Giveaways

[JSVLaundry]

I keep on getting mailers for advertising on pens, cups, magnets, etc.

Alot of items are within a price range that I could tolerate.

My question is, does anyone have any advise or discouragement for these giveaways?

I am interested, as we all are, on the return of customers and the spreading by mouth that we "give back" to our customers. I feel that word of mouth is still the #1 advertising method. I just want something else for them to talk about.

Vinny

[Kitty]

We are a sucker for some of those. We bought the key chains, very inexpensive and we gave them away. We give coffee in winter to the customers and had a bowl set out of the key chains for customers to help them selves. No one ever took advantage of it except MY kids! Cheap advertising.

[mike]

It seems to me that if your giving them to your customers, what is the point ? They will either recommend your mat to their friends or not. I think we need to focus on new customers. I believe in "guerrilla" conversions. I will wait outside a competitors mat, and when I see a customer I would like to have, (ie. lots of bags) I approach them , tell them about my mat (newer and cheaper) and give them some tokens.

[Gary C]

Don't do it. The only one that makes out is the person selling them to you.

Gary

[JeffLange]

If caught my comp. waiting outside my store trying to steal my customers I would have some harsh words for him. I f he came back it would come to blows.

[mike]

JeffLang,
What happened to southern hospitality ?
(My competitors are an unattended chain owned by a guy who has another job.)

[CharlieS]

The basics keep them coming. A good clean mat with quality equipment, friendly and helpful attendants, will do more for you than cheap unappreciated giveaways. We do giveaway some of our printed bags to huge load customers and good repeat customers, to let them know we appreciate their business. Giveaways are more effective if they have real value to the customer. The problem is keeping the expense under control. And if your product (the mat) is not acceptable, it won't make a difference anyway.

[pete f]

I gave away soap once. It was my second mat, I had read an article in The Journal about giving away free soap as a promotion.
So I left a box of powder soap and a scoop. The promotion lasted about 4 days. I found the kids had dumped a ton of soap into a few of the front loaders for kicks. So I stopped giving it away. 1 person complained. That was about 6 years ago. I give a soda once in awhile to a kid if I got the machine open, that is about it.

[brucefla]

I just started a promotion where new people to the mat get:

Soap, Dryer Sheets, cup of coffee.

The sheets cost me 1.5 cents each, the soap about a dime and the coffee.... well costs me .60 a pot.. cheap enough.

In addition to the new customer giveaways, I am giving my
reglars the same deal ONCE, so there are no bad feelings....

Since I own a laundromat/cafe we are really pushing the service and personal attention....

I also have an internet cafe here too, and will usually let people
read their email ONCE, or give them a 15 min comp card to use the DSL.

This is my first mat, perhaps I'm giving away the house? but am lookng for good word of mouth and refferals.... seems to be building good karma.....

My regular WDF people are all getting a laundry bag (cost=1.00)
I jokingly tell them it will instill guilt if they go elsewhere.... we all laugh.

[William]

Give them t-shirts. Free advertising for you and they have to wash and dry them!