Companies often send coupons or freebies if you complain. But I wanted to see what would happen if you did the opposite of complain. What would they do if you complimented them instead?
I identified about forty companies whose products I enjoyed (or someone in our family enjoyed) and emailed their customer service a compliment. Here are the results!
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The Email
I sent roughly the same email to every company, with slight tweaks as needed for each company. It read:
Hi,
I wanted to say that I’m a huge fan of your company.
I’ve been a long time buyer of [product, service] and can’t imagine buying anything else. I know a lot of folks probably email to complain and it can be tough responding to those, so I thought I’d add a little sunshine. 🙂
You’re doing great work, it’s appreciated in our house, and I wanted to say thanks.
I don’t know if you have any samples or coupons you could send my way, but I’d be most appreciative to try more of your products.
Thank you and have a great day!
Here are the results!
Barilla
Barilla first sent back an email stating they did have coupons, but didn't actually send any. So, I asked where I could find these fabled coupons… to which they responded:
“Oftentimes, we do offer coupons on our website as well as occasionally in the Sunday paper. You will be receiving a brochure packet containing coupons in the mail in the coming weeks.” Hey! I’m getting coupons! Unfortunately, it was mostly a brochure… with one $1 off coupon for two boxes of BARILLA ProteinPLUS, Whole Grain, Veggie, White Fiber, or GF Pasta. Also included, info on their Wasa crackers and a $1 coupon for that.
Burt’s Bees
Burt's Bee sent back a $1 off $10 purchase coupon. I'll take it.
Celestial Seasonings
No response from Celestial Seasonings.
Chapstick
Chapstick emailed back with: “Unfortunately, the online store does not have any samples or coupons.”
Cheerios
Cheerios let me know, “It is our policy not to provide coupons upon request.”
Chicken of the Sea
From Chicken of the Sea, I received a polite thank you response along with a promise of coupons in the mail and a reminder of their loyalty email newsletter. Three coupons arrived the next week for FREE Chicken of the Sea products.
Chick-fil-A
Chick-fil-A wrote, “Because each Chick-fil-A restaurant is independently operated, it is up to the Chick-fil-A Operator’s discretion as to how much and when he or she distributes coupons in their area. You may check with your local Chick-fil-A Restaurant and speak to the Operator or Manager to determine if they have elected to distribute coupons.”
Chipotle
Chipotle sent, “We love our fans, and we truly appreciate your support. We’ve always got something cooking up on our social media; please follow the links below to stay in the loop with all of our delicious promotions.”
Chobani
Chobani sent, “Thanks for reaching out to us! We just love hearing from our fans, and we’d be happy to send along money-saving coupons for our delicious, creamy Chobani® Greek Yogurt products! You can expect them to arrive in just a few short days. P.S. Feel free to contact us every 30 days for coupons for your family.” — YEAH!
Clorox
Clorox wrote, “At this time, we do not have coupons/samples available to send, but periodically, we offer cents-off or free coupons for products on our website.”
Coca-Cola
Coca-Cola let me know that there are no coupons or samples available. And that I should check my local newspaper or supermarket flyers for coupons and specials.
Colgate/ Hill’s
Colgate sent me Hill’s contact info, but I didn’t follow up.
Dunkin’ Donuts
I received a polite “thank you for being a customer” email from Dunkin' Donuts, no coupons though.
Einstein Bros. Bagels
No response from Einstein Bros Bagels.
Energizer
Energizer sent, “At this time, we do not have any coupons to send. However, we would be happy to put you on our mailing list for future promotions.”
Famous Dave’s
Famous Dave's sent a polite thank you response within minutes, but nothing else.
Folgers
No response from Folgers.
Frito-Lay (a PepsiCo brand)
Frito-Lay sent a $1 off any one Fri-lay product priced $1 or greater and two 55 cent off coupons on any Fri-Lay product priced 55 cents or greater.
General Mills
No response from General Mills.
Gillette
No response from Gillette
Hormel
I emailed Hormel about Applegate, their organic line, and they told me that they don’t have coupons available by mail and that I should email Applegate directly. When I emailed Applegate, they told me to check their website for coupons. (which you can get if you sign up to their email list.)
