Red Lobster recently faced a major backlash after its highly-anticipated “unlimited shrimp” promotion fell short of expectations. The seafood chain’s decision to limit the seafood dish to a single location – and for a limited period of time – has left many customers feeling cheated.
Customers accused Red Lobster of false advertising and complained bitterly about the restaurant’s lack of transparency. Red Lobster responded to these complaints, admitting that the promotion was too popular and that the extremely low prices associated with it weren’t sustainable.
“We knew that the demand for unlimited shrimp – especially at our prices – would be unprecedented,” said Red Lobster’s chief marketing officer, Jodi Breslauer. “Unfortunately, we weren’t prepared for the overwhelming response, and we had to adjust the original terms of the promotion so that we could continue serving our customers.”
The decision to limit the promotion to a single location and time period created a wave of complaints and accusations stemming from the lack of transparency regarding the situation. Though the company issued an apology, Red Lobster insists that it was never their intention to deceive the public or cater to a select few individuals.
Red Lobster hopes to make up for the controversy by launching a new promotion offering customers a free order of shrimp when they purchase an entree. The offer is only available in select locations and only for a limited time.
Customers from the original promotion were allowed to redeem their coupons for the new offer. It remains to be seen how well this new promotion is received.
It’s important for businesses to be transparent and honest with their customers. In this case, Red Lobster was transparent about the fact that the promotion was too popular – though it may have come too late for some disappointed customers who felt like they had been taken advantage of. Moving forward, Red Lobster has the chance to right its wrong and reintroduce the unlimited shrimp promotion – but this time with more realistic pricing and expectations.