tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6884823764204267007.post8868030125080853139..comments2018-09-25T18:42:53.302-07:00Comments on Behind The Stone: What About the Stress?Ed Ramseyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05621586867791364997noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6884823764204267007.post-20698264198697316412010-03-24T04:04:20.403-07:002010-03-24T04:04:20.403-07:00You might be interested to know that Cold Stone is...You might be interested to know that Cold Stone is once again doing BOGO's. All of the FSI's will now be BOGOS and they are going to do online FSI's. Apparently customers will now have an unlimited supply of BOGO coupons.<br /><br />The heavy use of BOGO's was one main reason why so many franchisees went broke two years ago. Finally, the franchisees revolted, Jim Flaum was fired, and Dan Beem promised no more BOGO's. Well, Dan has decided that his promises aren't really promises, and most of the franchisees already know he is a lying bastard, so off we go! Since most of the franchisees who were in the system two years ago have gone broke and their stores were churned to other operators he figures he can get away with it, at least for a while. He gave the franchisees a load of crap about how this will increase your sales. True enough, the BOGO's result in a tiny increase in same store sales, but they also result in a giant decrease in net profit. Since Cold Stone charges royalties on the top line they really don't care what the franchisees bottom line is. They get more money, we go out of business.<br /><br />Over 175 stores closed in the US last year. That doesn't even count the number of stores that were churned, just the ones that closed entirely. Cold Stone claims the net decrease in stores is small, which is true only because of stores opening overseas. Meanwhile, after killing the golden goose, Dan and his crew are busily picking at the carcass to see if they can screw the franchisees out of a couple more bucks.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6884823764204267007.post-46982109776787025062010-03-01T18:24:59.318-08:002010-03-01T18:24:59.318-08:00Hi, Ed. Thanks for all the great information. A ...Hi, Ed. Thanks for all the great information. A friend was considering CS as a potential business option, and along with other negative evidence I've turned up (mostly in their F Discl. Doc.), I think he should consider C S's organization as predatory, and stay away from them. Talk about a wolf in sheep's clothing...Thanks again.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6884823764204267007.post-58307499248653926552010-01-17T00:11:46.040-08:002010-01-17T00:11:46.040-08:00I agree with the health factor. I had to have hip ...I agree with the health factor. I had to have hip replacement surgery about 3 years after I opened and ended up having an infection which ultimately resulted in the artificial hip having to be removed, and a year of antibiotic therapy, because my immune system was not up to its normal level, due to the stress I endured for 3 years of losing money with Coldstone. I eventually had the surgery redone, and so far have not had any complications. I had been out of Coldstone for about one year when it was redone. Both doctors involved(one the surgeon, the other an infectious disease specialist)were concerned that I might not succeed and were actually talking of living with a wheelchair the rest of my life. Thanks for nothing Coldstone!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6884823764204267007.post-17043023276588642952010-01-11T06:30:58.811-08:002010-01-11T06:30:58.811-08:00Very true! Very, very sad, but true. I am workin...Very true! Very, very sad, but true. I am working through these stages after closing my store in 2008. I will always look at the day I signed for my awards and turned over $74,000 in cash as the one day I wish I could "do over". That $74,000 is just a fraction of my ultimate losses in the name of the "ultimate ice cream experience." I truly cannot fathom how different, and better, my life, my husband's and my children's lives would have been had I not boarded the train wreck of Cold Stone Creamery.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com