Is there a product your family really loves? Have you written to the company and let them know how much you like their product and letting them know you’d gladly accept any coupons they could send? Companies really enjoy hearing from satisfied customers and often are very happy to send coupons.
Here’s what Kelsi emailed me yesterday:
Last week I emailed the manufacturer’s of Luna bars asking for coupons and telling them about my Luna-A-Day habit while rocking my newborn with my foot and pumping breastmilk at the kitchen counter. Today I received six coupons for a FREE Luna Bar or Luna Protein Bar and a 100% organic cotton baby blanket! -Kelsi
Have you emailed any companies before? I’d love to hear about your experience!
Kristina Best says
I actually did this last night. My husband bought a freezer queen turkey slices. We found them to be gross so I let the company know and they said they were sorry & they are sending free coupons for their other products. Thank you for posting this.
Katherine says
I did this with Scrubbing Bubbles last year – I told them I loved their bathroom cleaner so much that I had recommended it to my mom. They sent me two free product coupons – 1 for each of us.
The Thrifty Teacher says
I used to write letters to companies through snail mail. I wrote to Regal Cinemas on two different occasions, years apart, for two problems that occurred when I went to the movies. One time the projector wasn’t lined up during the movie and one time they cut the movie accidentally halfway through. Both times I received a pair of complimentary movie passes! I also remember writing compliment letters to Dr. Pepper, Kellogg’s, and Babybel Cheese and receiving coupons.
Sharron says
I have gotten free product coupons from many many manufacturors. Both for complimants and complaints. Johnson and Johnson is a great company in my book. I bought the new toilet gel deoderizer and just hated the smell. To me, it was overpowering. I emailed them, and got an email the next day telling me they would send me product coupons to replace the one I did not like. Within a week, I had 3 free product coupons in my mailbox. I should say that that was overkill but I was very happy and satisfied. I buy J&J as much as I can and tell others at every oppurtunity how great their customer service is.
Janie says
When I complained, nicely, to Green Giant about several stem pieces in a package of frozen green beans, they sent a personal reply and two coupons for free products worth several times the value of the green beans.
Annies, Earthbound Organics, and Stonyfield Farms are all generous with coupons from time to time.
Mel says
Last Christmas, my son received some really cool Crayola products from his favorite aunt. ONE item in the pack was dried out. So, the day after Christmas, I called Crayola to see if anything could be done. To my surprise, a very kind woman on the other end told me she would ship out an entire new package. We received them in under a week. I wrote a thank you letter to headquarters in PA and haven’t bought any other brand since. Customer service is a big deal in my book. They stand behind their product and that’s what makes them #1.
Naomi says
I e-mail companies all the time. I love Earthbound Organic produce and I do get coupons on the net at times but I e-mail them and told them how much I loved them and they sent me coupons for free produce as well as high volume other coupons. I also love Kashi products and love it when I get high volume coupons from them or coupons for free cereal. I usually get some kind of a response from a company with great coupons, whether I complain about an item or rave.
Donna says
A slightly different take on the topic – I recently had trouble at a Target store with the BOGO SoBe water sale. I bought 10 and then presented 5 BOGO coupons. The cashier barely looked at the coupons and declared that because of the $5 giftcard Id be receiving (as part of the promotion) that I could only use ONE BOGO coupon. I was so upset that I told her I didn’t want the water and left. On the drive back, it just irked me that they wouldn’t take MFR coupons that they would be reimbursed for anyway. Why? I just needed an answer to that. So I emailed Target, let them know the exact store I was at and the situation. The very next day I received an email back, apologizing. The rep in the letter said that after reading my email, they called the store and told them that the coupons were allowed to be used. That very day, I went back to the same Target, bought 10 SoBe’s and was allowed to use all my BOGO coupons – no problems.
Nicole says
I bought a package of Nabisco saltines which were burnt! I emailed the company and they promptly mailed me out a check for $4.49 (even though I only bought the crackers with coupons for under $1). Sadly, when I went to deposit the check a week later I got it back from my bank marked “refer to maker.” and it couldn’t be deposited. So, I emailed Nabisco again and they mailed me 5 coupons for up to 4.49 in FREE Nabisco cookies or crackers!!!! I was so happy!
