KFC, Oprah Free Frustration Giveaway!
May 6, 2009 by Sean Kelly
Filed under Business
I’m sure Oprah meant well by offering everybody a free KFC 2 pc Kentucky Grilled Chicken Meal.
And I’m sure KFC didn’t intend to introduce its new menu item by frustrating and infuriating thousands of consumers. But that’s exactly what’s happened.
Yesterday, Oprah announced free chicken for everyone and directed them to the website www.UnthinkKFC.com.
The site required consumers to download a special software to print out the free coupons.
Some were able to print out coupons only to find that their local KFC refused to redeem them. The Gothamist website made a tongue-in-beak report of a sit-in by customers and near-riot conditions at one New York KFC.
But mostly, consumers were frustrated privately with an array of error messages and screens that frustrated their attempts as the time toward the midnight deadline ticked away. Many shared their frustration on the blogsites and Twitter:
On Oprah’s website, even the Queen’s loyal subjects expressed frustration and disappointment in their 4000+ blog comments:
Is this KFC coupon a joke? I have tried many, many times to download this coupon to no avail. The website always disallows printing the coupon. crkwilliam
tried to print coupon serval time and would not print. then when I tried again it said I printed them .I did not mandy742
I logged on yesterday and the coupon didn’t print, I was told to try again later. I tried a few minutes ago and was told the same thing, maybe tomorrow. ebonee25
I download the coupons printer, after all that it said I printed the limit, but I have no I repeat no coupon once so ever. As people said before me thanks for nothing. midnight03
Hey Oprah what a deal. Went to print my coupons and they would not print. When I tried a again I was denied getting them. tonny45
I cannot print the KFC coupon & the phones are busy at KFC. KFC should have been ready for this. I want my coupon as advertised by you. kinman
I think I agree with a former contributor–Oprah has been taken! The site is impossible to access even after loading everything…I think I’ll have a Whopper. mccrillis
There were many reports of KFC locations refusing to honor the free coupons also:
got the coupons printed, but they wouldn’t honor them until after Mother’s Day even though the dates were printed clearly on the front. Had the mng. call the police. cuttingg
tried to exchange my coupon and was told that they only give out 150 meals a day starting at 10:00 am. Jefferson and Western avenues in Los Angeles, CA. Sandra Greer-Davis greerdavis
It is only 5/6/09 & kfc in Mississippi is refusing people. my baby skipped lunch looking forward to her grilled meal! shame on KFC. we love Oprah ms.leenew
What a wonderful idea by KFC to offer free meals. Just a shame that our local and only KFC in Galveston, TX would not honor the coupon! ilsebee
Thanks Oprah for the wonderful gesture.However several KFC’s in Knoxville, TN will not honor the coupons stating the have reached their limit of 75 meal for the day. revbrabson
My co-worker and I went to two KFC today in Houston, TX and they are not accepting the coupons. When ask what KFC is participating there answer was “We don’t know” This is sad! 4steff
While the fiasco with the Quiznos giveaway is par-for-the-course for the company that publicly toasts its reputation every chance it gets, it’s mindboggling that the organizations behind KFC and Oprah would steam so many customers over some grilled chicken.
WHAT DO YOU THINK? SHARE A COMMENT BELOW.
Grilled Chicken deal graphic: ursonate (CreativeCommons) Error messages: Coupons.Com
Sean,
It was GRILLED?
The Franchise King
Joel Libava
Yes, it was grilled.
You can tell by the grill lines they paint on every piece.
Hi Sean,
I received my coupon yesterday from a friend who alerted me to the deal.
I might just drive over to the local KFC and see if they accept it out of curiousity.
Independent of any negative publicity I can’t even comprehend the free publicity that KFC is receiving. The word Kentucky Fried Chicken is being said and thought about millions of times. Some negative thoughts, some positive, but people are talking about it. That’s all KFC or any corporation can ask for.
Thanks for sharing your insight.
Ryan
i download the coupons printer, after all that it said I printed the limit, but I have no I repeat no coupon once so ever.didnt get no cupon and no chicken As people said before me thanks for nothing.
I don’t know why Oprah would support KFC after all the reports of animal cruelty in some of their suppliers’ factory farms…
My wife and I saw the Oprah show on May 5, 2009 where Oprah told where you could download a coupon to get a free 2 piece grilled chicken meal, The meal was to include 2 pcs of grilled chicken (manager’s choice), 2 side orders and 1 buscuit. I tried for hours to download the coupon and all it did was tie my computer up for hours because evidently so many people were trying to download coupons.
The next morning May 6, 2009 I awoke and I tried downloading the coupon again and I was successful on the first try. It turned out that you were allowed to download and print up to 4 coupons per computer.
Today, Thursday, May 7, 2009 I drove to my local KFC in Seymour, TN and placed my order 1 chicken strip dinner and 1 two piece (free meal) with the 2 pcs of chicken, 2 sides and a buscuit. I was told at the employee at the drive through speaker that the manager had told employees to stop accepting the coupons.
I ended up ordering two, three piece chicken strip meals which I paid for so my wife and I could have dinner. When I got home we both bit into the chicken strips and the strips were so tough that they hurt our teeth. The strips evidently had been sitting under a heat lamp for hours. No more KFC for me. KFC just lost a customer because I won’t be going back. Shame on KFC for false advertising and for food left under heat lamps too long.
Anyone that wants the coupone email me. I downloaded it in PDF form and will be glad to send anyone the PDF. This is not a joke. KFC has ticked me off telling me I can BUY their chicken bu tI cannot use the coupon to get a free meal. They are requiring you to take a raincheck and send in the raincheck postmarked no later than 05/19/09. So if you want to go to the trouble of going to KC to get the piece of paper and then mail it in with the coupon email me and I will email you back the coupon in pdf form so you can print it out. [del]
as a manager of KFC, allow me to explain some things. Oprah was a fan of the grilled chicken…she wanted to endorse it. she met with KFC and they hatched this plan to help those families in economic distress AND anyone else in this free country to try this new product AT NO COST TO THEM. however, the heads at KFC made a mistake by choosing to do this around the nationally busiest sales day of KFC, Mother’s Day. Our suppliers are literally running out of very key products(i.e cole slaw, biscuits, CHICKEN.) our restaurants are now scrambling to find product. not to mention, oprah hasnt contributed one cent to this promo. this comes out of OUR profit. now, i know some of you may say that im whining about losing those sales….but would you want to run your butt off at your work and not be getting anywhere? are your jobs ok if you are losing profit? the area that i am in, has not had to deal with “rioting” or any of that nonsense. however, i have had a few ungrateful customers who complained that they couldnt choose their side dishes(we offer mashed and slaw)…and a group of well dressed businessmen who grumbled about having to pay for a bottle of water. i mean, come on, do you people hear yourselves complaining about your FREE MEAL? this truly shows americas greed and unappreciation for anything anyone tries to do for them. i hope to god that the people who are complaining about not ever coming back because of this promo mean what they say…because some other restaurant can deal with you. and to those of you who appreciated it…thank you…come anytime:)
I saw on a commercial that they were offering rain checks for the offer now. Grilled chicken overload!
If you want a coupon email me at [del] and i will send it to you in PDF form I saved it.
I now have a copy of the raincheck form I can send to you in PDF format as well. Now you do not even have to go to the KFC to get the raincheck. Email me and I will send you both the coupon and the raincheck. email
please send me a pdf of the raincheck form. i greatly appreciate it.
Hey Getit, do you still have that raincheck form and coupon as a pdf? Can you email it to me? I didn’t even hear about this promotion until today, and I want me some chicken!