The losing deal with deal sites..

Yes, another daily deal related post but this time I’m on the losing side! In the past, when I’ve bought deals it’s always been at places I haven’t been to before but I have blogged about how the disadvantages of daily deal sites, one of them being that is alienating for existing customers who pay the full price.

Today I am the alien.

From the Beginning

Those of you that follow me will probably see that I often tweet about activities which include things like bootcamp. I’ve been an avid bootcamper for the last year or so and pretty loyal to a certain provider here in Montreal.

This morning I get my usual onslaught of ‘daily-deal’ emails which I pretty much ignore now but one of them caught my eye. It was this:

(Slightly modified to remove any trace of the vendor and deal provider)

My initial reaction was “What!” considering I just paid full price for this very deal not two days ago. And the session was postponed until they got more students (and therefore probably why they are offering a deal).

And then I thought, no worries, I’ll just contact them since I have a good relationship with the owner and have been a customer for over a year.

So I reached out to them and proposed that I get 2 months for 1 and pretty much bypass the deal site. It’s win-win, they don’t lose out on the cut they have to give to the deal site and they get a happy customer.

When you’re a brand advocate but the brand doesn’t care or realize or notice or appreciate it

I tweet about them regularly, tell my friends about them and have even blogged about them in the past. And I’m not saying that’s why I should get anything because I was doing this out of my own-will but surely they should see that as valuable.

So is it wrong of me to expect more or think that I deserve more?

Loyalty is a two-way street

I understand that they are running a business but they are already operating at a loss by offering on a deal site.  I’m not asking for special treatment, I just want the same offer. In fact, if this was a retail store and the item went on sale two days after I had purchased it, I would be allowed to go back and get the difference. It’s the law. So are deal sites above the law?

The Shortsightedness of deal-sites

I also realize that there is the possibility of dealing with more people like me ‘complaining’  but surely repeat customers have more value over new customers who potentially may not return?

There are stats showing that most deal-buyers don’t return, don’t buy more and pretty much are flaky (..hey I would know, I’ve been one of them!)

Going down the deal path is a slippery slope and I still think businesses can do better by building their own list and really attracting customers who are interested in their services not just one-offs.  aka. Loyalty.

And the response to my offer

“You’re a great businesswoman’ and ‘We Love you, Sandy!”

But no deal.

Like I’ve said in the past, deals alienate existing loyal customers.