Free Hot drink and cake every month @ John Lewis

surfsister

thanks love this offer please don't stop it Mr JL!

surfsister

miss_scrooge wrote: »

Does anyone ever just get a slither of a cake instead of normal sized one last time I did heard one staff say is she buying anything else next minute get just tvery hin slice.First time that's happened thing is was the nicest cake I've had there.

ask for the cake before you show the card/coupon I always do!!

Ezmondino

surfsister wrote: »

ask for the cake before you show the card/coupon I always do!!

I felt the cake was smaller this time too, but they are all pre-cut. I did think that if I was a normal paying customer that I'd notice I was getting less for my money.

chewynut

This is only my opinion as a catering minion and I totally should've left this thread alone, but the chefs squeezing an extra slice out of the carrot cakes is the least worst option.

The vouchers are not bringing in a massive boost to the catering dept, certainly not enough to pay for extra hours for the chefs, or for the extra ovens needed to make extra cakes. They don't stop making cakes all day and simply have no time to make more. I guess the alternatives would be to start shipping them in from other sites or to freeze batches. Neither of which is as nice as getting a slightly smaller slice.

The whole carrot cake situation is ridiculous in my eyes. When you're on the cake counter you see customers' eyes light up and they dive straight for the carrot cake because it's the BIGGEST. We throw away more half eaten carrot cakes than the rest of the cakes combined.

Crabman

chewynut wrote: »

The vouchers are not bringing in a massive boost to the catering dept, certainly not enough to pay for extra hours for the chefs, or for the extra ovens needed to make extra cakes.

I don't think this is the purpose of the vouchers. Perhaps for those who work in the catering department it's not easy to see the bigger picture when you're so busy, but these vouchers have resulted in many customers visiting JL who may never otherwise have done.

Retailers want to bring customers through their doors. Marketing campaigns, special offers, etc. are used to try and increase footfall. JL has found a way to bring customers into its stores. So what if they are only after the cake and coffee? In the case of my local JL they have to ascend several floors of products in order to reach the Place To Eat on the top floor.

As a JL customer I received a survey and they had several interesting questions about the cake and coffee, which made me think that this is actually designed to bring customers into JL rather than reward those who already purchase there (think about cost-benefit).

surfsister

would agree crabman i know people who take a trip to John Lewis
(ours is combined/next to a biggish Waitrose also) to have coffe n cake and shop at both stores; most wouldn't bother otherwise as we are out in the sticks. especially for older people it's a fun outing once a month - it's almost becoming wacky like Ikea and used to be thought of as stuffy and old fashioned!

also this thread has had 50,000 views so all free publicity for JL

loranius

chewynut wrote: »

This is only my opinion as a catering minion and I totally should've left this thread alone, but the chefs squeezing an extra slice out of the carrot cakes is the least worst option.

The vouchers are not bringing in a massive boost to the catering dept, certainly not enough to pay for extra hours for the chefs, or for the extra ovens needed to make extra cakes. They don't stop making cakes all day and simply have no time to make more. I guess the alternatives would be to start shipping them in from other sites or to freeze batches. Neither of which is as nice as getting a slightly smaller slice.

The whole carrot cake situation is ridiculous in my eyes. When you're on the cake counter you see customers' eyes light up and they dive straight for the carrot cake because it's the BIGGEST. We throw away more half eaten carrot cakes than the rest of the cakes combined.

I agree with your point. I went for a carrot cake last month and there was no way I could have finished it by myself! Luckily I had my colleague with me and we had one pot of tea and carrot cake to share and were completely full up afterwards! The cake was really nice

Mee

chewynut wrote: »

This is only my opinion as a catering minion and I totally should've left this thread alone, but the chefs squeezing an extra slice out of the carrot cakes is the least worst option.

The vouchers are not bringing in a massive boost to the catering dept, certainly not enough to pay for extra hours for the chefs, or for the extra ovens needed to make extra cakes. They don't stop making cakes all day and simply have no time to make more. I guess the alternatives would be to start shipping them in from other sites or to freeze batches. Neither of which is as nice as getting a slightly smaller slice.

The whole carrot cake situation is ridiculous in my eyes. When you're on the cake counter you see customers' eyes light up and they dive straight for the carrot cake because it's the BIGGEST. We throw away more half eaten carrot cakes than the rest of the cakes combined.

Sorry to hear about the carrot cake situation.
I tried it for the first time last week and ate it all!

paul2louise

I had mine and hubby vouchers with me yesterday. I had a pot of tea to drink with the carrot cake. I finished it all. Then I had a latte after and took him home a piece of bake well, which I wrapped up. I could of easily ate both but decided it was more greedy and felt a lot happier sharing. I then had a nice browse around the homeward dept. thank u JL

Ziggy_Stardust

paul2louise wrote: »

I had mine and hubby vouchers with me yesterday. I had a pot of tea to drink with the carrot cake. I finished it all. Then I had a latte after and took him home a piece of bake well, which I wrapped up. I could of easily ate both but decided it was more greedy and felt a lot happier sharing. I then had a nice browse around the homeward dept. thank u JL

I often get a latte and carrot cake to go as its £2.50 an hour parking, so I'll browse/buy for 45 mins and then take my freebies home and have them there, the latte is just the right temp when I get home .