Loyalty programs have gained popularity among customers in the retail industry due to their convenience. Coles, a prominent Australian supermarket chain, provides the Flybuys program, enabling customers to accumulate points for rewards or discounts.

However, a recent incident involving a Coles shopper has highlighted a potential concern within the system.

The customer, who received a $10 discount on her weekly shopping, was surprised to discover that the discount did not align precisely with her expectation of being completely free.

This incident has sparked a conversation among Flybuys members, revealing similar experiences and concerns.

Once Flybuys members have earned 2,000 points, they can utilise an immediate $10 deduction at Coles. Source: Coles

The concerned shopper took to Facebook to express her surprise upon discovering the deduction from her points.

She explained, ‘Wow! The checkout guy took $10 off my shop today. Didn't say anything, not a word, so I didn't realise until later when I checked my receipt.’

Upon further investigation, it was discovered that the cashier had deducted Flybuys points to apply the discount without the customer's approval.

The instant $10 off initiative allows customers to redeem the discount once they accumulate 2,000 points.

The shopper expressed dissatisfaction, stating, ‘I'm saving for Christmas... it comes off my points total, so it costs me points I am trying to save. Not the same as being given $10 for free.’

Other Flybuys members shared similar experiences, with one agreeing, ‘I've had this happen also, even after saying “No”. It's frustrating!’

Another unhappy shopper shared, ‘This happened to me recently too. I only realised when I received an email saying I'd used my $10 off.’

Acknowledging the feedback from its members, Flybuys clarified that the trial is ongoing in several states, and customers have the option to decline the instant redemption offer. The company aims to evaluate the effectiveness and impact of the initiative before rolling it out to all members.

However, this incident highlights the importance of proper training for checkout operators to ensure they accurately handle customer preferences and requests.

A response from a Coles worker on the customer's Facebook post suggested that the checkout operator involved may not have received adequate training.

She shared, ‘He might have accidentally pressed “Yes” before asking if you want $10 off and then just decided not to tell you. Some people don't know that you can fix it if you accidentally press “Yes” instead of “No”.’

Furthermore, the convenience of the instant redemption offer poses challenges, particularly at self-service checkouts.

Customers may inadvertently redeem the discount without intending to, leading to complications when attempting to reverse the transaction.

Employees have expressed their difficulties in resolving such situations, emphasising the need for clearer instructions or prompts to prevent unintended redemptions.

One employee admitted, ‘I work at Coles, and a customer accidentally did it through self-serve and wanted to revert it, but we couldn't figure out how to!’

Key Takeaways

• A Coles customer received a $10 discount on her shopping, only to realise later that the cashier had deducted Flybuys points without her consent.
• Flybuys is trialling an instant $10 off initiative, which allows shoppers to immediately redeem $10 off a Coles shop once 2,000 points have been accumulated.
• Some customers have reported frustrations over the initiative and shared their negative experiences on social media.
• A Coles employee responded to the concerns online, implying that there may be a lack of adequate training in dealing with the Flybuys initiative in this case.

As Coles strives to enhance their loyalty program and improve their customers’ experience, it is crucial for them to address the concerns raised by shoppers.

Transparency, adequate training, and effective communication between checkout operators and customers are vital in ensuring a seamless redemption process that aligns with individual preferences.

We’re curious: have you ever experienced frustrations or unexpected issues with loyalty programs or discounts at your favourite stores?

 

[Ricki]

Loyalty programs have gained popularity among customers in the retail industry due to their convenience. Coles, a prominent Australian supermarket chain, provides the Flybuys program, enabling customers to accumulate points for rewards or discounts.

However, a recent incident involving a Coles shopper has highlighted a potential concern within the system.

The customer, who received a $10 discount on her weekly shopping, was surprised to discover that the discount did not align precisely with her expectation of being completely free.

This incident has sparked a conversation among Flybuys members, revealing similar experiences and concerns.

View attachment 24796

Once Flybuys members have earned 2,000 points, they can utilise an immediate $10 deduction at Coles. Source: Coles

The concerned shopper took to Facebook to express her surprise upon discovering the deduction from her points.

She explained, ‘Wow! The checkout guy took $10 off my shop today. Didn't say anything, not a word, so I didn't realise until later when I checked my receipt.’

Upon further investigation, it was discovered that the cashier had deducted Flybuys points to apply the discount without the customer's approval.

The instant $10 off initiative allows customers to redeem the discount once they accumulate 2,000 points.

The shopper expressed dissatisfaction, stating, ‘I'm saving for Christmas... it comes off my points total, so it costs me points I am trying to save. Not the same as being given $10 for free.’

Other Flybuys members shared similar experiences, with one agreeing, ‘I've had this happen also, even after saying “No”. It's frustrating!’

Another unhappy shopper shared, ‘This happened to me recently too. I only realised when I received an email saying I'd used my $10 off.’

Acknowledging the feedback from its members, Flybuys clarified that the trial is ongoing in several states, and customers have the option to decline the instant redemption offer. The company aims to evaluate the effectiveness and impact of the initiative before rolling it out to all members.

However, this incident highlights the importance of proper training for checkout operators to ensure they accurately handle customer preferences and requests.

A response from a Coles worker on the customer's Facebook post suggested that the checkout operator involved may not have received adequate training.

