Why Groupon Sucks & Needs Digital Marketing Lessons

About 3 months ago, I won a prize on the lovely Mez's blog - a $20 Groupon voucher. Groupon Australia had provided Mez with a coupon code which I could use to redeem my credit.

The problem is, there was no where in my Groupon account to put in a code to get credit. I tried various things, including getting to the last page of a mock purchase to see whether I could put the code in there.

I emailed Mez, who emailed Groupon. When I still hadn't heard from them weeks later, Mez gave me the contact email address of the specific "Blog Marketing" guy who had offered her the prize. I sent emails to both this contact, and the generic Groupon inquiries email address detailing my issue. Two weeks later I sent more emails.

Then I tried phoning Groupon. It wasn't about $20, it was about the principle of the matter. Unfortunately, Groupon are ALWAYS experiencing "above average call volumes". After spending 20+ minutes on hold on two separate occasions, I gave up on the idea of ever being able to contact Groupon.

The end result? I have a "code" which is a jumble of letters and numbers, and is completely useless. I have concluded that Groupon have shocking customer service, and deserve a bad rap for failing to provide prizes that they offered. I would not touch them with a 10 foot pole because I imagine if I had a problem redeeming a deal, I'd be met with the same dismal customer service.

Where's the logic in providing a measly $20 prize and then failing to honour it, thereby pissing off a number of people who previously had nothing against your company?

Groupon should send their "marketing" staff to a digital marketing for idiots course. All staff should also be required to wear the following stamp on their forehead:

Perhaps I should send media@groupon.com.au an email with this recommendation ;-)

In exciting news, I will soon be hosting my very first giveaway on this blog... stay tuned!