When she picked up the sodas, the weight was noticeably lighter. Had she been working out? No. She wasn”t stronger, the sodas were simply lighter and it was not because they were diet sodas, they were not.
Karin said, “I reached for a six-pack of the soda in the plastic bottles and noticed it was lighter. They had replaced the 24-ounce bottles with 16-ounce, but did not lower the price. I e-mailed and asked why they raised the cost of a six-pack by 32 percent.”
The e-mail she received in return stated: “Thank you for taking the time to contact us at (major soft drink company). We fully appreciate your concern over our pricing policy. Providing our consumers with quality products at the lowest possible price has always been the company”s fundamental focus.
“Many factors contribute to the setting of prices for our beverages. As in any industry, our expenditures for labor, ingredients, transportation, etc., all continue to rise. The cost of aluminum alone has increased dramatically over the years.
“Across our entire system, however, we have been cutting overhead and re-engineering our manufacturing process to keep our prices competitive. It is our policy to limit any price increase to the lowest possible extent.
“I want to assure you that we have committed ourselves to providing the best soft drink value to our consumers. We have gone to considerable lengths, and will continue to do so, in order to keep prices as low as possible, because you deserve nothing less.
Please be assured that I will share all your comments with the appropriate department here at the headquarters. I have also sent you out some cents-off coupons. You should receive them in the next week to 10 days. If I can be of further assistance, please do not hesitate to contact me.
“Again, thank you for contacting us on this matter.”
It was signed cordially by a consumer relations representative.
Needless to say she wasn”t absolutely thrilled with her “cents-off” coupons.
Karin took the time to e-mail because she was a die-hard fan of this product. She started drinking it when she was 16 years old. The restaurant where she worked gave free sodas to employees on shift. She”s 57 now, so she”s been buying the product for more than 40 years. She said that she liked it so much she could tell where it was bottled based on the taste of the water used to make the soft drink. Now there”s a customer a company would be foolish to lose.
Man oh man, back in the day, when folks took the time to inquire or complain there was typically a prudent response by companies that did not want to taint the company”s reputation. The e-mail she received was just a bunch of double-talk that amounts to nothing but treating the very people who pay your bills, like idiots.
That”s cold.
Not chill and frosty like a soft drink straight from the cooler, but rude and inconsiderate.
Yes, times are tough all over. It”s probably an unwise time to lose loyal customers by tripping over a dollar to pick up a dime.
Mandy Feder is the Record-Bee news editor. She can be reached at mandyfeder@yahoo.com or 263-5636 Ext. 32.
