This free grilled chicken meal promotion by KFC is really getting out of hand, in fact, it's becoming a joke. On the first day of the promotion, the public had so much trouble just trying to download the coupons. The site was down, traffic was way too high and some people just couldn't download the coupon until KFC uploaded it in .pdf format. I believe that was their first mistake. If they allowed people to print coupons in a .pdf format, then there is no running serial numbers on the coupon and the bar code wouldn't work. Hence, the rule of one person per coupon doesn't work anymore. Who is keeping track?
Next, we hear of riots and sit ins because there wasn't enough chicken in various KFC outlets in NYC. Mind you, we are not talking about this happening during dinner time or near closing. It happened around mid day, just before lunch. Shouldn't you foresee that there will be a lot of people (especially on the first day of the promo) and stock up? How can you run out even before lunch??
Not long after, I read that KFC will begin to honor the coupons again on Thursday, once they restock thier kitchen. Hooray?? In that same article, an anonymous source who claims to supply KFC with chicken told Business Insider that because of this promotion, KFC will run out of chicken by Saturday. This is his statement:
“A franchisee today told me KFC is projected to strip their entire supply chain of bird by Saturday. I am not making that up. They are scrambling to source more chicken before Sunday the 5th. By Sunday, because its Mothers Day, one of their busiest days of the year. Its possible they could be out of chicken on Mothers Day.”
Are you kidding me?? That's the silliest thing I have ever heard. Could it be that KFC thinks that we are stupid enough to believe things like that and planted this guy to make that statement? At that time when I was reading the article, I was thinking to myself, will KFC will back out of the free chicken offer? It was getting sillier and sillier by the day. With all this, you would think that it cannot get any worse. Oh but wait..it just gets better ;P
I woke up this morning to find this video and statement by Roger Eaton, the President of KFC in the KFC website.
Next, we hear of riots and sit ins because there wasn't enough chicken in various KFC outlets in NYC. Mind you, we are not talking about this happening during dinner time or near closing. It happened around mid day, just before lunch. Shouldn't you foresee that there will be a lot of people (especially on the first day of the promo) and stock up? How can you run out even before lunch??
Not long after, I read that KFC will begin to honor the coupons again on Thursday, once they restock thier kitchen. Hooray?? In that same article, an anonymous source who claims to supply KFC with chicken told Business Insider that because of this promotion, KFC will run out of chicken by Saturday. This is his statement:
“A franchisee today told me KFC is projected to strip their entire supply chain of bird by Saturday. I am not making that up. They are scrambling to source more chicken before Sunday the 5th. By Sunday, because its Mothers Day, one of their busiest days of the year. Its possible they could be out of chicken on Mothers Day.”
Are you kidding me?? That's the silliest thing I have ever heard. Could it be that KFC thinks that we are stupid enough to believe things like that and planted this guy to make that statement? At that time when I was reading the article, I was thinking to myself, will KFC will back out of the free chicken offer? It was getting sillier and sillier by the day. With all this, you would think that it cannot get any worse. Oh but wait..it just gets better ;P
I woke up this morning to find this video and statement by Roger Eaton, the President of KFC in the KFC website.
"We are so sorry, but due to the overwhelming response to our FREE Kentucky Grilled Chicken™ meal coupon, we can no longer redeem the free coupon at this time. But we will honor our commitment to giving you a free Kentucky Grilled Chicken meal.
Please visit a participating KFC restaurant for a rain check form. Complete the form, attach your original coupon , and give it to the KFC restaurant manager or postmark per the form’s instructions, by May 19, 2009, and we’ll send you a rain check for your free Kentucky Grilled Chicken meal at a later date, plus a free Pepsi with our compliments. Your participating KFC restaurant will provide you with the form you need.
Please note that the redemption periods of the rain checks will vary. All other terms and conditions of the original free Kentucky Grilled Chicken coupon will apply.
Thank you for your understanding,
Roger Eaton"
Thank you for your understanding,
Roger Eaton"
With that, the whole promotion is suspended. Rain check for another day? You must be kidding me. For a $5 meal, you expect us to go to a KFC, fill out a form, send it back to you with the original coupon that we wasted so much time trying to print in the first place and wait for you to send us back another coupon?? Really...are you kidding me? Ohh wait, they will give me a Pepsi for "all the trouble"...oooo I am so grateful. Come on, the American public is way smarter than that. Just admit that you didn't expect so much response and that you screwed up your own promotion. I guess KFC must be losing too much money from this. The next you want to run such a big campaign, think twice. I have lost my respect for KFC. Don't promise us something that you cannot deliver. By the way, they can't even tell us when this rain check is for. Also, there is no statement at all from Oprah. Why is Oprah so silent of all a sudden? She is part of the promo too! Come on Oprah, what do you have to say about this?
1 comment:
Great blog. Here's what I have been doing about it:
Here's an email I have sent out to family, friends, and everyone else in my address book, after speaking with the area and regional managers of KFraudChicken. One even admitting that he had not seen such a screw up in his 38 years on the job. Also have posted on FACEBOOK, and cced to local newspapers, radio, blogs and youtube responses.\\
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KFC introduces a new item by 1) advertising on OPRAH, the most widely daily television program in America, 2) offering a downloadable internet coupon for a FREE 2 PIECE DINNER, and 3) during the highest unemployment period in decades. So what happens? Two days after the airing, KFraudC shuts down the promotion, 2 days after the promotion began, and 12 days before the promotion was to end. Why? They, in the words of an area store manager, her area manager, and the regional manager, did not anticipate such a response. I know, I called and spoke to them all.
WHAT??? Reread steps 1-3 above again.
So, how does KFraudC attempt to make amends? By offering the visiting consumer a coupon, which they must MAIL AT THEIR OWN EXPENSE, or complete and return AT THEIR OWN EXPENSE to a local restaurant, and then wait for a replacement coupon to be used later, to be redeemed at a future visit, AT THEIR OWN EXPENSE!
WHAT???
Being in category #3, I welcomed the opportunity to try a new, healthier alternative, at a free price. I drove ACROSS THE COUNTY, only to be turned away, with about a dozen dissatisfied customers. I will no longer be dissatisfied by KFraudC; know why? Because, as I expressed to the area and regional managers, and to the corporation by email, I will no longer be visiting KFC. Reread steps 1-3 again. With this undertaking, there is no excuse for this company not to be adequately prepared. Excuses of fraud? Not my problem...I followed the rules and did what KFraudChicken told me to do. Security is their concern, not mine.
AND GET THIS.... it's not like they ran out of the product. They were more than ample to serve THOSE WHO COULD PAY for the meal !!!
The reason customer service degrades year after year is that we allow it to continue.
Express your concerns... spend your money elsewhere. As for me, I decided to take my dollars to Chick Fil A, where I enjoyed a terrific CharGrilled Chicken.
PLEASE PASS THIS ALONG TO EVERYONE IN YOUR ADDRESS BOOK... AND LET'S REBUILD CUSTOMER SERVICE TO THE LEVELS THAT ARE ONCE AGAIN ACCEPTABLE. VOTE WITH YOUR DOLLARS
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