Amys will also send you coupons in the mail. I had written them a couple years ago telling them how much I liked one of their meals and then a few months ago complaining about the prices of their products. They were super apologetic and said they don’t actually set the prices of their products, the third party distributors and stores have more to do wih the pricing of their products. So I got some good coupons again.
Rita Collins says
I only call when I really enjoy or really dislike a product, or if the item was defective/moldy/bad/not right.
Kylea says
When Quaker came out with their new (at the time) mini rice cakes, I wrote to the company saying how much I enjoyed them. I wanted to let them know I really liked the product and was hoping they would not be discontinued. It was maybe 2-3 months later that they mailed me a whole case with a nice letter and lots of coupons. It was a great surprise!
laura says
Sweet baby Rays free product
New York toast free product
Bar S free product
emailed all three and received a great response with free product plus coupons!
Lori says
I emailed pampers on day because we have been having problems with the tabs on the diapers pulling off. I received an email the next day from them letting me know they were going to send me coupons in the mail. When I got the envelope it had 2 coupons for $10.00 off in it!!! Very worth my time!!!
tightwad says
I promise, you will be surprised how many companies will respond to your request not only with high value coupons, but also with coupons for free items. You can read here (http://iamatightwad.blogspot.com/2010/05/start-e-mailing-away.html) about companies that responded to my request for coupons. Thus far, I have received over $120 worth of free products, ranging from organic expensive food items to my unhealthy favorite snacks, like ice cream. 🙂
My mom was coming from Belarus to see my family for 3 weeks. Well, I decided to e-mail all the restaurants in our areas asking for a coupon. The result??? Free food! I received the following coupons.
– two free whoppers from Burger King
– two free subs from Jersey Mikes
– $5 dollars gift card from Schlotzsky’s
– 4 coupons from Zaxby’s for a meal of my choice
– 2 Chick Fil A Sandwiches and 1 coupon for free chicken tenders (I actually asked managers of a restaurant for coupons)
– 2 free drinks of any choice and any size from Starbucks
– 2 free coupons from IHOP for free pancakes
Darcey says
My 4 year old son was swinging his wet diaper around one day and it hit something and burst all over the room. As most of you may know, the diaper gel is not easy to clean up. I looked online for solutions and when none were to be found, I contacted Pampers to see what they would say. I received an e-mail the next day telling me to let it dry and then vaccuum or sweep it up. They then told me they would be sending me a coupon. I eagerly waited and then one day it came. I opened the envelope and got a $10 off coupon. Wow! That is more than a half box of diapers. And I didn’t even complain.
Now I did complain to another company and only got a simple retaliation, but it is worth a try.
Natalie says
I contacted Enfamil when my son could drink only Nutramigen due to a milk protein allergy/intolerance. They were very helpful in sending a couple free samples, coupons, and also got me in contact with a representative of the company who then gave me a whole case FREE!! I am so glad I took the time….because that stuff is expensive!
Jean says
I’ve been emailing companies for the last 6 months or so with OUTSTANDING results!!! I can’t even name all of the companies that I have emailed, but I have received SOOOO many coupons for free products, as well as lots of $-off coupons. I think my best email yet was to Chef’s Requested. They sell lower-priced, prepackaged meats. Walmart usually sells them. I just let them know that I had recently tried their bacon-wrapped beef fillets and thought they tasted really good. I told them that I appreciated them providing good meat at an affordable price… A couple of weeks later I received over $25 in free meat coupons!!!!!! I was totally shocked!!
When I send out emails (and I try to send one a day), I make sure to specifically tell the company the product that I like and a true reason why I like it… I’ve never asked for coupons, but at least 75% of the companies I have emailed have sent coupons. Have I mentioned, I love going to get the mail!?? It’s like Christmas!
Penny Pinchin Mom does a daily email and calls it “Apple A Day.” Here is the link to the full list of companies that she has emailed: http://pennypinchinmom.com/apple-a-day-master-list/
I do want to mention that my results have been a little different than hers… I’m not sure why!
