Free Hot drink and cake every month @ John Lewis

ninenotebob

From their website, no mention of free coffee and cake - and no way to contact anyone to find out if they've axed it!….

This is all the website says now for people signing up…

Previews and inside news from us
Invitations to exclusive local events
Entry into a regular prize draw every time you use your card
Exclusive rewards and offers that are just right for you

jenniewb

snowbrow wrote: »

Has anyone else run out of JL tea and cake vouchers? July was my last one and I haven't received anymore despite spending alot in the last few months with my JL card.

same- I hadn't even used the last two months vouchers as I've not had time- sadly gone to waste...and to think of the money I could have got if I'd ebayed them...:rotfl:(joke!)

ninenotebob

I've just had it suggested that they only now send vouchers out if you've actually bought something online or in store? Surely they should have updated their website, etc with the new conditions if this IS the case?

Mee

Pollybear wrote: »

I've run out of vouchers and I have spent money over the last 3 months. Not loads, but still. Nothing in the post yet. I know they came quite late last time but still before the start of the next month. I'll miss them if they've stoppe .

Same here .
Hope they've not got lost in the post either...

in_my_bumble_opinion

ninenotebob wrote: »

I've just had it suggested that they only now send vouchers out if you've actually bought something online or in store? Surely they should have updated their website, etc with the new conditions if this IS the case?

I received new vouchers recently and have not bought anything from JL since getting my first lot.

Ziggy_Stardust

Its still mentioned here in the faq http://www.johnlewis.com/customer-servicesclick on the My John Lewis tab on the left

"What benefits do I get and how will I receive them?
Using your membership card helps us understand what you like, so we can give you the rewards that are just right for you. Such as a free monthly regular hot drink and cake, invitations to exclusive local events, entry into a regular prize draw and previews and insider news from John Lewis.

Once registered, you'll receive catering vouchers along with your membership card, entitling you to a free monthly regular hot drink and cake."

chewynut

needabed wrote: »

Got my vouchers so will try the first one out this weekend.

I wonder if JL have seen an increase in sales. Should of really done a soft launch like buy 1 get 1 or cake & coffee for £2 to test the response.

Maybe one day it'll be free cake & free coffee & free £5 gift voucher :rotfl:

General footfall in our branch was up by something like 12 or 15%

Uptake of the scheme was 109% over target. So they didn't just meet the target, they went 109% over in less than a year.

Unlike other departments, catering gauge their sales by the amount of transactions rather than how much money they take because the daily reports were getting too depressing. It's not pleasant for your workload to go up by 25% but not make a profit because you had to give most of it away for free. The extra staff taken on to deal with the voucher crisis ate any profit from increased footfall in the place to eat.

The vouchers aren't being withdrawn, they're just not being advertised any longer because the catering department can't continue the way it has been since the vouchers were introduced. Most of the machinery behind the scenes is breaking down under the strain. It's going to cost more money to fix than the vouchers will have brought in.

Hindsight is a wonderful thing. I imagine if they'd known the extent to which customers abused the scheme and how abusive some have gotten over a bit of cake and a cuppa, they'd have put a lot more thought into the scheme. Oh well, they'll know for next time

Ziggy_Stardust

I'm really sorry to hear that staff have had to take abuse, that is so wrong. You mentioned the system was being abused but how was that? I'm surprised JL didn't research this better, if you're giving away good freebies there will be a big uptake. I do wonder if JL should go the route of the other retailers who reward loyalty with points to be spent in store on various rewards and not just tea and cake. I remember a few years ago I was given a small box of Hotel chocolates for my Birthday, I had spent a lot that year in store so guess that was why so they have had a reward scheme of sorts in the past, I never got it again but that was pre-recession. If they did remove the tea and cake it wouldn't stop me shopping at JL online but I wouldn't go to the store as much, the £2.50 an hour parking puts me off.

chewynut

Thank you.

Vouchers are now being sold on ebay (sometimes for more than you'd save !!!!!!) and forgeries are starting to appear. So now you're supposed to carefully examine each voucher to make sure it's legit. Cue customers assuming that you're accusing them of forgery. Some are demanding more and more free things to go along with their already free drink and you have to give them what they demand otherwise they complain and it costs more in apology vouchers than if you'd just given them what they demanded in the first place. Customers take whole handfuls of milk cartons and butter for one coffee and scone. It might sound like I'm making a big deal out of a few packs of butter but it's widespread and there's no extra money to cover the cost. Catering doesn't see the money customers spend in other parts of the store.

It wouldn't be so bad if all customers were pleasant but most of the time they're horrible because they've had to wait (nothing we can do about that when there's no extra money coming in for extra staff). If you treat the partner who serves you nicely then thank you, you are a wonderful exception and it will have been appreciated

Gizmo-macca

horrified to read that customers are nasty to staff.

I personally don't buy from JL, too expensive by far, but I cannot see any reason to be rude to staff who aren't exactly richboys and poshies like some of the customers, not at all.

shame on you kooks, whoever is responsible. And concerning a delicious freebie too!