So I was eating the other night at Freddy's hamburgers. On the table was an invitation to join their fan club, with the incentive of a coupon for a free custard. What the heck, who wouldn't want a free custard? The link was a QR code, so I scanned it on my iPhone, added my email, and joined the fan club. I immediately got an image on my phone - Free Custard at your next visit. Fantastic.

Except I didn't know when I was going to return, and I am all about instant gratification, so I took my image of the coupon on my phone to the cashier (also the on-duty store manager) and asked if I could go ahead and redeem the coupon now, since I had already purchased several meals that visit. They told me, "I need an actual coupon". To which I replied, "How would I print from my phone?". That of course was a stumper. Instead of pressing the matter, I told them that I'm sure I would just wait for the email confirmation, and print the coupon then and redeem it on my next visit. Disappointing to wait, sure, but not a big deal.

Later that evening, I checked my email and sure enough, there was the confirmation that I had joined the club! Only problem was there was no coupon, no link to a coupon, no mention of a free custard anywhere.

Hmm, I wonder if anyone got a free custard ever from this Freddy's promotion? More of a marketing promo fail than a product fail, but I think it qualifies for this blog.