42 Cents – Sold!

Mail-In Rebates are a Pain
Nobody likes submitting rebate forms.

Sure, we all like the idea of paying a lower price for something. And in principle, it seems so easy to get a rebate – just cut out a UPC code, photocopy a receipt, and mail in a rebate claim. But let’s be honest, it’s a pain and many times we forget to file the rebate until it’s too late.

According to Businessweek, 40% of rebate claims are never submitted.

Having to fill out a rebate claim is one of my biggest beefs with buying a new cell phone. Almost every phone out there is advertised at a price that includes some sort of mail-in rebate.

A Surprise from Verizon
My most recent visit to the local Verizon Wireless store showed me how a company can take the pain out of filling out a rebate form – and it only cost them 42 cents.

After purchasing two new Blackberry phones, the salesman pulled out a pre-stamped envelope and handed it to my wife and me. He told us to use it to submit the rebate claim. He then showed us where to find the instructions about filing for the rebate form and where to find the UPC codes on our phone boxes.

I was incredibly happy with this small gesture. He wasn’t allowed to fill out the rebate form for us, but he did everything he could to help us through the process. Verizon even stamped the envelope for us. That showed me that he cared about us, and I sincerely appreciated it.

Add This to Your To-Do List
Are there small gestures that you can make to your customers that will go a long way to making your customers happy? What’s the most difficult part about your company’s ordering system? Can you help them through it? I’d love to hear your ideas.

There’s never a lack of ideas.

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