A warning to all those with a my John Lewis membership card – be careful where you use it. I live in Suffolk but went to the Elvis exhibition at London’s O2 in February, then on to a Westfield shopping centre where I used the card in John Lewis.
Having had it since it started, I am used to getting the free monthly reward vouchers for a free hot drink and cake. But after this London visit I was subsequently offered one drink/cake voucher, one for free glasses lenses to be used only at Westfield (I don’t wear glasses), and a voucher for a free glass of fizz with a pizza in the Oxford Street store (I don’t like pizza). I was also offered a £5 voucher if I spend more than £50, but which had to be activated in such a way that I lost the will to live.
I have queried with customer services, customer relations and even managing director Andy Street how the data gleaned from my card worked out that these largely London-centred vouchers would be useful, but all the rather hazy replies led me to think they don’t know either.
I feel a badly run loyalty card system is worse than no card at all. I have certainly learned my lesson and will only use it in my local store from now on. J O’K, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk
At the heart of your complaint is the scale of the efforts retailers are now going to to get as much information as possible about you through your shopping habits, which results in being bombarded with offers in this way. But this scheme is voluntary.
Obviously, it has slightly backfired in your case. John Lewis said all its rewards are tailored on a variety of factors including shopping frequency, spend, preferences and purchases. “We look at where members most shop, as well as where they last shopped,” it said. “As our system recognised that J O’K occasionally visits our London shops we wanted to add these vouchers to her reward package as a further benefit. These offers were additional vouchers alongside a hot drink and cake voucher which could be used at any shop.
“Through my John Lewis, customers receive a variety of rewards and a hot drink and cake is just one – other rewards are invitations to exclusive events, previews of new collections, incentives, and a monthly prize draw.”
Back to your specific case, and John Lewis insisted it was never its intention to cause disappointment when sending rewards to customers. As well as a detailed explanation of how the process works, it has offered you an additional hot drink and cake voucher for two as a gesture of goodwill.
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