Krispy Kreme --beware of the "bonus" dozen (1 Viewer)

[Brian Perry]

On my way to work this morning, I decided to pick up some doughnuts from the new Krispy Kreme that opened at the downtown train station. I ordered one dozen original glazed for $6.90.

The clerk then notified me that for an additional $1 (which would be donated to some charity listed on an accompanying coupon), they would give me a second dozen for free. To me, it was a no brainer--I said sure.

Minutes later, when I opened the boxes at work, it was evident that the $1 doughnuts were not of the same quality as the $6.90 doughnuts. The glazing had shrunken and they were much chewier than the fresher ones. A co-worker commented that the "bonus" dozen were obviously day-old leftover doughnuts. Definitely edible, just not as fresh.

Two questions. First, do you think they should tell you upfront that the bonus dozen are not the same as the ones they're selling at regular price? And secondly, if this is Krispy Kreme policy, do you think they are taking a tax writeoff on the full retail price even though they are unable (or unwilling) to sell them at that price when they're a day old? Are they gaining an advantage over simply thowing them in the garbage?

 

[Bill_D]

This is what happens when you push a local favorite nationwide. I've had an addiction to Krispy Kremes with that liquid cocaine glaze since I was a wee lad. I have the gut to prove it.

Locally that would never happen because they tend to show you the goods before they close the box. The extra dozen for a buck is a standard promotion in Atlanta without the Charity spin. My experience has been that the second dozen is the same quality.

1. Yes, you should be notified if the "free" doughnuts are old.

2. I think they do whatever the law allows.

Go to www.krispykreme.com and file a concern in the "contact us" link.

 

[MarkHastings]

The following isn't meant to sound mean, I'm just explaining.

Considering when you make a donation, you don't get anything in return, why should they be required to tell you they are not fresh? As long as there's nothing wrong and they're edible, I see no reason to say a thing.

I think it's the way you are looking at it. You see it as KK is tempting you with a dozen donuts to make the donation. Since these donuts are not up to par as the ones you paid full price for, you are thinking they somehow tricked you or there is some evil plan.

The fact is, you made a donation (to which you shouldn't expect anything in return) and KK gets to get rid of their day old donuts instead of throwing them away.

You didn't pay the $1 for the donuts, so they have no obligation if you aren't completely satisfied. Although, I can imagine someone getting truly upset and complaining that KK tricked them somehow without looking at the fact that they made a donation and the donuts are a gesture and not a trasaction.

I can't see them writing them off. I would think legally this can't be done, but considering they are giving away the donuts and not throwing them away, they may save money by not having to fill their dumpsters...just thinking aloud.

 

[Khoa Tran]

that's just bad, when my aunt owned a donut shop she would throw out all the left over donuts at the end of the day and it was quite a bit, she would not under any circumstances sell old donuts. compared to the kind of donuts i know, krispy kreme is nasty....don't know why it is so over hyped....

 

[Jack Briggs]

Long ago I reported here in AH on a controlled experiment I ran in which I determined that large pizza-delivery chains scrimp on the quality of their offerings when the buyer uses a coupon or takes advantage of a special. Happened every time. But when purchasing pies at full price, the things arrived warm to hot, with healthier doses of toppings, etc.

And now it has come to Krispy Kreme playing fast and loose with that extra dollar you give them. What is this country coming to?

 

[BrettB]

Top o' the muffin to ya'.

At least they were in a box and not a plastic trash bag.

 

[MarkHastings]

she would not under any circumstances sell old donuts.

To clarify, Krispy Kreme is NOT selling old donuts.

 

[Quincy]

Long ago I reported here in AH on a controlled experiment I ran in which I determined that large pizza-delivery chains scrimp on the quality of their offerings when the buyer uses a coupon or takes advantage of a special. Happened every time. But when purchasing pies at full price, the things arrived warm to hot, with healthier doses of toppings, etc.

I work for a large pizza delivery company and I've never seen that happen, who has time to pick and choose what pizza's go to which customer, they all come off the same line.

 

[Mick Wright]

I work for a large pizza delivery company and I've never seen that happen, who has time to pick and choose what pizza's go to which customer, they all come off the same line.

I have to disagree with you Quincy and side with Jack. I've been observing this phenomenon for years with my family and friends. To us it is a forgone conclusion.

 

[MarkHastings]

How would a pizza chain know you are going to use a coupon before they even make it? I can see scimping on a "special", most places do that.

I was at a restaurant and the special was fried fish. It was much cheaper than the price of the regular dinner. When I got the dinner, the fish wasn't whole, it was a lot of smaller pieces.

I got the same amount as if I had ordered the dinner when it wasn't on special, instead, I got smaller chunks. My mom started to complain and I said that I expected it. The reason why they sell it to you for cheap is because they probably got a shipment in and it was in smaller pieces. Since they really can't (or don't want to) pass them off as the regular dinner, they knock down the price and give you the pieces as a "special".

Sounds fair to me (as long as there's nothing wrong with food), becuase I have an understanding how business works and I try not to let these kinds of things bug me too much. Always remember that when you are getting a "Deal", there's a REASON you're getting a "Deal".

 

[Wayne Bundrick]

All you folks across the country that are just now getting Krispy Kreme doughnuts make me laugh. In this part of the country where Krispy Kreme has been around for 30+ years, you can buy the regular glazed and sometimes a complete selection of the fancier doughnuts in every grocery store and even in many gas station convenience stores. When you buy them at these locations, they are not hot and the glaze is not dripping wet. But they are still as fresh as anything else that is delivered from a bakery to a store on a daily basis. They may not bring the Heaven-on-Earth mouthwatering experience you get from a dozen that have just emerged from the assembly line, but they still beat the hell out of any other doughnut on this planet, and a few seconds in the microwave can restore much of what it has lost.

