1. Home
  2. Quilting Forum
  3. Customer loyalty cards--possibly revisited

Customer loyalty cards--possibly revisited

I have just pulled out the cards I have to see what they offer. I realized that I have not been to a quilt shop that I have a card for since 2005 or the last time I had it punched was then. It is possible I had put it away for awhile while watching my budget and didn't have the funds to purchase fabric at the time. Anyways, I am looking at creating a card for my customers and since I live quite a distance away from other shops to see what they are currently offering, I'm wondering a couple of things for those of you who have recently picked up a new loyalty (discount) card.

  1. How much do you have to spend before you get the discount?
  2. What percent is the discount once the card is filled? For example, if you have to spend 0 before redeeming the card and you get a discount, that would be an 8% discount. (=20/250*100)
  3. Are class fees allowed towards filling the card?
  4. Some cards say you have to visit so many times before getting the discount versus how much you spend. If your card is one of these, how many times do you need to go to get the discount?
  5. What are the exclusions listed on your cards?

I haven't seen this before on any card but thought I would throw this out there. What are you thoughts on the following: You are signed up to take a class that cost $15. You will probably need $50-75 worth of material to complete the class. The store offers you 10% off the materials. IF the class fees are not applicable towards the discount reward, do you think the materials should be applicable even though you are already getting 10% off?

Any additional thoughts for loyalty cards would be great.

Thanks for your help and information.

Reply to
Marilyn
Loading thread data ...

The only card I have, Marilyn, is a very simple one. It's fifty miles away and I don't get there much. Well, maybe more since we can 'get there from here'. Katrina took away the bridge but finally it's up and welcome. Anyhow, that card gives a 10% discount. It's not a monumental saving and not limited or high-level complicated. Just tells me that they would like for me to come back. We wish you great success. Polly

Reply to
Polly Esther

One LQS simply gives a 10% discount on fabric and supplies to members of needlework groups that register with the store, i.e. the list of all members' names and addresses is in a file under the cash register, and a customer has to know to ask for the discount. I have never heard that they do anything underhanded with this list, or even use the addresses for their own advertising. This LQS BTW also runs a small lending library of quilt books. Pay a very small (about $1.50) non-refundable deposit and keep the book 2 weeks.

The other LQS issues a little card that gets stamped once for every 25 euros (probably about $37) spent, excluding magazines and sale items. With 6 stamps, you get a free half-meter of fabric. So not much of a discount! Class fees not allowed AFAIK, probably because most of the fee would go to the teacher. But the materials would be included in the "stamp" amount.

Neither of these are enough >I have just pulled out the cards I have to see what they offer. I

Reply to
Roberta

The loyalty card at my LQS gives you a $10.00 reward for every $200.00 pre-tax spent. You can spend it on the next visit or save them up. You don't get points for class fees AFAIK and no points for anything you get on sale. Hope this helps!

Reply to
Donna in NE La.

Hi, Marilyn -- There is software to track customer purchases. It also maintains mailing lists. I'm sure the "associaton of quilt shop retailers" (don't know the real name) would have more information.

Patched Works in Elm Grove, Wisconsin, not only went from punch cards to software, but they also instituted some big changes. Rather than recording only regular, full-price purchases ($250 worth gave $25 off), they now credit ALL purchases, including class fees and sale items. The customer has to spend more ($500?? $750??) but for people like me who buy fabric "just because" and thus seek out fabric on sale, it's great. Of course you could do just that with punch cards as well as with software.

Nann

Reply to
Nann

Marilyn, I have 2 cards from shops on the way to my dad's house. One is 60 and the other about 90 miles from me so I don't get to just stop in a lot. One looks like you spend $200 (the punched out spots are different amounts so it is hard to tell) and get $25 free merchandise. Classes, sales tax and sale items not included. The other is $250 in purchases gets you $20 of full priced fabric. sale, sales tax, classes, mail order, samples and sewing machines are excluded from your purchases. Most of the area quilt stores offer 10% discount for guild members so I usually just do that and don't get the cards punched. The cards are kind of a pita and the flat discount seems more tempting to me. I did fill one card though and that was kind of neat.

There was > I have just pulled out the cards I have to see what they offer. I

Reply to
Taria

MSM's favorite bead shop gave a punch for every $10 purchase. 10 punches filled the card, and gave you $10 off the next purchase. Mom loved it, and used it to the hilt. And they had almost every dollar of her bead business.

Reply to
Carolyn McCarty

I only vist one shop with the card: You get punches on the $5 $10 things around the edge of the card, and when it gets filled up ($300, I think) you get $20. merchandise credit to spend on anything. Anything you buy that is on sale does not qualify for punches. That shop doesn't seem to have classes. Oh, and if you purchase things online at the shops website, she will count it on your punchcard if you mention it in the comments section. She keeps the cards on hand in the store.

Reply to
scrapquilter

InspirePoint website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.