6f74f52961f244fe4a41be50919da73a

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