MSE News: Waitrose to scrap free hot drinks offer in its cafes

cuongMe

Personally because its abused Waitrose should only give out free drinks when you buy something. I also agree about impact to other business/cafes.

Neil49 wrote: »

I'm pleased to hear they are doing away with this loss leader offer. The Waitrose in my small town has severely impacted the trade of the local caf!s who can't afford to hand out free drinks to attract customers in this way.

antrobus

Pincher wrote: »

....With Tesco, I pay £2.50 for the Sunday Times, whereas I get it free if I spend £7.50+ in Waitrose.
.....

You only have to spend £5.50+ in Waitrose if you remember to pick up a free coffee as well. In fact, you can spend even less than that, if you know what you're doing. My record so far is £2.76.

Pincher

I spoke to the customer service counter staff, who said people were just getting the coffee and walking out when the cups were freely available. The new system of her scanning the card to produce a receipt will obviously stop the people who just walk in and get the coffee.


That's why you should always do promotions with a time limit.
You can always extend it.

Pincher

antrobus wrote: »

You only have to spend £5.50+ in Waitrose if you remember to pick up a free coffee as well. In fact, you can spend even less than that, if you know what you're doing. My record so far is £2.76.

I asked once, and they told me the coffee didn't count, neither do cigarettes.


Sadly, the new system of scanning when you get the cup to produce a separate receipt means I will have to be really cheeky to ask for an adjustment.

ilovemygarden

Neil49 wrote: »

I'm pleased to hear they are doing away with this loss leader offer. The Waitrose in my small town has severely impacted the trade of the local caf!s who can't afford to hand out free drinks to attract customers in this way.

It's the opposite where I live - so many people complain about the queues in the Waitrose cafe that they now use the other local coffee shop because they know they'll be bale to get a seat - and get served more quickly.

threespires

Agree Waitrose needed to do something, and I wasn't disturbed by email - I interpreted it as the coffee is still free but you need to buy something to get a seat.

Surprised by other forumites saying you could just grab a cup and go - the only Waitrose I have found that has this offer strictly limits it to one cup per day. You can get your own drink from machine but then have to queue up and have card swiped at staffed till to be allowed to drink it!

Even worse some Waitrose don't have hot drinks - try asking for the offer at Kenilworth.

Of course there is one store where coffee is free and appears unlimited - Ikea. And you don't have to make the coffee yourself with an Allen key - they have machines like Waitrose.

Based on recent visits Ikea's so-called members use it as a free meeting hall, often gathering before 1600, sitting on the best sofas, drinking lots of cups, making noise and waste, using free loos and not leaving until store close at 2000. I go there to buy food but can now recognise the same groups of regulars who seem to be there every night. I wouldn't mind but those members never seem to get the instruction to clean up the waste after them! That said I do like Ikeas coffee and hope they don't scrap their offer because of customers who over-exploit it.

jenheiffer

Million_Percent wrote: »

I don't see what all the fuss is about. It's just the people who want something for nothing kicking up a stink. You can still get a free drink without purchase if you take out.

In some ways Waitrose have been a victim of their own success but perhaps they should have either time limited the offer or made it take out only from the start.

I can understand paying shoppers feeling frustrated that they can't get a seat because the place is full of people with their free drinks.

I was in a town in England recently and couldn't believe it - every morning as soon as Waitrose opened its cafe was invaded by hordes of mostly elderly people with their cups of coffee and papers. There was not a single one who ever bought anything in the cafe, though I suppose maybe they had a look around the shop afterwards.:)

surfsister

well it's different now that there are no more free drinks in cafe. we went yesterday at 5 o'clock and normally the shop has big queues in the store and the cafe is bursting. Now the cafe is less than a third full and not one queue at any checkout!

So I think this decision will hit Waitrose profits.

Still better for us as easy to shop (few customers) ,pay and get a table in the cafe. Usually there are no sofa seats available yesterday there were three! Also this is a joint waitrose/john lewis cafe so double the customer base.

Several friends haved told me they popped in most days to pick up milk/paper/sandwiches etc but won't bother now as they pass a Tescos/asda anyway and it is cheaper.

will have to wait and see I suppose.

ilovemygarden

I went into my local yesterday & cafe was busy - but then it was lunchtime!

I got myself a coffee from the self-service machine & there doesn't seem to be any change there - all cups, teabags & milk still out on the counter. A member of staff happened to walk past & asked me if I needed to show my card (so wasn't expecting me to buy anything?) but I showed her my receipt as I'd asked for the coffee when I did my shopping.

I was told that they are considering a machine where you have to swipe your card, as that morning, someone had seen one guy get 3 coffees on one card. If they do install that type of machine, does it imply that you won't have to make any purchase, I wonder?

Mee

I often go in to my Little Waitrose (where they know me well) and buy either a reduced item or the i-paper and get my free drink. I also, as I did last night just asked them to scan my mywaitrose card for a Latte etc. I use to cycle (through some lovely countryside) to the larger Waitrose and use the cafe service...will miss doing that...