Senior Account Executive

I went to the grocery store the other day. I shop at a mega grocery store chain, and I really dig the place. Prices are good, people are friendly, and selection is great.

Recently, the chain announced a change in its coupon policy. I’m a haphazard couponer at best (i.e. if there’s a mangy, lint-covered, wrinkled coupon at the bottom of my purse, I’ll dig it out and sheepishly hand it over), so the change didn’t really impact me. But it’s a big deal for a lot of people.

The store recognized this. And they wrote excellent talking points for their employees to use when they were questioned about the change in policy. The talking points went something like this:

• We’re excited about this change, because it means we’re able to bring you lower prices on many items throughout the store, and you won’t need to spend time or effort collecting coupons.
• The change doesn’t go into effect for several more weeks, so you’re welcome to use your coupons the same way until then.
• We’re grateful you’ve chosen to shop with us. Is there anything else I can do to make your shopping experience better?

How did I know about these excellent talking points? Well, they were beautifully laminated and hung at each cash register station, facing the consumer at the credit card swipe machine.

Oops.

Seems that corporate forgot to include a big fluorescent note in the box of laminated talking points that said “ATTENTION: THESE TALKING POINTS ARE FOR EMPLOYEE USE ONLY. REVIEW THEM IN STAFF MEETINGS, POST IN STAFF AREAS BUT DO NOT POST TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC.” Either that, or the person who opened the box at the local store scratched their head and thought, “Huh. Wonder what I do with these? Seems like pretty good info for our customers to have. Hang them where the customer can read them, I guess.”

Working at a Cincinnati marketing communications agency, we often help clients figure out how to communicate with their staff. It can be challenging, especially if the company is large and has multiple locations.

So, if you’re faced with needing to get a message out to your employees, make sure that not only is the message well crafted, but that you also let employees know what to do with it.

And if you’re really curious about couponing, here are some tips.