Business Owners, a question

[Colorado_Outback]

Maybe your business just attracts bottom dwellers.

Stay Classy.

[Bailey Guns]

You have no idea my experience with Groupon. Living social was even worse. This was an advertising campaign that I had zero to do with. There were 950 businesses that participated in this certain campaign and every single one had the same response. NEVER AGAIN. Everyone had the same experience. The customers wanted to use their groupon and spend not a dollar more. Sorry, but these are the simple facts. I had NO control over the advertising campaign. It was something that I had to participate in due to a regional marketing decision.
Thank you for calling me out as a "dick" for voicing my opinion and my experience with the groupon. I will certainly keep this in mind when making purchasing decisions and deciding where to bring my business. I guess opinions and personal experiences are not allowed unless they fit in with your personal feelings. I use Groupons myself. Am I a bottom feader... Prob not. I like discounts. HOWEVER, with my business the bottom feaders were 100% who purchased the groupons.
Groupon refunded their money. Live and learn.

BTW, Tony's is not losing one penny if they don't upsell you on something. There prices are so over the top they can afford it. Trust me. I sold them food for 14 years and know what they purchase and what they charge the customers for it.

So you had to use Groupon due to a marketing decision made by someone higher up in the food chain in your business, or franchise or whatever, yet the people who took advantage of that are "bottom feeders"? You don't wanna be called a dick then don't act like one by lumping everyone into the same category who uses Groupon as "bottom feeders". It makes a little more sense in your expanded explanation than it did in your first post. It's still not the consumer's fault you had a bad experience and were forced into a marketing campaign in which you didn't want to participate.

And nobody said you couldn't have opinions unless they were the same as mine. You voiced your opinion and I did the same. It apparently hurt your feelings that someone disagreed with you. And BTW...you don't have to worry about patronizing a business owned by me...there isn't one. You can rest easy.

I'm gonna go out on a limb and say if a company offered a special coupon price (say 60% off...that'd be about typical for a Groupon deal, give or take a little) on an item you really wanted you wouldn't feel any guilt whatsoever in buying that item and nothing else if that's what you needed.

Maybe your business just attracts bottom dwellers.

That's exactly what I was thinking but didn't go so far as to say it. But maybe you're right.

[GilpinGuy]

Damn...my wife and I started using Groupon often when I was laid off and still use it when we can. Usually for restaurants now. I guess I'm a bottom feeder for wanting to take advantage of a deal willingly offered by someone. WTF

[centrarchidae]

As a consumer, I love groupons. It's the one way that I can afford good sushi.

As a business, I imagine I'd hate them. Centrarchidae the fish-eating fish getting a screaming deal is half of the transaction. The other is Hana Matsuri having to bring me salmon rolls and Kirin for razor-thin profit margins if they're not taking a loss.

ETA: I'm pretty sure I've seen BluCore and at least one other firearm-related business on Groupon within the last week.

Also, Groupon (or really the businesses that use them) depends heavily on the upsell: beer or sake with my nigiri or whatever. What I like about taking my truck to you is that you've never tried a bullshit upsell with me or tried to tell me that I need to spend an extra thousand bucks to re-cafoobilate the 88-jigawatt flux capacitor.

[Irving]

I feel like a bottom feeder when I use Groupon, as I sure as heck wouldn't be where I was without the coupon. I tip though. I haven't ordered anything other than a water, and an occasional beer for years now. I won't order a beer unless it is great beer.

[anaphylaxis]

Call me crazy, but I didn't read a statement indicating that "everyone who uses Groupon is a bottom feeder." I'm not sure where becoming defensive or insulting really helps the issue.

It was mentioned, and that jibes with my experience that the offers can bring out those who have a sense of entitlement and who never intend to spend more than the face value of the coupon.

I ran my classes on Living Social a couple times. My classes go for $65, Living Social sold the coupon for 50% and I received 50% of that. So, 1/4 of the usual amount for the same amount of work. Of course, I knew in advance that was the deal, so that's on me. The real issue is when people started to write in terms and conditions that didn't apply. Some wanted to use the coupon for a type of class that it didn't apply to. Others would no show or cancel at the last minute but still want a spot in a different class. Even worse, some would no show then call Living Social for a refund. Obviously with limited spaces in any session, there's no way I would fill those spaces. For me, this brought out more of the types of customers that I don't want to deal with. Were they all like this? No. But I would say that the number of problems that I ran into was pretty significant.

As a customer would I use Groupon or Living Social? Absolutely. As a business, the only way I could even recommend it is if you have a strong ability to upsell, are slow where you need an immediate infusion of customers and cash, and have a good tolerance for BS. If any of those don't apply, I'd steer clear.

[ChunkyMonkey]

I feel like a bottom feeder when I use Groupon, as I sure as heck wouldn't be where I was without the coupon. I tip though. I haven't ordered anything other than a water, and an occasional beer for years now. I won't order a beer unless it is great beer.

BOTTOM FEEDER!! Just to clarify!

[mountainjenny]

I found my mechanic and esthetician using groupons. I have spent hundreds with both.

Without Groupon I would likely not have used either one.