She shared, ‘He might have accidentally pressed “Yes” before asking if you want $10 off and then just decided not to tell you. Some people don't know that you can fix it if you accidentally press “Yes” instead of “No”.’

Furthermore, the convenience of the instant redemption offer poses challenges, particularly at self-service checkouts.

Customers may inadvertently redeem the discount without intending to, leading to complications when attempting to reverse the transaction.

Employees have expressed their difficulties in resolving such situations, emphasising the need for clearer instructions or prompts to prevent unintended redemptions.

One employee admitted, ‘I work at Coles, and a customer accidentally did it through self-serve and wanted to revert it, but we couldn't figure out how to!’

Key Takeaways

• A Coles customer received a $10 discount on her shopping, only to realise later that the cashier had deducted Flybuys points without her consent.
• Flybuys is trialling an instant $10 off initiative, which allows shoppers to immediately redeem $10 off a Coles shop once 2,000 points have been accumulated.
• Some customers have reported frustrations over the initiative and shared their negative experiences on social media.
• A Coles employee responded to the concerns online, implying that there may be a lack of adequate training in dealing with the Flybuys initiative in this case.

As Coles strives to enhance their loyalty program and improve their customers’ experience, it is crucial for them to address the concerns raised by shoppers.

Transparency, adequate training, and effective communication between checkout operators and customers are vital in ensuring a seamless redemption process that aligns with individual preferences.

We’re curious: have you ever experienced frustrations or unexpected issues with loyalty programs or discounts at your favourite stores?

Woolies used to do this but changed a while ago and ask each time you shop. I seldom shop at Coles except when they offer 4 wks at $50 a wk and receive $ 50 the fifth week but I never collect dollars, I collect points and cash them in when ready to shop. I'll be keeping an eye on that.

 

[Wendy]

At our 2 local Coles shops we are always asked if we want the money off or the flyby points. We always say no to the money off, we are saving the points towards our holidays.

 

[Betty Sparre]

Loyalty programs have gained popularity among customers in the retail industry due to their convenience. Coles, a prominent Australian supermarket chain, provides the Flybuys program, enabling customers to accumulate points for rewards or discounts.

However, a recent incident involving a Coles shopper has highlighted a potential concern within the system.

The customer, who received a $10 discount on her weekly shopping, was surprised to discover that the discount did not align precisely with her expectation of being completely free.

This incident has sparked a conversation among Flybuys members, revealing similar experiences and concerns.

View attachment 24796

Once Flybuys members have earned 2,000 points, they can utilise an immediate $10 deduction at Coles. Source: Coles

The concerned shopper took to Facebook to express her surprise upon discovering the deduction from her points.

She explained, ‘Wow! The checkout guy took $10 off my shop today. Didn't say anything, not a word, so I didn't realise until later when I checked my receipt.’

Upon further investigation, it was discovered that the cashier had deducted Flybuys points to apply the discount without the customer's approval.

The instant $10 off initiative allows customers to redeem the discount once they accumulate 2,000 points.

The shopper expressed dissatisfaction, stating, ‘I'm saving for Christmas... it comes off my points total, so it costs me points I am trying to save. Not the same as being given $10 for free.’

Other Flybuys members shared similar experiences, with one agreeing, ‘I've had this happen also, even after saying “No”. It's frustrating!’

Another unhappy shopper shared, ‘This happened to me recently too. I only realised when I received an email saying I'd used my $10 off.’

Acknowledging the feedback from its members, Flybuys clarified that the trial is ongoing in several states, and customers have the option to decline the instant redemption offer. The company aims to evaluate the effectiveness and impact of the initiative before rolling it out to all members.

However, this incident highlights the importance of proper training for checkout operators to ensure they accurately handle customer preferences and requests.

A response from a Coles worker on the customer's Facebook post suggested that the checkout operator involved may not have received adequate training.

She shared, ‘He might have accidentally pressed “Yes” before asking if you want $10 off and then just decided not to tell you. Some people don't know that you can fix it if you accidentally press “Yes” instead of “No”.’

Furthermore, the convenience of the instant redemption offer poses challenges, particularly at self-service checkouts.

Customers may inadvertently redeem the discount without intending to, leading to complications when attempting to reverse the transaction.

Employees have expressed their difficulties in resolving such situations, emphasising the need for clearer instructions or prompts to prevent unintended redemptions.

One employee admitted, ‘I work at Coles, and a customer accidentally did it through self-serve and wanted to revert it, but we couldn't figure out how to!’

Key Takeaways

• A Coles customer received a $10 discount on her shopping, only to realise later that the cashier had deducted Flybuys points without her consent.
• Flybuys is trialling an instant $10 off initiative, which allows shoppers to immediately redeem $10 off a Coles shop once 2,000 points have been accumulated.
• Some customers have reported frustrations over the initiative and shared their negative experiences on social media.
• A Coles employee responded to the concerns online, implying that there may be a lack of adequate training in dealing with the Flybuys initiative in this case.

As Coles strives to enhance their loyalty program and improve their customers’ experience, it is crucial for them to address the concerns raised by shoppers.

Transparency, adequate training, and effective communication between checkout operators and customers are vital in ensuring a seamless redemption process that aligns with individual preferences.

We’re curious: have you ever experienced frustrations or unexpected issues with loyalty programs or discounts at your favourite stores?

I have had no problems with this at Coles at Port Pirie, they always ask.