By Jason Klein
The people at Cosi really opened my eyes.
Like a good cup of coffee.
My Winning Instagram Submission Featured My Smiling Daughter.
In August, I won a year’s supply of java from the Boston-based sandwich shop. Their #CosiCoffeeChallege contest urged patrons to share their Cosi coffee experience on Instagram for a chance to be selected victorious. My post featured my adorable 1 year-old daughter.
She smiled.
I won.
So, for 365 consecutive days, I could walk into any Cosi shop and grab a free coffee. Any size. Any style. Fortunately, my local Cosi was just down the street – a quick, 2-minute drive.
Next fall, when the clock would strike twelve on my year of free joe, my Cinderella perks would turn into a pumpkin spiced latte…and a bill. I’d have to start paying for my daily fix again.
In the beginning, everything was going great! The store was convenient, the staff treated me like a VIP, and my cup was always overflowing with more of their delicious Xando blend than I could drink. I was, however, beginning to wonder how I would ever consume 365 coffees in 365 days!
My Original Cosi Prize – A Free Year Of Coffee.
Then, just four months into my mocha meal ticket, my local Cosi closed their doors for good. Citing differences with their landlord, Cosi abandoned the location, leaving me with 291 unused coffee credits. The next closest Cosi was 35 minutes away – hardly convenient.
A caffeinated conundrum.
That’s when the accommodating Cosi team stepped up. They could have counted beans and forced me to stick to the original prize parameters. Instead, Cosi recognized that circumstances had changed and offered me a more convenient way to redeem my brew.
Last week, four bags of ground Cosi coffee arrived at my doorstep. An identical package will follow each of the next eight months – completing my full year of coffee. They even let me know that a Cosi-branded tumbler was on the way.
My Cosi Coffee Care Package.
Cosi could have forced me to travel or forfeit my benefits. Instead, they took care of their customer and inspired me to publicly crow about my positive experience.
That’s what good brands do in today’s socially-enhanced society. At any given moment, good and bad experiences are a quick post or tweet away from reaching the world and forming opinions.
Cosi chose to turn my problem into a solution. They were proactive and flexible. Their willingness to satisfy their customer was bold, and really opened my eyes.
Like a good cup of coffee.
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