Careful What You Ask For...

Have you read about the recent email promotion that Starbucks released, then canceled?

They sent email coupons for a free coffee to employees in the Atlanta area, and asked them to forward them to family and friends. Of course they went far beyond that, and Starbucks canceled the promotion and stopped honoring the coupons.

Understandable, but that leaves front line employees in their store having to explain to customers that no, that coupon in their hand is not going to get them a free coffee. Very bad.

When you plan a coupon promotion or rebate, think about how it's really going to work - and if it's going to work a bit too well. Better to put constraints on it that keep it in line with your expectations than wind up in the unfortunate position of telling customers you're going back on your word. (Because it doesn't matter if technically that's not what you're doing - that's how it will look to customers.)  

UPDATE: On the other hand, when your customers make this kind of mistake, you can jump in and take advantage of it - just as Starbucks rival Caribou Coffee is doing now.