Happy emailing!! 🙂
Ericka Lewis says
I’ve done both complaints and actually asked for coupons. When the coupon for Naked Juice wouldn’t print out, I let them know how disappointed I was that the $1/1 coupon wouldn’t print and they sent me a coupon for a free one. I also complained about a Redi Whip can that stopped working the second time I went to use it and they sent me a coupon to replace it. I’m planning to send some other letters for products I really like. I also recently sent a compliment letter to the Tropical Smoothie Cafe–they had excellent service and the food was amazing. Not sure if they will send a response or not. Might make me change my mind.
Katrina says
I emailed red vines telling them I loved their product, and a few weeks later got a box in the mail with 3 big bags of red vines in it! =) I also emailed a bunch of other companies and got lots of coupons!
Tina says
I wrote to Odwalla and told them how much I loved their energy bars and they sent me a handful of coupons for free ones! Ronzoni pasta sent me free pasta coupons when I emailed them to lament my grain beetle infestation problem and my need to re-stock my pantry.
lynsie says
I haven’t tried emailing companies about what I like! I recently had a problem with a Craisins package I had bought, as well as those Kraft 100 calorie cheese packages. I got 2 coupons for free Craisins from Ocean Spray, and 4 free coupons for the cheese from Kraft! I will have to try the “sugar” approach as well. But, with my past dealings, I’ve been very pleased with the nice responses.
Nikki says
I emailed Pilot Travel Centers (a local gas station. Not sure if it’s a national chain or not.) telling them how much I loved their store, and how friendly their employees were. I got an email a couple of days later thanking me for my feedback. They also sent me a $5 gift card in the mail. 😀
Tanya says
Before we were blessed with the birth of our first daughter (now have two), I was a high school English teacher. One writing assignment for my 9th graders was to write letters of appreciation to a company they appreciated. I always wrote one too. This served two purposes: 1. training in writing form letters 2. teaching about gratitude in a soceity filled with negativity. We always had fun sharing our responses, the students were quite excited about some of the free products they received. When we first started the project, I had no idea we would get so many wonderful responses. I still remember being giddy with “my kids” when I received a free sports sack from a running shoe company. Let’s make sure we’re truly expressing appreciation and not just writing to our favorite companies to see what we can get. Remember, the coupons and free products are a bonus to expressing gratitude. A grateful heart is truly reward enough. 🙂
Bev says
My daughter wrote to Ovaltine because her dad said he wouldn’t buy it anymore because milk, at the time, was so expensive. They loved Ovaltine so much, they drank our milk faster. They sent a free Ovaltine coupon and a few others for $1 off. We continue to buy it!
Cherilyn says
I bought some El Monterey Chimichangas a while ago that only had 7 in the package (was supposed to have 8). I emailed the company and they sent me coupons for free ones and some $1 off coupons too. The same thing happened to me with butter at our local store once. It only had 3 sticks in it and was sealed – I took it back for a refund.
Angie says
After having a baby, I learned that you can do this with formula, diapers, etc. I’d rather talk to someone than email, so I usually flip products over and look for an 800 number, and call them and tell them how much I like their products and ask to be put on their coupon mailing list (or for some high dollar coupons). Worked wonders with Huggies diapers and Similac formula. Similac sent me cans of formula in the mail to try out, and also high dollar coupons (think $5-10 off per can). I still get plenty of Huggies coupons and others in the mail. Love it! 🙂
Chelsea says
So, from what I understand, most of you email them and ASK for the coupons… or do you just email them and rave about their product? I’m just wondering how to go about this since I’ve never done it before. Is it enough just to compliment them and they will send you high value coupons, or do I need to kindly ask for them?
Chris says
@Chelsea, this is also my question.
Erika says
@Chris,
I always try to e-mail a company with a viable complaint or compliment first. If I compliment them, I always stick on a paragraph like, “Would you please send me coupons for your product? I love it and would love to buy more of it” and 9 times out of 10 they’ll send you coupons.
Or, like I e-mailed Happy Baby about their Organic Green Puffs (my son will not live without them) and while they don’t give out coupons, they signed me up for their quarterly newsletter so I should be getting some coupons in it via snail mail. I’ve, most times, found e-mailing companies to be beneficial…even if you don’t ask for coupons.
