This week's perspective from Aliya Jiwan: When it comes to real bargain hunters, clipping coupons is a serious business – so coming across a coupon for $10 off a $20 purchase at all Kmart stores is like hitting the jackpot…until the retailer announces the deal is actually only valid at select stores, that is. That’s what happened to some Kmart customers south of the border. The coupon was displayed on the home page of the store’s website. Some shoppers managed to redeem the coupon before the company realized the mistake and pulled it from the site. Angry customers flooded Kmart’s Facebook page with comments and in response the company blamed it on “unauthorized circulation”. The reality is, someone made a mistake. The problem was compounded by the fact that some shoppers reported being accused of fraud by workers at select Kmart’s when they tried to redeem the coupons. Ouch. Legally, Kmart was within its rights in pulling the offer, but the way they went about it was, in communications terms, way out of bounds. One blogger claims she called the corporate office and a Kmart spokesperson told her that anyone who feels they were treated unfairly should contact the company. From a PR standpoint, that may be too little too late. Kmart erred, and did little to make up for it – in words or action. At Veritas, we counsel our clients to always tell the truth. If you made a mistake, admit it. Much like in a relationship, admitting you screwed up can be hard to do but is necessary in order to smooth the waters. And just like flowers or a sincere apology may be a necessary peace offering for your beloved, a little token or honest admission of guilt for your valued customers to make up for your fumble will draw attention away from your bad play.
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