I was wondering how many of you offer some sort of pizza guarantee,where you exchange an uneaten portion of a competitors pizza with your own? Does there have to be a certain amount left? What do you do if the customer brings in maybe 2 slices of an extra large do you give them another one?
This does not sound like a good idea to me.
I can’t see where a decent person would in good faith participate, but it sounds like a magnet for scammers.
Maybe I’ve been at this too long, but I’ve found that scammers look for vulnerable targets (new shops) and play the same game.
“I ordered a pizza here last Friday and it had wasn’t supposed to have green peppers, and when I called, I was told that I could get a free one next time” Or even better, “a full refund”.
Of course with a POS system, I can pull up last Friday’s data and kindly inform them that I cannot find any record of their order, but with their name, address, and telephone number, I’d be glad to research the matter further and get back to them.
At that point, they usually hang up, sometimes with a few choice words.
I guess I’ve been a bit jaded when I realize there are people out there who scam for a living.
as a marketing tool, I’ve used it in the past, and with the new store, I’m using it again…I’ve only given back 1 refund, as the guy brought the pie back w/one slice missing…bought a specialty pie & didn’t care for it…
it does give some customers a safety net 2 try a new place
Well if a customers calls with a complaint about one of our pizzas we ask them to bring it back that day so that we can take care of it then. If they can’t we log it in on our POS right then and there. Then whenever they order again a flag comes up on the screen for the taker to repeat their order at least twice to make sure its right.
We also have a bulletin board for staff to post customer issues for management follow up. We will sometimes leave a message up there to remind all decision-makers of any commitments or rebates promised.
Better to take a “soft” position rather than a “hard” position…What ever you do, you do not want to make a potentially good client “cranky”…When you figure the value of a “client for life” it is not worth the few dollars you save by telling them to go away…
I was wondering how many of you offer some sort of pizza guarantee,where you exchange an uneaten portion of a competitors pizza with your own? Does there have to be a certain amount left? What do you do if the customer brings in maybe 2 slices of an extra large do you give them another one?
Does anybody do this?
As for my customers, it goes without saying that I stand behind my product 100% and all staff are trained in this regard. With a POS system (order history), it is simple to determine legitimacy of customer, and benefit of the doubt goes their way as well. The principle is always “overcompensate”.
I thought the question was regarding exchanging my pizza with the leftovers from a competitor as a marketing ploy.
Did I miss the point of the question?
You did indeed misunderstand.
Big Dave has touted this as a way of guerilla marketing. He says you should be so 100% sure that your product is better than anyone else’s that you are willing to give them a similar pizza from you when they bring in a pizza from your competitor.
Kamron is also a huge believer in the guarantee. This is one of the 3 “warm fuzzies” that he wants instilled in the consumer. There should be no doubt in the customer’s mind that if your pizza does not please the customer 100%, that they receive a replacement or a refund.
Kinda hard for me to swallow, but I do stand behind and in front of my products. Like most of us, I am always on the look out for the scammer.
Bubba
we don’t offer the deal with competitors pizza but we do have a 100% satisfaction guarantee, if for any reason they are unhappy they get a replacement pizza/beer/shake/burrito/what have you, or if they are really insistent they get there money back, and a few coupons for free movies(since we are a theatrepub, this brings em back in again, and they feel like they are getting something extra)
sheb
Big Dave has touted this as a way of guerilla marketing. He says you should be so 100% sure that your product is better than anyone else’s that you are willing to give them a similar pizza from you when they bring in a pizza from your competitor.
Kamron is also a huge believer in the guarantee.
No wonder I’m still working for a living! I’ve failed to read the pizza bible(s)!
While I’m 100% sure that my product is better than anyone else’s (aren’t we all?), I’m am also 100% sure that I don’t want to attract the type customer whose conscience allows him/her to make good on that kind of guarantee.
Over the past 14 years, I have discovered that high maintenance customers never pay for themselves.
Pizza Truth:
Those who purchase the most pizza from me never brag to me about how business they bring. (I know their history, and believe me I take good care of them!)
Those who brag the most about how much pizza they buy from me typically don’t. (This seems to be true almost without exception!) I smile, treat them well, but I know the truth!
I guess I should have taken more than one marketing class in college!
I failed to mention that it is done only 1 time per person. He would document the trade out so it is only done once.
Bubba
I ran a Big Dave style ultimate pizza gaurentee to counter Little Ceasers moving in next door to me. We door hung several thousand copies along with menus and coupons. Here is a sanitized copy:
At XXXX Pizza we firmly believe you should NEVER have to settle for a bad pizza. So now, in addition to
guaranteeing our pizza, we also
GUARANTEE OUR COMPETITORS TOO!
We all make mistakes (we make our fair share), but if you accidentally made the mistake of going for a “Cheap” pizza
instead of a GREAT pizza - don’t worry we got you covered.
The Ultimate Guarantee:
If you ever purchase an unsatisfactory pizza from any local pizzeria, call us and we will immediately exchange the uneaten portion of their pizza with a XXXX pizza, of the same size and toppings…
FOR FREE!
The Fine Print: Limit one guarantee per address, per year. A home phone and address are required to be verified with ID. Competitor must be local within a five mile radius of Buck’s Pizza Lexington location. Applies to pizza only. Uneaten portion must be at least 1/2 of the pizza. Not valid with other offers. Subject to change with or without notice. May be discontinued at any time. Management has discretion over any unforeseen circumstances.
Sorry the formatting did not carry over from word.
I did not know what to expect, but the intent was to make a statement about the product I was providing. We girded our loins and waited for the scammers to pounce. Not one scammer. A couple of people called and asked if we were for real and when we assured them that we meant it, they ordered pizza from us. I heard many customers discussing the flyers we put out but we never actually gave away a pizza.
So did it work? I don’t know. It was only one thing of many we did. Our sales now are much better than they were then, but still to far below what they were when we were the only fish in the pond. Our entire package of marketing, good product and customer service brought us back to profitability.
Rick
It takes some meatballs to step out with this sort of guarantee. I have a copy on my hard drive for the eventuality of needing. Should it come to pass that a competitor comes to town . . . I do not think we would hesitate to hand deliver them ourselves, my wife and I, to houses.
Our food is darned good, and I will hold it up to anyone’s pizzas. We have traveled to nearly every pizzeria in a 30 mile radius (some 50+ miles away), so we know how we stack up. It’s just a matter of not burning it that night 