I’ve always believed that new businesses should do whatever is necessary to get people on campus. Once they are on campus, it’s your job to reel them in and keep them as customers. Even with only a competitive product/service, you should wow them with service.
Professional baseball teams and not just the minor leaguers offer fans several discounted ticket opportunities throughout the season. While some may be catering to committed fans that want deals, other teams are trying to attract new fans. Maybe they give away the tickets in the hope the experience will be so wonderful that they’ll come rushing back or that they’ll be tons of merchandise offsetting the loss.
If you’ve ever run a charity auction or raffle, finding unique and popular items is a pain-especially if it’s an annual event and you court the same donors every year. I’ve both solicited new businesses and bid on items in the hope that I’ll find a hidden treasure.
It also a common practice for established businesses to give away freebies or discounts in the hope of landing new customers or moving new product. Some companies do a better job than others.
I’ve been talking with friends lately about how a local pizza “chain” closed prematurely because they never did anything to get customers in the door and yes, they opened well after the lockdown. Businesses have to make sure they can deliver on the deal/promise with product or service.
In the past week, I’ve attempted to use a coupon for a discounted breakfast item at a national chain that hasn’t been in the breakfast biz for too long. I tried two different locations and left without the product in question. In one case the item and code didn’t sync and the staff member wasn’t trained properly to figure it out. We’re only talking a couple dollars, but based on some of their other ventures, I didn’t want to throw away my money on an iffy product.
I recently tried a fast casual joint a few miles away that has been open for a few years. The end result was an overpriced, tasteless meal that wasn’t cheap.
Back to baseball, I’ve received several emails in the last 3 days with some outrageous deals on games I’m considering attending. Keep your eyes and ears open and don’t toss away your money!
I'd rather be sitting in a ballpark. 
One response to “Loss leaders, baseball and life”
How true that sometimes “deals” don’t turn into good meals and how true that too often, management doesn’t train their staff or notify them of the various discounts that are currently scheduled. I do find that the Buona Beef young staff are perfectly aware of the promotion that is tied into the White Sox and I assume the same goes for the promotion with the Cubs. It’s all on the training. Years ago Sears promoted a deal with the White Sox in the newspaper and not one employee knew a thing about it at the store that I walked in. That is on management and one hand not talking to the other. Around the same time Pizza Hut had a Sox promotion on and the employees handled it just fine. These are high school students and young HS grads of all colors I deal with and it’s all in the training.
>
LikeLike