WORKPLACE FABLES THE PROMOTIONS ORGANISER AND THE FREE FLIGHTS

In his final column, businessman and writer Mark Price shares a true story from the business front line that can teach us lessons about career success

The Promotions Organiser was always on the lookout for a clever idea. She worked for Vaxso, an electronics firm, and there never seemed to be anything truly exciting happening in her field.

One day, she was chatting to a friend who worked for an airline. She learnt that, on average, planes flew with 30per cent of the seats empty.

“Even if we got £10 a ticket for those seats, it would be worth it,” said the airline woman.

The Promotions Organiser suggested to the bosses of Vaxso that if someone bought one of their products, they would be offered a free flight. She could do a deal with the airline to buy up the unsold capacity at a bargain price. The airline would have extra money, and customers would get used to flying with them. It was win-win for everyone. The bosses loved the idea!

And, as she expected, customers loved the promotion. They loved it so much they even bought one of Vaxso’s products just so they’d get the free flight. After all, they could spend £100 or so on something they didn’t necessarily need and then fly anywhere in the world.

Soon, it got out of control. Vaxso’s factory could not keep up with demand. The airline’s booking system collapsed and it became almost impossible to book the free flights due to unprecedented demand.

Unravelling the clever idea cost millions in compensation to fed-up customers, many of whom never ever forgave Vaxso, or the airline.

Moral of the tale: Beware offering unlimited promotions when capacity is finite – you may do more harm than good to your reputation.

‘Unravelling the clever idea cost millions in compensation’