I had an issue with some Gerber toddler bars not being sealed properly and they sent me like four free product coupons to make up for it. And Earth’s Best sent me five free product coupons just because there was a fiasco with a mis-type on one of their rebate forms. Just write to the companies, don’t be AFRAID to ask for coupons (even if that is all you are writing about) and just see what happens is my best advice.
Chelsea says
@Erika,
Okay, thanks a lot for the advice!!
Kelsi says
@Chris,
I asked as well as complimented. I also did this with Amy’s Organics and received over $15 in coupons. With so much competition in the grocery industry, it is in their best interest to send something!
dee says
I emailed Red Barn who makes my two dogs’ favorite chew treat to tell them how much my dogs love the treats. I got a personal email reply telling me they don’t issue coupons. So they sent me a free bag a treats! They are $10/bag. I was very happy.
Devin says
I’m so glad I read this! My son has to take medicine and we need to mix it with 10 packets of Splenda a day, per the dr due to the bitterness of the medicine. The stuff if pretty pricey when using that much so I just emailed!
Erika says
The biggest companies that stick out in my mind are Amy’s…I wrote them asking for coupons and the company responded in literally three minutes with a very nice letter saying that they would send me coupons. And they sent a bunch of them.
McCormick sent me some nice high value coupons (which resulted in free products for me 🙂 when I wrote to them and complimented their Grill Mates Seasoning products (which I don’t live without :).
And Coca Cola was the biggest one to me. I had gotten a 24 pack of Coke with an empty can in it that had obviously had issues at the bottling plant. Since everything is expensive up here, but especially anything that weighs more than 1 oz. to ship, I wrote to Coca Cola asking them if they could perhaps send me a coupon to replace the defective can. That was seriously all I wanted. All I got was a form letter saying “we’ve forwarded your e-mail to the appropriate management” after I had to give all the information on the can and I waited for a response. I honestly thought they were blowing me off, but nope, 12 days later I got a very nice letter in my mailbox with 2 coupons for free 12 packs of Coke to replace my entire 24 pack! I was blown away!
My worst experiences were with Band-Aid and Arm and Hammer. I wrote to Band-Aid asking for coupons and they actually sent a pretty snippy e-mail saying that they don’t mail out coupons. Arm and Hammer I wrote to with a legitimate complaint about my laundry detergent having moldy floaty types of things in it and I didn’t even get a response. Nada! I was not a happy camper…if I could use ANY other laundry soap on my son’s skin I’d so never buy Arm and Hammer again at this point I’m so ticked.
So, yeah, like anything else it’s a mixed bag when it comes to companies. You just have to write when you have something nice to say or when you have something legitimately to complain about.
Julie says
I have a Kiddopotomus travel placemat (I think it is called Tiny Diner) that we absolutely love. I bought another one so we would always have a clean one on hand and the second one stained very badly. I emailed the company telling them how much I loved the placemat but this one stained. I wasn’t asking for anything, I just wanted them to know that this color had issues that I didn’t have with the other color. They apologized, told me how to clean it and then sent me a new one. I was already singing their praises to friends before but I now I let everyone know how great the customer service is too.
Jen says
There are 2 threads on hot coupon world
http://www.hotcouponworld.com/forums/home-mailer-coupons/53-contacting-companies-complain-cheer.html
http://www.hotcouponworld.com/forums/home-mailer-coupons/219318-official-contacting-companies-data-base.html
Amanda says
I emailed Bolthouse farms and Spectrum and got some really nice coupons. I also lodged a complaint with Kotex over their new Kotex U product, and they emailed me coupons for their other products.
Allison says
I have emailed/snail mailed several companies that we use, if I couldn’t find coupons on their websites. It’s been a while, so I can’t remember all of them, but some were Brut, Millstone coffee, and my favorite was a $3 coupon for a Playtex sippy cup! I need to make a list of companies to write to again. It’s so much fun-like Christmas in my mailbox!
Melissa @ Anxious for Nothing says
I E-mailed Kotex once when they changed a feature on one of their products, thus making the product more difficult for me to use. They sent me a coupon for a free Kotex product…AND I noticed that soon after, they changed the feature back to its previous style.
