Free Hot drink and cake every month @ John Lewis

Mee

Ezmondino wrote: »

My parents have never purchased a thing but have received every voucher going.

May be they're targeting ABC1 groups? Or the Baby-Boomers and Baby-Busters (Gen X) with money to spend?!

lolly5648

Mee wrote: »

May be they're targeting ABC1 groups? Or the Baby-Boomers and Baby-Busters (Gen X) with money to spend?!

I don't think so! I'm a baby boomer, have some money to spend and am a C1 but haven't had any vouchers.

Torry_Quine

Used my voucher yesterday for my free soup. Lovely Cullen Skink on a wet and miserable day.

Deanied

I got asked for my John Lewis card today when I used my cake voucher. First time I've ever been asked. In fact when I try to present my card in the past they refused it. I wonder why they want them swiped now.

General_Grant

Deanied wrote: »

I got asked for my John Lewis card today when I used my cake voucher. First time I've ever been asked. In fact when I try to present my card in the past they refused it. I wonder why they want them swiped now.

I too was asked for my card. When I said something like "oh, do you want to see it, I've never been asked before?", the till operator acted as though I was complaining rather than asking a simple question. She said it was just that they would swipe it for me as though that was doing me some kind of favour. (Given that on this occasion I had not bought anything else, there was no £-spend to gain an entry to the prize draw.)

The first time I used a voucher I proffered my JLP card and, as experienced by others, it was not wanted. I think they should swipe it because that way they can see whether those who take advantage of the free drink and cake also buy other food or drink, say for a companion who does not have a voucher or simply on another occasion because they have seen how nice The Place to Eat is. I'm pleased that they are doing this now.

lolly5648

Ezmondino wrote: »

I have purchased items and have not had a voucher for a long time now.

It's only a free bit of cake of course, but it's more that JL seem keen to reward non-customers than their customers. If other customers are like me, it makes me go elsewhere on principle - regardless of what the 'loyalty' reward is.

I am exactly like you. I have bought things but haven't received any vouchers so I went to another cafe on principle where the hot tea and cake was much cheaper.

Doc_N

lolly5648 wrote: »

I am exactly like you. I have bought things but haven't received any vouchers so I went to another cafe on principle where the hot tea and cake was much cheaper.

This whole business has taught me a number of lessons about John Lewis:

1 They claim to reward their customers, but actually reward those who don't buy anything.

2 They are an incredibly inconsistent company.

3 They make promises that aren't kept.

4 They make a big thing about free offerings to regular customers - but then quietly withdraw them.

5 Never Knowingly Undersold is one of the biggest lies in retailing - on a par with Volkswagen's claims about reliability.

6 The restaurants are grossly overpriced, but quite indifferent in the quality of the offering.

7 The charge for delivering items under £30 to their own stores is just laughable - and backfiring on them. Talk to the partners!


And I speak as a once almost fanatical John Lewis customer - now convinced, sadly, that Amazon is now a better company to deal with than John Lewis. It may not pay its fair share of taxes (though John Lewis doesn't have a good track record on the way it treats its ancillary staff) but it knows rather more than John Lewis how not to hack its customers off!

RenTheRoosta

I used my November voucher at The Place to Eat Trafford Centre yesterday: they didn't ask for my JL card and were really nice: all smiles. Staff must (obvs) differ in customer service skills at different outlets. I have never made a JL purchase and have not been a member for that long so have received the staggered vouchers not monthly as I gather they did in the beginning. So far I've had 3 free coffee & cake vouchers: one I redeemed in Easter for some choc eggs instead, one I gave to a friend (she didn't say they asked for a card so they mustnt have) and the other I used myself yesterday. Total value of the coffee & cake (I had hot choc) came to £5.95 so I was quite pleased. Lovely restaurant too: very clean.

Deanied

I know they are free, but is anyone else a bit disappointed by the change of cake menu? I used to love the chocolate fudge cake and victoria sponge. They have gone and are replaced by gingerbread latte cake and chocolate orange cake. Fingers crossed it's only a christmas thing and the old favourites will return soon.

glider3560

Can the vouchers be used for items other than cakes? E.g. a scone or millionaire shortbread.

Also, as an aside, do you have to pay for the jam separately if buying a scone. The jam comes is rather expensive looking jars, hence my question.