This is a contest pet peeve of mine because I am also a Sweepstakes Marketer. Companies running in-store or receipt-based giveaways do not always inform their front-line staff. The staff knows a contest is being hosted by all the in-store signage, but if you ask Customer Service for the FREE No Purchase Entry, they are baffled. It’s not their fault, and being kind can go a long way.

Sobeys is hosting its summer promotion, Feed The Dream, Lunches for a Year Contest. Three grand prizes of $10,000 in grocery gift cards and 600 lunchbox prize packs are being offered. You can enter two ways. 1) Purchase one of the items on the participating products listed in the official rules, or 2) visit the in-store Customer Service department for a No Purchase Entry.

I immediately started cruising the store to see if there were any Canadian participating items I could purchase to use as prizes. I forgot to check the price of Kraft Peanut Butter. (For some reason, it’s the #1 prize my American sweepstakes buddies love.) The Maple Creme Oreos weren’t on the list.

As I took another spin of the store, also looking for where my mom went after I left her, I came across the Compliments Celebrate Canada cookie display. They weren’t on the list, but I bought two boxes anyway. I then scanned the rules to see how else I could garner an entry. Once I located my mom, I headed to Customer Service.

Every person ahead of me had a problem that needed solving. I patiently waited for my turn. I took so long that my mom checked out and went to the cafe seating area to wait.

Finally, it was my turn. I paid for the cookies, got a lottery ticket, and asked for my free entry. The cashier had no idea what I was talking about. She kept saying I only needed to scan my Scene card to be entered, not realizing that if I didn’t purchase a participating product, I wouldn’t be. I showed her the rules, and she knew there was a disconnect. She paged the manager.

In the meantime, I paid for my items and moved forward so those behind me could receive service. The manager came over, and I explained the No Purchase Entry option to her, showing her the rules clause on my phone. She had no idea either. She told me she would look into it, took my phone number, and promised to get back to me.

We weren’t even halfway home when my phone rang. She figured out how to get me my entry and asked me to return to the store. After Mom and I unpacked her groceries and had lunch, I stopped back at the store on my way home.

Not only did they figure out how to give me the No Purchase Entry (they had to scan my Scene card and a special bar code), but they also gifted me a  $25 gift card as a token of appreciation for helping them create a better customer experience and for my inconvenience.

This is why it’s important to read the rules. You need to know what is required to be entered. Please always be kind to the front-line staff; kindness is always returned.

Do you take advantage of the No Purchase Entry option when entering sweepstakes?