07.29.10
No Slurpee for You
Leave it to kids to know about free Slurpees at 7-Eleven on 7/11. Free Slurpees was the cry from the back seat as I attempted to find a way out of joining the other free Slurpee seekers. After much begging I relented and the Suburban rolled to a stop in front of the local 7-Eleven. Rushing through the door, mouths drooling for a refreshing Slurpee, the innocence of childhood was lost.
“Oh, sorry but we’ve ran out of the free cups.”
“Ok,” I said, “Sooo, what does than mean-no free Slurpee?”
The chuckling reply was unexpected. “I guess you have to buy a larger cup, hee, hee.” And so ended the quest for the free Slurpee at 7-Eleven on 7/11 with ticked off kids and an irritated dad.
Has there been a time when a company you know, perhaps your company, has ran a promotion and the product was not in stock or the inventory was inadequate to support the sale? I’ve seen companies struggle to promote a product only to be frustrated with these very items. If you’re frustrated, think of what your customers are feeling. Maybe a little ticked. A dealer who has committed to buying a promotional product is invested in the purchase much like you are. Especially if they have a signed contract from their client and then cannot perform due to your company’s delivery challenges, the promotion has become a liability to them and future business with your company.
There are ways to prevent these scenarios from happening:
Insist that no product is promoted unless inventory is physically sitting in your warehouse
In cases of limited inventory on hand, make sure the customer is aware of that fact
Promoting a product without samples, literature or correct promotional information is a non-promotion. You will end up “re-launching” a product and attempting to re-create enthusiasm about what may now be a perceived failure.
Fortunately that fateful day, 7/11, a neighboring 7-Eleven had plenty of free cups. Everyone went home happy. Mr. Guess-You-Have-to-Buy-Larger-Cup lost future business because he had not planned. Hopefully such a small lesson can help us all be more proactive in making the right decisions for upcoming promotions.
Regards,
Brian Boek
