snowman:
The customer wants to pay as little as possible and the owner wants to charge as much as possible, even on a special. I think that and indy has to meet their customer’s requests and be more flexible (within the boundaries of the offer) to be successful. You COULD make $1.50 more on the order or you could lose it completely. Is “goodwill” worth a buck fifty? I hope so.
It only costs me around .40 in food cost. Heck yeah! Your wisdom fits into my philosophy:
Make the customer happy as long as I can preserve the financial integrity
of the special and the opportunity for up-sell.
The up-sell is even there for the cheese pizza as you suggest extra cheese on it. I want to do whatever I can to prevent increasing my costs . . . but make that customer happy somehow. It is the Art of Finding the Yes". Sure, we have to give in sometimes . . . but find one that works for both of you.
It probably comes down to identifying the objective of your marketing piece. Once that is clear, then decision-making around it is not at all difficult. If the objective is to advertise a deal that will sacrifice $3 food cost to get the customer’s attention and order . . . then accomplish that goal! Find a way to minimize your food cost and still keep the order. It may be that the customer request so unbalances the special that you have to get creative to find a way to give them value for their call . . . you throw in a 2-liter . . . or comp the delivery charge . . . or candy bar . . . or a sample of some great new dessert that “not many people know about” . . . or some other way of giving them a special something for their effort.
“Tell you what, sir. I think it would be too much of a stretch to do a large Works and a large cheese for the two 1-topping coupon price, but I really do want to honor the deal somehow. Would this still work out if we were to send you a gallon of sweet tea with your order? It is a $3 value, and you still save as much as the coupon deal.”
The phone rang. There is no greater happening in the world for a pizza place. The marketing piece got the call to happen . . . now you gotta close the sale. Even better is to turn the phone call into a further marketing opportunity with exceptional interaction and “finding the yes”.