QUIZNOS: Exec Explains Million Snub Mess
March 3, 2009 by Sean Kelly
Filed under Business
Quiznos Chief Marketing Officer, Rebecca Steinfort, has been busy doing damage control on the ill-conceived promotion FranchisePick.com has dubbed The Quiznos Million Snub Giveaway.
UnhappyFranchisee.com has posted quotes from Steinfort explaining how it came about that Quiznos gave away coupons for 1,000,000 free subs only to have franchisees refuse to honor them. The post on UF (Quiznos Exec Explains Sub Giveaway Debacle. What Do Franchisees Say?) invites comments on the official explanation, as well as questions readers would like to ask Steinfort.
Here is the Quiznos explanation, with quotes from an interview on WalletPop.
#1 The Million Sub Giveaway was a sound initiative to establish Quiznos new value positioning.
#2 Quiznos franchisees knew about this since December, but were “a bit overwhelmed.”
#3 Quiznos franchisees are being reimbursed for 90% of the cost of free subs
#4 Most franchisees were/are participating and problems are rare
#5 The overall response was tremendously positive; next time Quiznos will get franchisee buy-in first
WHAT DO YOU THINK? SHARE A COMMENT OR QUESTION BELOW.
Image: UnhappyFranchisee.com
{{ next time Quiznos will get franchisee buy-in first}}
– Now, there’s a novel concept…
The give-away program was just another Quiznos Marketing EXTREME FAILURE. Owners were not asked to participate. We were told it was another great idea that would bring us a profit. DID NOT HAPPEN!! Rebecca Steinfort was RELEASED shortly after that disaster. She brought the franchisees BREAKFAST (total bust); Event after Event that brought nothing (another bust); Christmas coupons in 2008 that were so hideous they went in the dumpster (plain dumb) and then her greatest discovery that never worked … DELIVERY (more busted ideas). Quiznos corporate is incompetent, probably acts illegal and could care less about individual store owners. Look around the country …. their stores are closing faster than the paperwork can be processes. You will not find a handful of store level owners happy with their investment. Watch though, the Quiznos Owner and CEO (Rick Shaden) will still make millions with his Smash Burger franchise chain. Buyers of Smash Burger BEWARE ….. anything attached to Rick Shaden makes your chances for total financial ruin far exceed your chances for success.