Submitting rebates is a funny process that feels like a sales trick. If rebates were transparent, the sellers would say something like, “we are trying to lure you into buying our product with the promise of a huge cash-back reward, but we know that only a small percent of you will submit your reward, and we try hard to pay out to a small percentage of applications submitted.”
My contact company’s process for rebates is about as complicated as they can make it, and it changes every year. This year they asked that I take pictures of the invoices and boxes and upload the photos to their site. Then the website asked that I type all the information that I just photographed into forms on their site. Finally, they asked me to mail them the exact same invoice and parts of the boxes that I photographed and typed. My claim is sure to get rejected because it does every year, so I will then have to call, email, or chat with someone.
People at the contact company must have to manage all this bureaucracy. I am guessing that this takes a lot of time, salaries, and mental energy. Could the cost of just discounting the product in the first place, be cheaper and build more brand loyalty in the long run?
One of the dangers of older organizations is they become process-centric. Processes are established, and in time no one remembers why. Sometimes the reason for the process is gone, but the process remains burning staff time and energy.
Are there processes you can and should eliminate?
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