Lessons learned are a valuable commodity in the business world.
The Topps Company was riding the heals of one of its most successful promotions, the Bowman Blue Wave Wrapper Redemption. The idea of the promotion was simple. For every 24 hobby packs or 10 jumbo packs you bought, send the wrappers back into Topps in exchange for a pack of special Blue Wave cards.
But here is the catch, the supply is limited, and just because you send in the wrappers doesn’t mean you automatically are going to get some packs. Last year Topps was blasted all over the Internet for the way they handled the program, handing out free packs to their heavy buyers, not treating all of their customers equally, and leaving a lot of people empty-handed and very unhappy – including myself.
This is where we go back to those lesson learned in business. Topps had an entire year to revamp the system and and try to make an effort to ensure that this an equal opportunity for all of their customers to have an equal chance at being included. Instead, it appears as if they have taken to monumental steps backwards.
A number of forum posts outlined that customers were receiving 10 packs, no matter how many packs they had sent in for (usually 5 or less). Once again, handing out additional supply that could have been used to spread the program out and not short change customers.
For me, I’m located in an area that typically gets product on its shelves 1 or 2 days behind everyone else. My wrappers were received by Topps on a Monday (got the product the previous Friday) and they simply could not have gotten there any quicker.
However, here are I am empty handed, another year.
So, let’s revisit those lessons learned again. I believe that all lessons are two way streets. My lesson learned is that Topps truly does not care about it’s customers. Big or small. They simply want to try and turnover products, releases, and promotions as quick as possible.
For this, I am choosing to no longer support them by no longer purchasing their wax products. To Topps, losing my business will never truly be felt on their bottom line. They have already proven that my value as a customer isn’t anything they wish to keep, so the real impact is going to come at my local Hobby Shop – and the others who represent the Topps Company.
I am hoping that others start to follow suit and Topps starts to realize that they are also in the customer satisfaction business.
A business that they are failing miserably in.
