Giving feedback = great rewards

Have you ever been disappointed by an event that happened or loved your experience at a store, restaurant, or other public place?

I used to get so annoyed and hold grudges against companies when I had a bad experience. Employees are always the biggest factor as to whether or not I will return. But I quickly realized that being a retail manager myself, I really appreciated hearing customer’s feedback. Of course, you hate when people give the stupid “you didn’t have the shirt I was looking for so I’m not coming back” or other outragious comments. But when someone would really give me their honest feedback of my employees or my store in general, I really really really appreciated it.

I started to inform stores of my experience at their location. No, not just the negative stuff. When I got a great employee, I definitely let them know. And guess what, the managers and even OWNERS love it! And most of the time, they will reward you for your feedback. Not everytime, but the majority of the time.

A few examples:

PaylessShoes.com – I ordered shoes for William online and had them delivered FREE to the store. I sent Sean in to pick them up, and the lady gave him the wrong shoes, and made him re-pay for them. When he got home I went back and told her they weren’t my shoes, and she repetedly told me I was wrong, and that they were the right shoes and although I had my confirmation paper and bank statement, we needed to pay for them again.

After finally calling someone else to the store, we ended up with our right shoes and a refund of the charge Sean had paid.

That night I emailed Payless’ corperate office and informed them of what happened and that I was upset she kept telling me I was wrong no matter what I told her.

Guess what they sent in reply:

The word for word email sent to the store manger requesting a look into the customer service of this employees behavior, a big appology, and a request for my address so they could compensate me for the issues. I got a $15 gift card in the mail a week later….BUT I ONLY SPENT $12 ON BOTH HIS PAIRS OF SHOES.

That means I could have bought the same 2 pairs of shoes again and still had $3 left over!!

Ulta – When Ulta released the coupon on their Facebook page for a FREE John Freida shampoo or conditioner I took advantage of it and headed up to Ulta in Riverdale. I was so excited to buy the newest color of OPI nail polish, but unfortunately it was so popular that it was gone. So I ended up only getting the FREE shampoo. When I went to checkout, the first and ONLY thing the cashier said to me was “Oh, JUST the FREE item?” and never another thing. She even rolled her eyes a couple of times. She didn’t even give me a bag just threw the receipt on the shampoo and walked off.

I emailed Ulta’s corperate because I thought it was very unnecessary for the employees to be annoyed with me using a coupon that THEY gave out. Why is that an inconvenience to her? Isn’t it her job to ring me out, regardless of if I have a coupon or not?

This is what I received back from Ulta

I did email them my address, and today in the mail, I received a $10 gift card. WOW, I didn’t spend a single cent in their store, but just for my feedback they gave me FREE product!

Lofthouse Cookies – Just before I got pregnant with William, a customer of Plato’s Closet (where I word) and now great friend brought me Lofthouse cookies for my birthday. I had never had them before but I ate the entire 8 pack that day….yes, by myself! They are so yummy and I had no idea why I had never experienced them before. They are a must have for everyone. But my love for them grew so much stronger once I was pregnant. They were my lifesaver and go to item whenever I had a craving! I ate them my whole pregnancy!

I emailed Lofthouse to let them know that I was a huge fan and to thank them for their amazing product. I also asked them if they ever have promotions or release coupons somewhere to let me know so that I could snag a few packs for cheaper! I did include my home address and full name in this email.

I got a quick reply from them with a very personal “Every pregnant lady should have a full stock of them huh?” comment! It musta been a woman replying to my email! And then, I got coupons in my mailbox a week later. $1 off coupons as well as 1 FREE pack!

Now, don’t go and start emailing every company you can think of, because you do want to be honest and sincere in these comments. True and honest feedback helps every company grow, whether from a negative or positive experience. But at the same time, don’t be afraid to speak out. Let the companies know what they could improve on, or what your favorite aspects are.

~You can almost always find “contact” info on a companies website. I’ve found that you get a better response through email rather than by calling the company directly. However, if you do not get a reply from your email, then definitely call and ask for the person over customer service!

~When giving information about your experience, be as detailed as possible. The company wants to know you are a true customer. I always include all the receipt information.

~ Remember be honest and provide both postive feedback as well as negative! You can definitely get rewards for both!

What companies have you written to or talked to in person and gotten a reward for your feedback?

~Get your thrift on!