Ok, quick time out for a marketing and communications 101 lesson. Simple is better.
Why do restaurants and convenience stores make our providing them feedback so difficult. With the advent of texting, and QR codes who has a desire– to call a 1-800 number to tell how a company how it is doing. Isn't such an approach ALL about the company and LITTLE about the customer?
Should it not be easy, simple and the opposite (about the customer)? Simple is better.
If I knew I could tell Chili's restaurant via a text message how they are doing, and that it would take me less than two minutes to do so– and that I would get something for free on my next visit– I would likely do it. So they give me free chips and salsa if I fill it out. I can do it in a manner of a few clicks and will do so while I am walking out the door. Oh, by the way, they should send the coupon write to my phone as well.
Simple is better.
So look at these two incentives I have gotten recently. One is good — see below from Kohl's. It gives me a QR code and an immediate access to a future discount. Appealing and easy. SIMPLE.
The second one is not so good. Too complex.
Wow, this is a lot of work for an offer to good to be true– a chance to win $3000. Come on? How about a coupon for 10% off my next visit to Walgreens if I fill out.
We live in a rapidly moving world. The companies that learn to make things simple and effective will be the ones that communicate their messages the most successfully.
And, oh yeah– if I failed to make my point… Simple is better.
Ryan T. Sauers
@ryansauers
©
Ryan, Excellent point.You hit the nail on the head. Everytime I go to Home Depot, the checkout person spends 4 sentances explaining to me how I can win a $5000 shopping spree if I am willing to type in the receipt number, then the store number, and I think one other code or date. It's ridiculous. Then I suffer through a 30 minute, poorly designed, survey that asks me irrelevant questions having nothing to do with my purchase.OfficeMAX, and so many others do the same thing.FWIW, that QR Code should have in it, all the relevant data for my purchase. What I bought, the cashier that served me, and so on – from that data, when I scan the code with my phone, only the 5 or 8 RELEVANT questions should be asked of me.Something this basic could be a point of innovation for the receipt printer people (Zebra ?) or the POS System people (Dell, IBM, HP?) …or you and I could do it!Cheers, Andrew Stein
Andrew, thanks for your feedback. I appreciate it. I concur with you 100% that all such surveys should be easy AND relevant/customized to our personal buying experience. Well said! Ryan