Kentucky Grilled FAIL

After coming home from the internship to write (count 'em) seventeen pages (in Verdana, inclusive of title page, abstract, and references...) about faculty status and tenure for academic librarians (are you asleep yet?), I was in the mood for a dinner that involved: a) minimal work for me, b) ingredients that would potentially be harmful to my cardiovascular health, and c) chicken. Because I like my proteins either in dairy or chicken form. As luck would have it, I had heard that KFC was running a coupon for their new Kentucky Grilled Chicken, and that (with sides included!) fulfilled all of my dinner criteria.

Even after I read this, I was cocky enough to think that it wouldn't happen to me. I offered to download the ridiculous coupon printer thingie and take a screenshot so that GP could print it at work (he's wary of downloads onto Big Computer Company's machines) and pick up dinner on his way home. All I have to say about that is...MASSIVE FAIL. Upon downloading the ridiculous (and completely unnecessary) coupon-printing application, I was told, "Sorry! You have already printed this coupon the number of times allowed." Was the "number of times allowed" ZERO? Why was it so hard to get some chicken?

After calling their customer satisfaction number and getting a busy signal (which, wtf), I resigned myself to sending a scathing email through an online form. This is what the poor bastard who has to read these things will have to go through:

"I tried calling your Customer Satisfaction line, but it was busy. Nice.

I know I am not the first to make this comment (it has been, by this time, widely publicized), but I did want to add my voice to the many complaining about how customer-unfrie

ndly your coupon for free Kentucky Grilled Chicken is. First of all, asking someone to download a "coupon printer" is just ridiculous. RIDICULOUS. Second, once someone has downloaded your ridiculous coupon printer, it is reasonable to expect the printer to...you know, function. Instead, I was greeted with a message that told me that I had exceeded the maximum amount of prints allowed for an IP address. Was the maximum zero? Thanks to your huge and needless usability and customer service error, my fiance and I will be having Boston Market tonight, and recommending that our friends fulfill their chicken needs elsewhere."

I know that I am making a bigger deal out of this than is necessary, but come on, KFC. Oprah talked about this-- you had to anticipate some volume. Next time, design a non-shitty way to get people to come in to your store.