One morning recently, I was in a local Starbucks. Shortly after I got there, the lineup grew so long that it nearly snaked out into the lobby. I placed my order and was given a receipt, the woman behind the till pointing to something on it and talking about a survey. Not wanting to hold up the busy line, I thanked her, took the receipt and went on my way.
The next day, I found the receipt in my purse and, remembering the survey, read it. The first words were:
Share your comments and redeem this receipt for your favourite tall Starbucks beverage – our treat.
It was followed by a four-point list of quick, concise instructions.
I did the survey. It was short, as promised, and consisted of easy multiple choice questions. All personal questions, such as my age and postal code, were optional. At the end, I was provided with a Complimentary Beverage ID to write on the receipt. Just like that – after three minutes of mouse-clicking – I was the owner of a free Starbucks drink.
Now, I’m not a particular fan of Starbucks – if I go to one, it’s often by circumstance rather than choice. However, I was very impressed by this marketing effort. In the time it took them to print a receipt and for me to fill out the survey, they got honest customer feedback and provided me with a real incentive for providing this feedback. Because the survey was short, done on my own time and offered a freebie of real value, I was happy to oblige. By another token, websites that have a survey request pop up after 10 seconds, obscuring the window, are unlikely to have me visit them again.
Can you implement a tactic like Starbucks’ free drink into your marketing strategy? Examine your products and services. What extra deliverable can you offer to clients, without much cost to you, in return for their business, or to prospects in return for a meeting? Get creative – it can be a free antifreeze top-up with an oil change; a free SWOT analysis after a 30-minute consultation; a free nail care kit after a manicure; or a free hour of chiropractic treatment after completing a feedback form – anything that will differentiate you from your competitors while encouraging customers to return.
Tags: Business Lessons, Calgary Marketing, customer feedback, customer incentives, marketing ideas, marketing strategy
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How the heck did you find the survey>??I have been looking for the site for 1/2 an hour.
Hi Lynda,
The survey link was printed on my receipt from Starbucks. It’s also possible that they have stopped doing the survey by now.