MSE News: Superdrug takes on Boots with loyalty card launch

kaystarr

It's so sad reading all of the things on here about Superdrug.

I myself work as a part-time sales assistant for a large(ish) store and I really enjoy working there.

The Beauty card is in response to many customers saying that they where more likely to shop at Superdrug if we had a loyalty sceme. It takes years to sort out and so far in store the response has been varied yet mainly positive. Many people are happy about the idea of rewards for spending money in the store. Many have said No because they simply do not want another plastic card in there very loyal wallet.

Many poo-poo the fact it's a point per £ but we have not put our prices up like Boots did and You can use points AND cash in a transaction instead of just points or Just cash in Boots. ALSO there are lots of special extra points that will be sent to you when you register the card online.

I am in agreement that Superdrug needs some kind of face lift-or name change? And I have to say that I have been in London stores and just tossed stuff back on the nearest shelf and walked off for there ques are to long.

It is also strange that many of the complaints have been from people living in London. Move to the countryside and come to the Superdrug I work in. We have ice cold drinks and plenty of ruddy stamps and e-top up! How could you resist such an offer!

kaystarr

What hellish Superdrug do you go to?

Or do you work for Boots?

I have to say (the not putting make-up on your face) Have you seen some of the dregs that come in and smear lippy on there diseased face?

jenniewb

kaystarr wrote: »

What hellish Superdrug do you go to?

Or do you work for Boots?

I have to say (the not putting make-up on your face) Have you seen some of the dregs that come in and smear lippy on there diseased face?

I visited a few in London but Woolwich was the worst shortly followed by Greenwich where the assistants are younger but just as brisk and grumpy and the also Strand. Probably could add to that but those are what stick out to me. I have visited others around, I'd say Westfield bucks the trend (all aside from the queues) as the staff actually let you touch the testers- and...they smile back at the till ! But as a result of my experience in the other stores I only have to step inside and I feel like I am about to be told off so I don't enjoy being there and I tend to go elsewhere.

Lol, no, I don't work for Boots- I tend to shop at cheaper stores!!

Thing is, even if I did get the chance (and lets say for example going into Boots or the Bodyshop where you can see the testers and even try them!!) I never do anything more then try on the back of my hand: I don't do any more then this, but it got to the point where I only had to reach my hand over the "TESTER" marked product or go to take off a lid to see a colour and there they are, anyone would think they were paid comission to pounce on people! Maybe I should just go back, plug in my music and let them talk to themselves!!

Mat_Lock

Go to Wimbledon and view the store of the future...it has had a major refurb !!

sarah*a

I picked up a card on wednesday - the points 'offers' seemed really confusing - There's tiny sticker saying spend £5 for 50 points but isn't completely clear if you can mix-and-match (yes it probably is but I've been embarassed before with that one ....)

Not sure I've spend £100 in my lifetime in SD so am unlikely to accrue many points


....... but the mirror's useful - used it today

natstally

I'll pick one up next time i'm in store but it doesn't seem to compare very well to the Boots card. Hopefully the special offers and extra points will make it better value.

I'll still continue to price check between the two stores before i buy though.

Still, there's no point NOT getting one at all, might as well gain even small amounts of points on things i'd be buying anyway!

I'm shocked they've not done this before!

angelil

I like the idea of the card doubling up as a hand mirror - and loyalty cards are always handy so I will probably get one.

However, most of my Superdrug experiences have not been positive in the past - not only due to the reasons mentioned by others above, but also due to one time where I bought two makeup items, changed my mind, and wanted to return them (literally on the same day, with the receipt, and with both items still in their original plastic wrappings - it was blatantly obvious that I had not even tried to open them). Staff were adamant that they would not refund me at all on the grounds that I could have used the products (even though as mentioned above this was clearly untrue). They then changed their offer to not offering me a refund in cash but instead giving me vouchers. I didn't want the sodding vouchers and thought it was ridiculous that we were even having the conversation. Eventually they gave me the cash refund (probably because they just wanted me gone by this point). I have worked in shops behind the till and in other customer service roles before so know how to treat people as I know how it is from both sides of the fence, but really the service in Superdrug has been shocking without exception whenever I have been in (Maidenhead and Oxford stores).

So even if I do get a loyalty card from them...how much use it will get is perhaps another question

JustWonderful

I worked in a Superdrug store and can completely see why everyone on this thread is saying such negative things- Superdrug could be such a good store, and a much needed one in most high streets but it is run so badly from Head Office.

The store I worked in pure and simply did not have enough staff, yet we can do nothing about this as H.O have cut our hours yet again, one day we only had 3 people in for the whole day, and if you think 1 person on the till, and 1 person on the first aisle that only leaves one person to do everything else, hence large queues. When you think we as a store were one of the top 150 or so stores it was shocking.

On top of this the person on the till has to; Ask if the customer has a Beautycard, offer the customer stamps and top up,if the customer doesnt have a beautycard then we have to offer them one whislt telling them the benefits, we then have to ask if they need a bag, then we have to ask if they have heard about our survey before finally ensuring they have found everything they wanted and then wishing them well on their way. It is ridiculous, staff hate it and I know I hate it as a customer, yet if we are caught not doing this it could lead to disciplinary action!!!

Staff get no perks for working for Superdrug. Pay is minimum wage,the discount is just the same as any customer can get from doing the survey (well you 30% off own label compared to 25%:rotfl:), there is no chance of a career at Superdrug as the career path is just not there.

The store I worked in had dodgy fridges for about 2 years so nobody got a cold drink, these were finally replaced but seriously, 2 years it took! Before Christmas we had problems with our ceiling where big holes had appeared due to heavy rain, have these been fixed? Nope, The store looks a mess because of this, it would probably cost £300 maximum but can they be bothered to do anything???

H.O is so disorganised and couldnt organise a !!!! up in a brewery, constantly having problems with promotions not working, we get in contact with them and they have no solutions. They set ridiculous tagets for staff and stores, and have no idea what is actually like on the shop floor, as I mentioned above we have very little hours to be doing anything except the bare minimum yet they want people out on the high street leafleting, they want a member of staff in the first aisle actively selling make up, they want everything done yet keep cutting and cutting hours. It is no surprise to me that since the hours were last cut (leading to me leaving the company) our takings have been hit by about £5k a week, compared to a savings of about £300 wages!

The Beautycard has launched but is rife with problems- they have not organised this at all well, you can not add points on at a later date even if you keep the receipt, if you refund an item you keep the points as they havent worked out how to take points off a card, you cant have two cards linked to the same account, you can only spend your points in multiples of hundreds, the list goes on and on.

I could go on but i have better things to be doing!

The company is just a bit of a joke.

asset2004

I went in a couple of days ago but was told I couldn't get a beauty card without buying something, so I just left it and walked out.:cool:

Hermia

asset2004 wrote: »

I went in a couple of days ago but was told I couldn't get a beauty card without buying something, so I just left it and walked out.:cool:

How bizarre. Surely if you want a Beauty Card it suggests that you are wanting to go in another time and buy something?! In my local branch they had them in leaflet dispensers next to the tills. I just grabbed one and nobody stopped me.