I love a bargain
And I get all the Discount Voucher Emails
I have had a passionate relationship with
Groupon, had the odd cheeky
weekend away with Wowcher
and had a one-night stand with Amazon Local.
This “It’s not you, it’s me” falling out of love
has ended with me dumping (unsubscribing)
from them all.
1) I’ll decide what’s good value.
So this week I saw my daughter’s laptop at a
MASSIVE discount (65%)
BUM I thought – when I spotted the picture.
But on closer inspection…it was no cheaper than
I paid – and it is still being sold – in PC World.
EH???
It’s a discount site – it must be a bargain – RIGHT??
Evidently not.
I don’t know about you, but if it’s on Wowcher,
or Amazon Local
I ASSUME it’s a good price.
My finger is clicking that big button before I have even read
the text.
I have bought a variety of pointless things I didn’t need
at a not actually amazing price.
And waited 4 months for delivery of a mattress topper once.
Which meant I had to buy another anyway in the meantime.
2) They can make you feel like
you’re on Free School Dinners.
I got a voucher for a meal out.
Lovely.
French.
All swanky.
I even wore girls’ clothes.
Five of us got there to be greeted by a gorgeous
but very severe little woman
with her hair scraped back so tight,
it made MY eyes water.
“Are you GROUPON?”
“Umm… yes???”
“Ok. Groupon, you can’t have the steak,
the Moules, the Chataeubriand – OBVIOUSLY
(titter among staff)
or the Bourgignon.”
“Ah OK. Can we sit by the window.”
“NON.
Not Groupon.
Follow me.”
Lovely food.
But those staff were clearly at the end of 4 weeks
RAMMED full of Groupon customers – and were at their
wits end.
They were used to supplementing their lowish pay
with highish tips.
Groupon customers are not big tippers
Because that defeats the object.
They couldn’t wait to get us out of there
They were making no money,
were running around to keep up
they just wanted an end
to the whole sorry business.
Don’t blame them.
They were used to people paying the ACTUAL price
getting ACTUAL fair tips
and being able to give ACTUAL good service.
SO many businesses have overstretched themselves
and actually gone out of business by having to fulfill
an impossible task.
They only get 50% of the discounted price.
25% altogether…
3) There must be a reason
they are resorting to
HEAVY discounting.
If a service is well thought out,
delivered well,
is a fair price
and gets repeat custom
Then there are few reasons they should need to
discount – even a little..
Except maybe…
10% off deal on buying multiples
To thank you for your loyalty
…or to introduce a new stylist
But HEAVY discounts
Alarm Bells!
An existing business that I would trust
is one that would invest their time and money
into making their thing BETTER
rather than the equivalent of a closing down sale
every month or so
There must be something wrong…
Heavy Discount buyers don’t have loyalty.
I don’t.
When I buy a thing purely on price
The next time I buy it – I will do the same.
If I got a haircut for ten quid,
next time I get one…I don’t want to pay forty.
Businesses that use these voucher sites
don’t keep customers long enough to perfect what they do.
Build relationships.
Find out how to give people what they need the most
in the way they enjoy the best.
They can start to almost despise their customers.
Which is probably the very opposite
of the reason they went into business in the first place.
Discount sites take the LOVE and TRUST
out of the transaction.
However, for balance;
if it is something that doesn’t require love
care, or loyalty,
or the human element,
or a personal interaction
and the price is right
Why not get a bargain?
The students have been going mad for the £12.99
for 45 loo rolls offer at the moment
I get that.
Surplus stock.
To shift.
(Although I managed to find the same
for a tenner on ebay)
Because whilst wiping your bum is essential
you don’t need to worry too much about
the interpersonal skills of the factory worker quality controling
the tightness of the winding.
Yes that is a job.
(I seriously could not explain convincingly my internet
search history if I ever needed to.)
When it MATTERS
I will never go Uber-Discount again.
I’ll find my own bargains.
Decide what I REALLY need.
If it is EXACTLY how I need it to be.
Whether it really IS a good bargain.
And whether the person I buy it from is investing
in their staff
and their business
And feel able to expect GREAT service
Actual.
Value.
Nor from someone doing the equivalent of setting up an
EVERYTHING MUST GO stall
at the market.
(But if you can beat a tenner for 45 loo rolls,
do email me the link.)
Speak to you tomorrow.
Tanya x
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For those planning to start Personal Training after the
Christmas Break
Single ‘taster’ slots are available until Dec 14th only
Unfortunately there is no discount available.
But it is excellent value!
Guarantee your preferred slot here: PT BOOKING