Many of us have referenced that when something is ‘free’ we are the product. This report does a good job of explicitly ‘revealing’ the back-end of flybuys. Every loyalty program will be similar in data collection and how the data is used to target ‘us’. It almost makes google who knows everything look benign ( not really ).
The article leaves me with the impression that Fly Buys is fairly innocuous, and I do not see a problem with companies collecting demographics to better present their store offerings.
It would be of little use to consumers if stores still stocked obsolete products such as galvanised iron bath tubs, stovetop heated irons, enamel cookware and the like instead of what customers actually want today.
As for Fly Buys, we love the freebies and bonus offers, and our 2 accounts will have around $700 in them before the end of the month. Very handy for Xmas.
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Some older CHOICE content:
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Tired of being asked, “are you a member?” This article from Penny Flanagan might elicit a chuckle 
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Got me! 
I guess you could sign up and suggest you don’t have email or a mobile. Yes, some will still sign you up and fill the post box. I guess that costs them to print and mail stuff.
Some like Spotlight offer a permanent members discount, so it is a sort of a financial choice as well? Excludes sale markdowns.
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I was with my friend at Millers yesterday: she got her 40 % discount because she’s a member, but will not get her birthday gift voucher because she does not have an email address!
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A post was split to a new topic: ACCC seeks comment on Loyalty/Reward programs - T&Cs, unfair contracts, privacy
Had problems with my myer one loyalty card. They don’t always add points and Customer Service are no help
Has anyone else noticed that after they have been shopping they receive an email to notify them that those very items they have just purchased will give them “boosted points” or discounts?
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Sometimes that happens with my Woolies rewards, but more often I am notified that items that they know I buy are coming up on special, or have bonus points.
I think it is just timing. If you can time what you buy and when, there are good savings to be had.
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It could be. As the supermarkets know that you purchase such products (recently and in the past), consumer behaviour indicates that there is a high chance that one will buy them again the future. If they give an incentive to buy them again, then one is likely to go back to the same supermarket chain to purchase these products as well as many others.
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Yes that’s a good point. Now with modern techniques to track shoppers through our reward cards or even our credit cards they know all about us, our shopping habits, our preferences and our spending capabilities.
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I find that the emails from Flybuys regarding Coles weekly specials are generally of far more value than their weekly catalogues and their weekly list of half-price specials.
The catalogues only contain a small portion of each week’s total specials and the half-price lists are mainly socks, jocks and cosmetics, whilst the Flybuys emails show items we buy that are on special which one would not see unless searching for each one on the website or looking instore.
I looked at both Coles and Woollies catalogues and half price specials this morning and saw nothing that we actually buy.
When this week’s Flybuys email turns up, I would be amazed if there are not a few items that we will buy.
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That happens regularly, with an expiration of 5 to 7 days on the offer. More realistically the incoming offers seem more aligned to the day of the week than to the fact we just bought something…and as @phb added,
Since I/we just bought one. Need another ‘now’? Or is the offer so good it encourages us to stock up? Or for the extreme points lovers, head right back to the shop to buy, and maybe buy something else while there…
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OT a little, but Woolies Rewards
The worst of the worst. Once again a price in the Rewards email was ‘special’ to my card but I was charged full price. It happens pretty regularly and it happened again today.
I told the manager type I would appreciate if they would put in a complaint to Woolies as this happens regularly. 100% pushback that it is ‘rewards, nothing to do with us, complain to them yourself’. All I asked was they lodge a complaint from the store but that was too much to ask. What fabulous customer relations, not.
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“Only at Woolworths”.
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Our Coles managers understand customer service and customer relations and do a good job. We have reduced our Woolies spend to ‘deals’ because our store has a culture problem whereby many items are not priced, stock is not always over the correct price, and prices are often not updated to reflect the sale signs. We got $25 of ‘free’ in the last two weeks over 2 shops, both for the same inept practices. It appeared we might get some more ‘free’ today for the same ongoing lapse, but were not sure if we wanted the product even for $0.00.
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On some Woollies dockets there is information about the opportunity to provide feedback. It may be worth taking that opportunity.
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I have many times and based on the long ongoing lapses it has been wasted time. I am going to [again] contact complaints at Woolies and Rewards, and perhaps even investor relations this time since we are small shareholders.
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It sounds like that the area manager needs a boot up the preverbal. In Brisbane, our local Woollies service was slipping and we wrote a critical response through the feedback channel. They contacted us appreciating the feedback and there were some changes made to improve things (simple things like smiling, talking to customers and asking if they need assistance etc…as well as regular checks on fresh produce). We were told that this is driven by the area manager.
I am not sure if our feedback (or a combination of feedback from many other customers) caused the response.
We did it for the same reason…we are small shareholders…but have done it for other businesses where we have no interest but service is lacking.
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