Those who know me know that I am a regular blood donor, having given over 17 gallons and counting. When I donate, the Red Cross encourages me to schedule my next appointment at the donation site or immediately afterward, which I always do.
It is then frustrating when I receive emails promoting the latest giveaway, in this case, an exclusive Life is Good t-shirt, available only from March 30 to April 12. It’s not like a store where incentives can drive people to make repeat visits. Donors can only give every 8 weeks, so I am ineligible to donate during that time.
It seems that the Red Cross promotions are working at cross purposes. They want people to schedule in advance, but then they cause them to miss out on promotions by offering them only for a two-week period, while their donors are bound to an eight-week cycle. Maybe next time, people should wait to see what is offered before signing up?
Incentives are a tricky thing. They can drive behavior, but also drive people to act in ways that are counter to the desired results. Before offering inducements, consider what other implications would happen if they worked.
