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Why Should New Customers Get All the Discounts?

My personal vendetta against being taken for granted

Bill Kalmar
Tue, 03/27/2012 - 10:48
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Have you noticed that sometimes it’s better to be a new customer or subscriber than a long-time devotee of a particular company? Every day you see ads and hear commercials about discounts or free memberships or extended warranties for new customers. Some gyms waive the initiation fee, magazines offer a jacket or a backpack, some credit card companies waive annual fees, and cable or Internet companies offer discounts as an introductory offer—all this for newbies but not for us long-time customers.

Recently I subscribed to a weekly sports magazine only to discover two weeks later that all new subscribers would receive an NFL jacket with their team’s logo for signing up. Naturally I contacted the customer service section of the magazine but was told I wasn’t eligible because I ordered the magazine through a school discount program, and the offer was for “recently new” subscribers. Well, as a retiree with time on my hands, I became their worst nightmare, pestering them with e-mails. Finally, just to make me go away, the company relented and stated that I would receive a jacket. I requested a Detroit Lions jacket, of course. It has been three weeks, and I’m still waiting. It may be time to bombard them with additional e-mails. We retirees can be pertinacious. (I like that word.)

 …

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Comments

Submitted by William A. Levinson on Thu, 03/29/2012 - 11:09

Game the system

I often tell the customer service department, "Oh, is that promotion for new customers only? It sounds like the best thing is for me to drop you and become So-and-So's new customer." It usually works. These people forget that it costs 5-10 times as much to get a new customer as to keep an existing one but, if that is how they want to run their business, they deserve to have plenty of new customers (one night or one year stands) but no loyal customers who actually stay with them.
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Submitted by bekbrauer on Thu, 03/29/2012 - 12:39

Positive Feedback

As a mom to a child with special needs and a "quality geek," I contacted Crayola to thank them. They had just introduced triangle-shaped crayons that were much easier for my child to use. (I love Crayola. They always wash out like promised, the colors are exactly what I expect, and the products are consistent. Most important, my kids love the products!) The customer service rep sent me a personalized Thank You card for sending them positive feedback. It seems that few people take the time for thanking a company for excellent products or services, but are very quick to contact companies when their expectations are not met. That Thank You has made me a loyal, life-long customer - even though I can buy off-brand crayons and markers for half the price.

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