Mrs S says
I have had mixed results, sometimes no response or a general “thank you” type e-mail. Companies that stand out to me are SC Johnson, (after telling them how much I love their windex wipes I received coupons for two free packages, and a coupon book with discounts for some of their other product) and the makers of venus razors (who upon learning that I received a defective handle, sent me coupons for a free razor and free 4 pack of refills along with discount coupons for many of their other products.)
I have noticed that with companies who are slow to (or dont) respond to e-mails, a nice, old fashioned letter seems to get their attention. I guess they assume if you take the time to write and post a letter, you are serious!
Brooke says
I’ve gotten high dollar coupons from Luna Bars as well! My favorite experience is when I wrote Mom’s Best Naturals and they sent me (2) $1/1 coupons. Kroger had our favorite MBN Mallow Oats cereal on sale for $1.99 so we scored big time for organic cereal!
Jettsmom says
I emailed Glad recently to let them know I was disappointed they discontinued their forceflex flap bags. I liked them because I had purchased a box of the drawstrings from Sams and everyone of them had the drawstring break or come out of the casing, making them useless. they sent me two coupons for free bags.
Another time, I complained to Totinos about their coupons not being specific. My store wouldn’t take the coupon because I wasn’t buying what was pictured. Totinos replied with a list of stores that had the large count boxes of pizza rolls. The nearest one was over an hour away.
laura says
Don’t forget what a complement to a manger can do for the really great clerk at the store that never gives you any trouble about your 3 inch stack of coupons. I used to work for a bank and when a customer called our mangers with a complement we would get movie tickets. So I would always go ABOVE and BEYOND for the customers that helped me out. It just might help you out on deals in the store.
wifeeonline says
@laura, My husband once raved about an awesome Del Taco employee to a corporate guy who happened to be in the restaurant the same time we were and later she told us she got a raise after that. Now she really makes sure we get treated well and great food whenever we are there!
Chelsea says
@wifeeonline,
I work in a restaurant, and if a guest goes out of their way to compliment us, the manager almost always gives us a free meal or some other reward (red bull, snack, etc.) It also helps if you fill out the little surveys on the receipt, because then the big boss sees it, and there’s almost always an incentive to the one who fills it out!
Margery says
I’ve had success with Bush’s Beans and Celestial Seasonings.
I did email one time to Domino Sugar since I bought a 5-lb bag from them that was rock hard. Instead of a nice letter back, though, or a free replacement coupon, I received an email dissertation telling me that it was either my fault or the store’s fault that it was stored in high humidity. Well now, I’d rather buy my sugar from another supplier from now on!
Kandice says
@Margery,
Domino’s Sugar was one of the best companies in regards to responding to my email. I received free product and high dollar coupons as well as a lovely personal letter and recipe booklet. Sorry you didn’t have the same luck! Just like us, customer service people have good and bad days, and some are better to work with than others.
Carly says
I have done this and a few companies sent great coupons. I emailed Earthbound Farm (organic produce) and they sent 6 coupons including 2 for a free item! I usually email compliments but once in a while I email a complaint. Bounce sent me a coupon for a free product after a complaint. Publix’s restaurant chain, Crispers, went above and beyond. I emailed them about a bad experience there (and I usually love it!) and heard back in under an hour, and they mailed me a gift card for $25!
Jen says
Just be careful when you get a cashier who must know where you got the coupons from. That happened to me once. She said in a very nasty tone, “Where did you get these, you wrote to the company?” I did not tell her where I got the great coupons from, in fact I did not get them from there, but from another bzzagent type website.
Ashley says
I LOVE emailing companies! Some are very generous, and send multiple coupons. My favorite would have to be Kashi! They sent me a coupon for a free item, and several other high dollar coupons! Definatley worth the time!!!
Kathy says
I am SO definitely making the time to do this! Very encouraging to read about such good customer service. Thanks for sharing everyone!
air says
i had a really nice experience with huggies diapers. my son liked the free disney book we got in one of the jumbo packs and was asking where i could buy more. they said they didn’t sell them, but sent a copy to me for free. i thought that was really wonderful :).