Jamba Juice
Jamba Juice sent the following: “There is nothing more rewarding in our business than to be recognized for a job well done; however, at this time we do not have any free promotional items available to send you.”
Jimmy John’s
Jimmy John's said they will pass my compliments off to the store.
Kimberly Clark (Huggies)
Kimberly Clark replied, “In answer to your inquiry, we do not have a program for sending product samples or coupons on request.” but you can sign up to their email list to get coupons from time to time.
Kraft
No response from Kraft.
Nespresso
Nespresso is the winner of this project and sent actual swag!
They initially just sent a polite email thanking me for my loyalty, but I decided to push the envelope a little and responsed back with:
“Hi [name of representative], Thank you for the quick reply to my email, I was wondering if you guys had any Nespresso swag so I can show off my love of your product?”
To which they responded with:
“I am glad to hear you love Nespresso. I understand you would like to know if we can offer you any items to show off to your friends. We usually do not provide free gifts. However, as a one-time courtesy, I will send you a gift at no charge.”
A little while later, I received a pair of Cappuccino Cups and Saucers. They are wonderful and I use them all the time.
Nestle
Nestle didn't send any samples, but they did send me a 50-cent printable coupon and this little nugget of information – “Due to the overwhelming demand for coupons, we are only able to fulfill one request every six months.” So you could email them every six months for a fifty-cent coupon.
Noodles & Company
Noodles and Company didn't send any samples or coupons, just an invitation to their EClub (which we’re already a part of and periodically does include coupons).
Papa John’s Pizza
Papa John's Pizza sent, “Thank you for your compliments! We are constantly striving to improve our services whether it is in the store, online or our product quality that you have come to love. We are very pleased to hear that you are enjoying it! We have forwarded your notes to the appropriate department and thank you for your feedback. Please feel free to call us at the number below if you need any assistance while ordering online in the future. Thanks again and have a good day!”
To be fair, there are 25% and 50% off coupons online All. The. Time.
Pepsi
Pepsi sent two coupons for One Free 6 or 8 Pack (bottles or cans of any flavor Pepsi-Cola product)!
Pfizer (Purell Hand Sanitizer)
Pfizer sent coupons. Two $1 off coupons for 2-8 fl. oz or larger OR 35ct wipes or larger.
PowerBar (Premier Nutrition)
PowerBar sent two coupons for a FREE PowerBar Product.
Proctor & Gamble (Pampers)
Procter & Gamble said they don’t normally send out coupons, but they do have a $3 off Pampers diapers and $2 off Pampers wipes coupon they could send. Also included was a $1 off Ultra Mega Roll Pack of Charmin.
Red Robin
No response from Red Robin
Republic of Tea
“Thank you for your email and kind comments. We appreciate that you are a Citizen of our great Republic. I would be happy to mail you some samples.” While this seemed pretty middle-of-the-road, the card we got was handwritten and very thoughtful. It also included two tea bags.
Sanford Uniball Pens
I had to shorten the original email because their form limits the number of characters, but they replied that they “do not offer samples or coupons at this time.”
SC Johnson (Ziploc)
SC Johnson said, “In thanks for your loyalty, while we don’t have samples available, a booklet of savings is on its way to the address you provided. It features coupons for a variety of SC Johnson products. Please watch for it in about two weeks.”
A few days later, a large coupon book with coupons for all types of SC Johnson products arrived.
Smuckers
Smuckers replied with, “Unfortunately, we currently do not have coupons available for distribution, nor do we maintain a coupon mailing list. However, we occasionally run coupon offers in Redplum® coupon inserts found either in your newspaper or mailbox, on Coupons.com and Redplum.com, and at your local grocery stores.”
Stacy’s Pita Chips
Stacy's Pita Chips sent a polite reply, but no coupons or samples.
Stash
Stash sent an email in an hour they asking for my address to send some coupons! A couple of days later, two (2) 50-cent off coupons for any box of tea (18, 20ct)
Tom’s of Maine (Toothpaste)
Tom's of Maine sent samples! They sent a 0.9oz beauty bar (Daily Moisture with olive oil & vitamin E!) and a 0.48oz of men’s deodorant.
Wendy’s
No response from Wendy's
Wrigleys
No response from Wrigleys.
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