Customers Not Using Coupons

jmphotocraft · May 12, 2010

I guess this isn't really a problem for me, but I'm just dumbfounded so I had to share....

I'm shooting little league baseball and softball right now. After I upload to SM, I send out an email to each team parent like this:

(team) Photos are Online!

(link)

You may purchase prints, downloads, and gift items right from that gallery.

Don't forget the COUPONS and Trading Cards! Details here:
(link)

If you wish to order a team & individual composite, simply purchase the sample composite here:
(link)
and your player and team will be inserted before printing.

If you would like to order Trading Cards, please contact me directly.

Please don't hesitate to contact me with any questions, thanks!
Jack

Fair enough?

I've gotten a few orders that were too small for my lowest level coupon ($10 off an order of $34 or more), but yesterday I got a $48 order. Not only did he not use my $10 coupon, he was $2 short of my next coupon - take $15 off an order of $50 or more.

So what do I do if he notices the coupons after the fact and asks for a refund? I imagine I'll just give it to him, but... argh! This job always dismays me about how people cannot read simple directions. Incredible.

RogersDA · May 12, 2010

jmphotocraft wrote: »

I guess this isn't really a problem for me, but I'm just dumbfounded so I had to share....

I'm shooting little league baseball and softball right now. After I upload to SM, I send out an email to each team parent like this:

Fair enough?

I've gotten a few orders that were too small for my lowest level coupon ($10 off an order of $34 or more), but yesterday I got a $48 order. Not only did he not use my $10 coupon, he was $2 short of my next coupon - take $15 off an order of $50 or more.

So what do I do if he notices the coupons after the fact and asks for a refund? I imagine I'll just give it to him, but... argh! This job always dismays me about how people cannot read simple directions. Incredible.

Is there a way for Smugmug to discount his order by $10.00? Then you send him an positively-worded email letting him know that you went ahead and had the coupon applied. Good service from you = better reputation all-around.

jmphotocraft · May 12, 2010

RogersDA wrote: »

Is there a way for Smugmug to discount his order by $10.00? Then you send him an positively-worded email letting him know that you went ahead and had the coupon applied. Good service from you = better reputation all-around.

I guess I could ask SM, and if they can then I'll do that and hope that this guy sings my praises to his whole team.

Sam · May 12, 2010

ARGH!!!

So simple.................do you have a print delay / approval set up?

If so simple contact the parent and let them know of the coupons and that they are $2.00 short of an additional $5.00 discount.

If you were the customer wouldn't you want to have this pointed out to you?

Sam

PhotoLasVegas · May 12, 2010

Sam wrote: »

ARGH!!!

So simple.................do you have a print delay / approval set up?

If so simple contact the parent and let them know of the coupons and that they are $2.00 short of an additional $5.00 discount.

If you were the customer wouldn't you want to have this pointed out to you?

Sam

Yes, but if I'm not mistaken, by that point, the client has paid and can't access his/her order anymore anyway? From my approval page, I don't see any options even for cancelling an order.. nothing to add to an order or change anything other than replacing a file or changing crop.

jmphotocraft · May 12, 2010

Sam wrote: »

ARGH!!!

So simple.................do you have a print delay / approval set up?

If so simple contact the parent and let them know of the coupons and that they are $2.00 short of an additional $5.00 discount.

If you were the customer wouldn't you want to have this pointed out to you?

I do have a 3 day print delay, but I've already submitted it. Even if I didn't, I'd still have to contact SM and have them cancel the order and then have my customer reenter the order. Not worth my trouble, and I imagine entering an order is a tremendous challenge for some of these people.

I think I can tell a few things about this person and customers in general when they can't be bothered to read a simple email and follow simple instructions, and also, as in this case, when they cannot figure out the cropping in the SM checkout process. People like this are most likely not computer savvy at all, and would probably not want to spend the time to go through the hassle of sifting through the whole gallery again and reentering the order. They'd probably find some reason to resent me in the process.

Anyway, I've contacted SM and asked them to credit the guy $10 and take it out of my profit. If they can, then I'll write the guy and use this as a PR opportunity. If they can't do that... meh.

rgphoto · May 12, 2010

Maybe reword your email?

Instead of saying "and don't forget the coupons!", restate how much they could save with each coupon. They may be more likely to read/use the coupons if they're reminded of how much they can save.

Just a suggestion

PhotoLasVegas · May 12, 2010

I say offer the coupons and let the rewards go to the people who actually read the email. It's not rocket science - and it's not worth the time to call to take $10 off the price (and off your profits!).