Shelby says
I once emailed a small chip company about how much I loved their chips and how much I also loved the price of them. I got back a very nice email from them and a couple of weeks later UPS showed up at my door with a box full of 5 full size bags of chips in different flavors! It’s also very beneficial to email if you have a complaint. I do try to be nice about it. I have emailed about moldy Velveeta, a must’ve been unfrozen then re-frozen Jack’s Pizzas, and also The Fragrance Collection by Glade Soy candles when they only halfway burn before the wick runs out leaving all the wax behind. They have all sent coupons for FREE replacement products. They don’t want to lose your business. I also called SC Johnson (which also owns Glade) with a question about how thier Raid flea bombs worked and they sent me a whole booklet full of coupons just for taking the time to call. Companies enjoy feedback from us, good or bad, because it lets them know when they’re doing good or when they need to improve things.
Rachel says
I have emailed several companies and gotten replies from Folgers, Smuckers, and Egg-land’s Best. No free products but good coupons without expiration and nice letters from the companies. 🙂
Marnie says
Too many to write about! Almost all of them will send you SOMETHING. My worst one in my opinion (besides the ones you never hear back from) was JIF peanut butter! I wrote to them asking them to please put more coupons out there, as it is the only PB my hubby will eat. Guess what they sent me for one of the most expensive PB’s out there? Two .35 cent coupons! Ha! It was better than nothing, but sure didn’t save me much, even with a good sale! Hansen’s sent me two FREE coupons for their organic apple juice rcently; I was really impressed by that. It is nice to be able to get a few coupons for products that don’t normally have coupons out.
Danielle says
I emailed Wylers drink mix when my husband was deployed to Iraq and told them that their drink mix was a life saver for him over there and I sent it in every care package. They sent me a bunch of coupons for free products to send to him!
Kristi says
Whenever I visit Starbucks, I have a good experience but one particular morning I had an even better one. I emailed the company to tell them how their employees had made my day better and how much I enjoyed my experience. They not only wrote me back but also added $5 to my gift card that I had previously registered online. That really made my day!
However a few months later I emailed them to complain about them closing the location that I had raved about. They thanked me for my input. No $5 that time! hehe!
Marie says
Yes! I have emailed companies several times. I got a $5 off any product from Aveeno. Pepperidge farm sent me a 50 cent off coupon, and Sweet Baby Ray’s sent me a coupon for a free BBQ sauce, and coupons for a dollar off BBQ sauce and Ken’s marinade and dressings (great for grilling season… we go through that stuff like water!) Ragu sent me a coupon book. Here’s a list I found on another blog of companies that send coupons and freebies by request. I’ve used it as a starting point
http://www.mamacheaps.com/2010/02/list-of-free-product-coupons-available-by-request.html
I am also email complaints. I had a tube of biscuits pop open in my fridge. Pillsbury sent me coupons for a free can and $1 off another pillsbury product (called them and they were SUPER nice on the phone). I also recently had an incident with a salad at a fast food chain and I sent them an email. They sent me a small gift card.
MJ says
@Marie,
Thanks for that link! I’m going to save it for sure! Many of my favorite brands are on that list 🙂
Twila says
I’ve done this numerous times and received coupons for free:
Scrubbing Bubbles, Drano, Bar-B-Q sauce, Fresh Express Salad (complaint, albeit a nice one!) numerous coupons for cents off items like Heinz catsup and others I can’t remember. I wish I would have wrote them down. Every now and then I’ll take the time to e-mail various companies. It’s definately worth it!
Whitney, look on the the back of the products. They usually have a contact e-mail, or sometimes I just do a search for the company.
Lisa R says
I haven’t emailed many companies but I have called many many times! Sometimes with a complaint but mostly with Praise! Most of the bigger companies will give you cents off but occasionally you can get free samples, full size products or coupons for the product! 😀
Jenna H says
I emailed Bar S and explained that I loved their products as a kid and I would love some coupons since we were cutting back on costs. They sent me 4 .25/1 coupons and a certificate to get $5 worth of their products free!
laura says
me too!