 

[Chris Lockwood]

> Long ago I reported here in AH on a controlled experiment I ran in which I determined that large pizza-delivery chains scrimp on the quality of their offerings when the buyer uses a coupon or takes advantage of a special.

I worked at Dominos & can tell you that we were too busy to care whether somebody used a coupon. And why would we? We didn't pay for the toppings out of our own pockets anyway. Pizzas were pizzas. If you got more toppings on one than the other, it could just be that one person was more generous than the other. We didn't measure the toppings, just eyeballed it.

As for specials, we ALWAYS had a special. Usually buy one, get one really cheap, no coupon needed.

 

[Kenneth Harden]

I would rather blow my daily calorie intake on some nice Italian food

 

[Mark Romero]

You didn't pay the $1 for the donuts, so they have no obligation if you aren't completely satisfied.

I don't know what planet you come from Mark, but don't assume to know why people "donate" a dollar. In my case, I would "donate" the dollar for a second dozen and with my dollar they could give it to whomever they choose. I am expecting the same quality of donuts as the ones I paid full price for. He should expect the same. If you want day old donuts, feel free to buy them. I for one want fresh ones. How do you know they weren't a day old?

 

[Peter Kim]

As a side note, Target (at least in the Twin Cities) is selling the dozen glazed for $4.80 through Saturday, Oct. 11.

 

[MarkHastings]

I don't know what planet you come from Mark, but don't assume to know why people "donate" a dollar.

I'm sorry, I thought I came from the planet where donations are made from the heart. :frowning:

As far as I'm concerned, if you are making the donation only to get the donuts, then you should be ashamed. What has this world come to when we start complaining about "Free" stuff :rolleyes

and p.s. As Wayne posted, it's not like KK donuts (that aren't straight out of the grease) are non-edible...The Starbucks in CT have always had KK donuts shipped and they sat in the cold display case. They were just fine to me, granted they might not be exactly the same as the fresh/hot ones, but they're FREE.

So again, if you're only motivation to donate the dollar is to get the donuts, then you should be too ashamed to even bring it up. But I guess I live in a greedy world where people can't part with a measly dollar without expecting the world. :frowning:

 

[Brian Perry]

if you're only motivation to donate the dollar is to get the donuts, then you should be too ashamed to even bring it up. But I guess I live in a greedy world where people can't part with a measly dollar without expecting the world

I'll confess--the only reason I donated this particular $1 was for the extra doughnuts. No altruism involved. (I take care of that in other ways.)

 

[Matt Gordon]

I see no reason why Brian should be "ashamed" to take them up on a second dozen for a buck because he wanted more of the same donuts. That was the deal they offered, not "give a dollar to charity and you can get some older donuts if you like."

I see nothing in any of Brian's posts to indicate that he wouldn't give to charity without getting anything, nor do I see him advising people to not donate to charity because his donuts weren't right off the line. For all we know, he could be the most generous guy at HTF. I don't know Brian well enough to tell him to feel "ashamed" for not doing anything wrong.

Also, the donuts were not free; they cost $1. He gave them a dollar, and they gave him donuts. He wouldn't have gotten the extra donuts if he didn't pay the buck. To put it another way, in order for the transaction to take place, he had to pay a dollar. That's a purchase, not a donation. KK will make the donation (and not in Brian's name). He purchased 12 donuts, and KK had $1 (to donate to charity). He didn't expect the world for that dollar, just a box of donuts like the first one.

 

[Brian Perry]

I did forward the concern to KK's website and KK responded by saying that they do not sell "stale" doughnuts as part of any promotion. (And would therefore send me the customary coupon for a free dozen.) However, I never used the word "stale" in my remarks, so I guess they tactfully avoided the question of whether the doughnuts were a day old (but not stale). Like I said, they were definitely edible (and even somewhat tasty), but KK would not be where they are today if that was their regular product.

I will certainly continue to buy KK doughnuts (especially when they're fresh out of the oil and have that "liquid crack" taste), so I don't want this thread to sound like I have an ax to grind with them. It's just an interesting marketing discussion.

 

[Christ Reynolds]

I'm sorry, I thought I came from the planet where donations are made from the heart

if they did, then krispy kreme wouldnt have to offer old donuts for the $1.

argh, matt said everything i was going to say. anyway, you think they would at least tell you if the donuts were a little older. i wouldnt mind getting donuts that were a day old, especially for the nice price of $1. however, if they offered 'another dozen for a dollar' i would assume they are of the same quality, no? if they didnt specify otherwise, why would they be? but IF they lied and just gave me old donuts for the $1, i would be pretty mad. just like i would be if i paid full price and got old ones. and this really has nothing to do with a donation. brian bought the donuts for $1. kk also realizes that they can turn their old donuts into donating dollars instead of that money going in the trash. in the sense of the word, this was not a donation on brian's part. when you trade money for goods, that is called a purchase. when you give money and receive nothing in return, that is a donation. if one of the donuts were filled with dirt, would it still be a good deal, since they were only $1? the point is that kk SOLD him donuts (for a good price) but withheld info about them being a little old....anyway, i have yet to try a kk donut, i think we have some in this state now, but none near me. i want to try one!

CJ