Coupon Redemption At Purchase Only

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HB

SGF, Supreme Grumble Framer
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Mar 26, 2003
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Loc
Alberta CANADA
Business
The Framing Nook
A few days after hanging the custom framed piece on her wall the customer returns with a coupon in hand asking for re-imbursement. (Don't laugh! - it happens)

I am trying to establish a policy on coupon redemption. I'd like to make it such that they can be used only at time of purchase. However, many bring the coupon in at time of pickup (or later).

The marketing ploy of a coupon is such that I pay money (printing - designing - distributing - & discounting) so that I can either encourage someone to use my service who was not planning on it, or to control when someone uses our service.

Seems to me when someone has already purchased or contracted to purchase prior to seeing the advertisement, I should not be entitled to give them any discount on those services already begun.

I am interested to know what your thoughts are.
 
You're got the right approach on the coupons. However, you might want to put wording on the piece itself "Coupon must be presented at time of order/purchase"
 
How about -
"Coupon must be presented when order is placed"
or
"Please present coupons when ordering"
or
"Coupons valid ONLY at time of order"
or
"Coupons valid only with orders that are paid-in-full"
 
Agree with everyone else -- coupon should be used at time of purchase (and the coupon should say so). However, when the customer comes in with it later, I would just tell her that she can use it on her next purchase, regardless of any expiration date on the coupon. Otherwise, what's to stop someone from coming in 6 months or a year after purchase with a newly-issued coupon, demanding their retroactive discount?
 
PaulSF stole my answer.

I ran into the same thing a few times.

Print it on the coupon and let them know it is not a gift certificate!

Would they go to a supermarket a week after they bought diapers and try to get money back. I doubt it. Why should you be different?

PulSF answer gives them reason to come back and gets you off the hook as being the "bad guy".
 
Good luck with that. The kind of person who will bring in a coupon after the sale is the same person who will think "Yeah, but this is ME" when they see "Coupon must be presented at time of purchase." In order to keep them happy you give them the discount and, congratulations, you've just changed a customer who will pay full price into a customer that will never buy from you without a discount. Well, seeing the coupon did that, but you're cementing it in order to keep them.
 
Careful, JBNormandog, I'll steal your best frame designs too!

"I ain't sayin' I beat the devil. But I drank his beer for free, and then I stole his song." - Kris Kristofferson
 
My last employer prints "New orders only" on all coupons. I haven't done coupons at this store but if I ever do I'll phrase it that way.

Someone in a seminar I attended several years ago said try not to use Not or NO or Can't or any negative wording. ("For Custom Framing orders over $100" NOT "Cannot be applied to orders under $100")

I like Paul S's response.
 
Our policy is the coupon must be presented at time of purchase. Our disclaimer at the bottom handles valid location and exclusions. I added "Other exclusions apply. Visit store for details". So far, so good...
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I have honored "expired" coupons with limited success. We're still building, so, I guess coupons are a necessary evil.
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I guess I'm just not ready to sever that lifeline... yet...

Gus
 
Had a boss once that used the line "Only valid at time order is placed between [date] and [date], and for new customers, other exclusions are negotiable depending how we like you and you like us. Bring this in to store with your artwork for more details. And Mother, don't EVEN try to use this."

It was amazing how it drove the little blue-hairs to wet their panties they would be laughing so hard as they wandered in wanting to know who Jerry's mom was.

Best part was... It offer NOTHING, nadda, zip, bupkis, zed, zero, full price only. No one every noticed that part. And by then, they didn't care.
 
I wish I had that luxury, Harry, but I'm a new store so I'm still "buying" customers. Soon, though.

And I couldn't care less about expiration dates. If someone is good enough to come into my store with their artwork and an expired coupon, I will honor it. I'll honor all my competitors' coupons, too, because in addition to stealing the Devil's song and JBNormandog's best frame designs, I will steal my competitors' customers.
 
You don't have to ween them off coupons just keep raising your retail prices!~
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normDog said
Would they go to a supermarket a week after they bought diapers and try to get money back. I doubt it. Why should you be different?
Answer is YES!~
 
Originally posted by Ron Eggers:
Is anybody else confused by all the Pauls on The Grumble?
One Paul knows what it's like to not get any and the other hasn't made that clear!
 
Originally posted by PaulSF:
And I couldn't care less about expiration dates. If someone is good enough to come into my store with their artwork and an expired coupon, I will honor it.
I think that most of us will - I just accepted a Gift Certificate (that I had donated so it's really more like a coupon) that expired in October 2005. I think that's different from "When I went to hang up this piece I picked up last week I found your coupon in the drawer with the hammer - I want a refund." I love framing and I'm good at it, but I'm just hanging onto the accounting portion by a thread. Trying to back 20% out of an already invoiced sale would make something snap in my brain.
 
No reason to be apPauled!

When I was younger, I almost never met anyone named Paul, and now it's like a tidal wave!

Anyway, for those who have trouble telling who is who: PaulSF is the smart, young and handsome Paul.

I am the slightly older, wiser (yeah, sure...) and ruggedly handsome Paul. :cool:
 
Wow, it just happened to me. Customer came in to pick up her order, presented a newly-sent coupon and asked to have it applied to her completed order. I had to politely point out that I had already given her that discount at the time she placed the order, as the receipt she brought with her clearly showed. And that she should hang on to the coupon and use it next time.
 
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