Alyssa @ Quinoa and Corn Chips says
I’ve been meaning to do it more often, but I never seem to get around to it. Although one time I emailed a complaint to Amy’s Organic (I had bought an expensive frozen pizza that looked like it had been thawed and refrozen when I opened it; I wasn’t happy). I was nice about my complaint, and mentioned that I was usually 100% satisfied with their foods, especially since they have some non-dairy items which my dairy-allergic daughter loves. In addition to sending me a coupon to cover the cost of the ruined pizza, they sent me a bunch of additional coupons. They definitely earned my continued loyalty!!!
Whitney says
Where do you find the contact information to e-mail companies like this? I’ve heard of people doing this with positive results I’m just not sure how to do it myself.
Terri says
@Whitney, Whitney, I just went to their website. If you don’t know there web address do a google search. Then usually there is a place on their web page that says “contact us”. I have had good success with doing that.
robyn says
YES…I do this for companies that i don’t see mainstream coupons for…organic foods, gluten free…etc and have had a very great response…some companies who do offer IP coupons i still write as well letting them know my healthfood store doesn’t take IP coupons. there have been some companies who don’t offer additional coupons (like HONEST…my kids love their lemonade and i’ve only ever seen a IP coupon) they don’t offer any other coupons but i did receive a very kind email in response from the company letting me know that costco now carries them in bulk, about the price comparison in bulk/cheaper and that there was a monthly costco special to go with it…i was impressed that i got more than a standard “thank you’
momin09 says
WOW! I will definitely be trying this. This may help with the organic foods i prefer to feed my 16 month old. But on a limited budget, it’s so hard to purchase b/c they tend to be more pricey than the non-organic foods.
Thanks for this blog; what a great idea 🙂 i will try & let you know how it goes!!
Jaime says
I’ve emailed lots of companies whose products I like. I don’t usually ask for coupons but many have sent me great ones! It’s nice to see that there are still companies out there who care about their customers. 🙂
Lisa says
I had to use snail mail, but when I had twins, I sent letters to several companies. I received coupons for packages of diapers from Huggies and Pampers, wipes, a CASE of Enfamil formula, baby food coupons, and the list goes on and on! It was a huge help.
Jenn V. says
Good Morning,
About 15 years ago, I picked up a Dove chocolate bar while waiting in the grocery checkout line. Had never had one, but was absolutely floored by how incredible it was! I looked up the company’s headquarters and called them to let them know how amazing it was.
What I didn’t expect was a stoic woman at the other end of the phone saying, “Okay”, “That’s nice” in a tone that pretty much let me know that she was probably rolling her eyes and that I was interrupting her day.
I haven’t eaten a Dove bar since….and have absolutely no plans too. I even met a woman who was engaged to a top exec at the company who apologized and begged me to try them again. No.
There are plenty of other chocolate companies out there who would greatly appreciate my business.
/J
Lisa says
@Jenn V.,
I can completely understand your distaste at such an unappreciative response, but that person probably was hired to answer phones, and that’s it. This has happened to me before, and when I didn’t appreciate the lack of excitement or response from someone that I was trying to COMPLIMENT (considering most people only call to complain), I emailed the company. I got a response in LESS THAN 5 MINUTES. The person on the other end was very apologetic for the person that responded, or lack of, and then offered me 2 lunches. And of course I took them. Why not? The lady that answered the phone 15 years ago is probably no longer there, and when she was, not for very long. It’s sad that most businesses front their customer service with someone who knows very little about the company, and worse yet, even cares. That’s why when I couldn’t believe how she responded to a compliment, I sent an email to someone I KNEW would care. 🙂
Sorry you know longer eat the Dove chocolate. The peanut butter is to die for! But you sure have dedication!!!!
Laura says
@Jenn V.,
Its weird how your ego stills carries this baggage. Theres a little short story about two monks walking side by side down the street.
They see a woman trying to cross the street but she looks like she’s struggling. anyways, one monk picks her up and and carries her over to the other side of the street. The two monks go about their walk and both very quiet.
The other monk asks the other, “We’re not supposed to do that sort of thing.”
and the monk replies, “I put that girl hours ago, Are you still carrying her?”