I just recently had a client that wanted a ton of 4x6 prints so I set up a "4x6 bulk package" of 20 mix-and-match with a built in discount. Told her about it in person, told her about it in emails, but she still ordered 41 4x6's individually. She didn't use the package OR the generic 15% off coupon she also knew about.

jmphotocraft · May 12, 2010

rgphoto wrote: »

Maybe reword your email?

Instead of saying "and don't forget the coupons!", restate how much they could save with each coupon. They may be more likely to read/use the coupons if they're reminded of how much they can save.

Just a suggestion

Yeah, I guess it will have to come to that. Hopefully that will also incentivize more sales.

(what the heck is the right word to use instead of "incentivize"? that's not a word!)

jmphotocraft · May 12, 2010

This just in, SM cannot issue a partial refund without canceling the order. Which is fine with me. I'm going to play dumb unless the customer brings it up. Woohoo, $10 more for me.

PhotoLasVegas · May 12, 2010

Again, you have no moral obligation to "make" them use a coupon. You don't know - maybe, just maybe they DIDN'T use the coupon on purpose (like, a "tip" for you)... it's not your responsibility or obligation to make sure your clients utilize coupons. If they ask, then say, "oh, I guess you didn't" (that's not lying but also sounds like maybe you didn't know)... then "tell you what, here's a coupon code for $10 to my gallery, it can even cover shipping if you'd like - so feel free to order another print at my expense". The other benefit of this is that you really are only giving them "wholesale" money, not "retail" money (it won't cost you $10).

jmphotocraft · May 12, 2010

PhotoLasVegas wrote: »

Again, you have no moral obligation to "make" them use a coupon.

agreed.

rgphoto · May 12, 2010

jmphotocraft wrote: »

This just in, SM cannot issue a partial refund without canceling the order. Which is fine with me. I'm going to play dumb unless the customer brings it up. Woohoo, $10 more for me.

Very good to know for future cases...

ColoradoSkier · May 13, 2010

PhotoLasVegas wrote: »

I say offer the coupons and let the rewards go to the people who actually read the email. It's not rocket science - and it's not worth the time to call to take $10 off the price (and off your profits!).

I just recently had a client that wanted a ton of 4x6 prints so I set up a "4x6 bulk package" of 20 mix-and-match with a built in discount. Told her about it in person, told her about it in emails, but she still ordered 41 4x6's individually. She didn't use the package OR the generic 15% off coupon she also knew about.

As much as I like the ability to have packages, the implementation is not very intuitive. It's a completely separate sales process from the standpoint of the consumer. I have actually been thinking lately that the entire purchase process on SM has some usability issues, but I haven't thought about it so much to make recommendations yet.

jmphotocraft · May 14, 2010

Unreal! I just got another order for $42.55, and NO coupon was used.

This is the revised email I sent to parents:

Braves Photos are Online!

http://jmphotocraft.smugmug.com/FalmouthLittleLeague2010/AAA-Baseball/Braves

You may purchase prints, downloads, and gift items right from that gallery.

Don't forget the COUPONS - save $10, $15, $20, even get free Trading Cards! Details here:
http://www.jmphotocraft.com/littleleague/

If you wish to order a team & individual composite, simply purchase the sample composite here:
http://jmphotocraft.smugmug.com/FalmouthLittleLeague2010/Composites
and your player and team will be inserted before printing.

If you would like to order Trading Cards, please contact me directly.

Please don't hesitate with any questions, thanks!
Jack

I guess this is a tax on people who are bad at reading!!!

ian408 · May 14, 2010

Once and a while, I need to get something from RiteAid. I don't shop there often and most of the time the thing I want is fairly priced. However, when it's on sale, the clerk will always clip/scan a coupon from a stack for me.
I'm very appreciative of that because the clerk was thinking of his/her customer.

It seems that offering your non-coupon shoppers a discount on occasion seems like a decent thing that might well be appreciated. Even though you've sent them a note, they may not have read it simply because they were so caught up in the images you captured for their event. A positive note to the shopper is a great way to encourage them to buy next time.

jmphotocraft · May 14, 2010

ian408 wrote: »

It seems that offering your non-coupon shoppers a discount on occasion seems like a decent thing that might well be appreciated.

That is a good idea, I think I will try giving this person a $10 print credit towards their next order.

ColoradoSkier · May 14, 2010

jmphotocraft wrote: »

That is a good idea, I think I will try giving this person a $10 print credit towards their next order.

Excellent idea.

Customers Not Using Coupons

Comments