Genius Idea or Disaster Waiting to Happen?

Domino's launched a brand new app this week that takes truly takes the hassle out of ordering a pizza. While in the past, Dominos has created many other quick and easy solutions for customers to order their pizza, such as texting and tweeting emojis, using Amazon Echo, Apple Watch, and Xbox One, the new "Zero Click" app further streamlines the process. Customers simply have to open the new Zero Click app and after a 10 second countdown, their Easy Order account will automatically be placed. Once Domino's customers set up an accounts with the correct billing and delivery details, and pizza preference within the app, this becomes the default order. To the ultimate lazy pizza fanatic, this is the ultimate dream come true, but could this be a public relations disaster waiting to happen?

The public has taken to the Internet to express their concerns about the Zero Click app. Many of the concerns are related to the ease of ordering with the app, the whole purpose of creating it. What happens to customers with phones famous for butt dialing? Or those parents who give their phone to their child to play a game on? Domino's responded to concerns generally stating that if the app is accidentally opened, the 10 second countdown allows customers to cancel the order. Anyone with a child or has at least babysat once knows that it is nearly impossible to get your phone back from a small child once you've given it up, as well as how curious children can be and explore everything on a device. As for the pocket dialers, they only become aware of what has happened once they hear a voice shouting form their pants pocket. Honestly, is 10 seconds enough? Personally, I don't think it is and Domino's is also aware of this factor. On the Domino's AnyWare website the description of the app includes, "It's easy. Maybe too easy. You've been warned." Is this their way of acknowledging that they know people are probably going to accidentally order pizza? Is this warning basically saying they won't do anything about it because customers have created an account and agreed to the terms and conditions? If this is the case, then Domino's is creating its own ticking time bomb. While the app is convenient and provides a service desired by their target audience, it also may not be the best way to do customer service. Orders will be accidentally made and if there is nothing done by Domino's then the customer relationship will be tarnished, even ruined. This is a public relations crisis in the making. Personally, I'm going to stick to ordering pizza the old fashion way.

Honesty is the Best Policy

Domino's Pizza corporation created a new campaign a few years back with the hope that it would turn their image around. The pizza giant suffered humiliation and customer base loss after a damaging video of Domino's went viral. Domino's has since bounced back incredibly well, all thanks to the honest-based "Oh Yes We Did" campaign.

The "Oh Yes We Did" advertising campaign launched in 2009 as Domino's showed viewers that they had revisited their pizza making process after listening to consumers' opinions from focus groups - both good and bad. In these first ads, Domino's' criticisms were clearly outlined by the focus group participants and the Domino's CEO gave a direct response by showing the audience their new pizza and how they make it.


Pizza Turnaround

In the next series of ads in the "Oh Yes We Did" campaign, Domino's employees find anyone who have not tried their new pizza and gives them one. The people who tried the new pizza seemed surprised and pleased and announced that they were re-committing themselves to Domino's Pizza. What began as a series of ads showing Domino's Pizza changing to fix past mistakes turned into ads showing people enjoying the food and rejoining the company's consumer base.

Holdouts - Scott Shoyer

Finally, and most recently, are the Domino's Pizza ads promoting the new Pizza Tracker feature on the company's web site. The Pizza Tracker seems to allow customers to view the progress of their order and to submit a review, and so lets them become more active in the Domino's Pizza experience. The ads show Domino's employees reading and responding to both good and bad reviews from customers through the Pizza Tracker, which once again displays Domino's policy of honesty in their newest campaign.


Raising the Bar

The "Oh Yes We Did" campaign has largely been a success for the Domino's Pizza company. This past spring, Domino's Pizza rose to a 52-week high in stocks and sales have been steadily growing since, proving that, sometimes, honesty is the best policy.

SOURCE: "Domino's Pizza - like 'em or not, "Oh yes we did" turned their brand around"