Its a wonderful piece from the book,
A New Earth, by Eckhart Tolle
Stacia says
Not only is it good to praise the company, but a complaint doesn’t hurt either. I found a small bone chip in a hot dog, wrote to Bar-S and received coupons for several free products, no price limit. They don’t want to lose your business…
wifeeonline says
@Stacia, I did this as well. I purchase some frozen dinners by Marie Calendars and did not care for the taste, texture, etc. and emailed them to let them know. I received 2 coupons $.55/1 (which I doubled at Smith’s last week) and a FREE product coupon with a max value of $9.99. Still looking at what to use that one on!
Caroline says
@Stacia, We did the same thing when we opened a bag of Tostitos scoops and found a hair heat sealed into the bag. The woman I talked to was very apologetic and asked a lot of questions. I had to send the bag back in to them! But I got a coupon for a free bag as well as some other coupoons!
Christina M says
@Stacia,
I did this too! I once bought a bad batch of my favorite nuggets by Tyson! I love their nuggets and its the only brand specific thing I buy. Well the nuggets tasted horrible so I contacted Tyson and let them know. A few days later I had Two Free coupons up to $7 value each for two free full size products! I still love Tyson!
Shawn M. says
I once email clinique telling them how much I liked their products & they mailed me a free lipstick.
Christina M says
@Shawn M.,
I complained about Clinique and Belk associates a few days ago and got a response from their chairman, regional director, and Store manager from the store a friend and I went to. We had a terrible experience and wrote them about it. They were very quick in apologizing and wanted to keep our business so they said they are sending a gift to us. I wonder what it’ll be. My friend still says she won’t go near a Belk for awhile.
Mel says
I have few companies that I e-mail every 6 months or so. Most are companies with allergy-free products. They are always so helpful. I normally get several free coupons. I also look through my pantry and just write to companies I think may offer a coupon. It’s really easy to comment on manufacturer’s websites. And they like to hear good comments!
Lisa says
A little OT, but:
Kroger has the boxes of Boil in Bag Minute Rice (white rice) on close out for $1.27. Use the 50 cent off ANY Minute Rice here:
http://www.minuterice.com/
and get them for .27 if your store doubles. I went to 2 different Krogers, so not to clear the shelves, and got 10 boxes. We’ll have rice for a while. My husband LOVES rice!
Rebekah (honey and cheese) says
I recently wrote to Nabisco about their newest Cheez-Its flavor and received a very personal e-mail in return, and then I got a couple of coupons from them in the mail.
Kelly says
I emailed Rachel Ray about her dog food Nutrish. My dog loves that dog food, however I can rarely find coupons and I can only find it at Walmart. After emailing her I received a coupon for a free bag and two coupons for $2 off!
Ashley says
I recently emailed about 50 companies asking for coupons. I’m going to do a post later this week on what I have received.
Theresa says
@Ashley,
Sounds interesting! Can’t wait to see the results.
Amber Cullum says
I just emailed Betty Crocker and am waiting to hear back from them
Beth says
Starbucks- yes— 3 free drink coupons!
Red Bull – no—they e-mailed me a link to buy their product = LAME!!!
Can you see I have a caffeine problem? 🙂
Vanessa says
I saw a small write up in Kiwi magazine for an all natural sunscreen but my family (especially me) has very sensitive skin. So, I emailed the company and told them I wanted to try the sunscreen and I would even write a review on my blog. They sent me four samples which was enough for my boys and I to go to the pool four times! It was enough to review and test on our skin.
Jen says
I saw commercials for the new Bush’s Grillin’ Beans flavors a few months ago. I emailed Bush’s to ask about coupons as I wanted to try them but with a limited budget I wasn’t sure I’d be able to. I wanted to know if they either put coupons online or would send me a couple. They replied (within 24 hours) to my request to indicate that they don’t put coupons online. A few days later I received three coupons for $0.55/1 in the mail though. I can tell you that I definitely did use those coupons and do thank Bush’s for sending them to me and taking the time to respond to my email request. Perhaps customer service is not a lost art afterall?
Karen S. says
McCormick and Shady Brook Farms sent me coupons when I emailed them. Perdue wouldn’t.