Points, Policies & Certificates

[neuromancer9]

Wow! Just checked my points, and I lost 209 points on 2/5 - most of which had been earned just weeks before in December!  Other puchases later in February would have easily given me a certificate (once they post). The $5.00 BB saved by taking my points surely pales in comparison to the hundreds or thousands of dollars in future purchases that will now quite likely go to other retailers. I cannot imagine a much more effective way to turn "card carrying" loyal customers against a company.

I can't help but be fascinated by the "logic" behind decisions such as this. I'm sure there is a spreadsheet somewhere at BB corp hq that shows why it makes fiscal sense, but the fact that somebody somewhere along the way wasn't able to derail this by pointing out loudly what a slap in the face this would be to possibly their most loyal group of customers is utterly amazing! Are margins so thin that reclaiming some of the the (few) bucks they give back in certificates is worth alienating the very customers that keep them in business?

[Sarah-BBY Retired: Community Connector]

Hi neuromancer9,

Thank you for expressing your concerns regarding our Go Digital changes, and I am very sorry for any disappointment you experienced as well.  However, I was able to look into the specifics of your situation for you and have now received what I believe will be some good news!  For additional details, please refer to the private message I have sent you by clicking on the “new message” alert in the upper right-hand corner of the page (when signed in).

Thanks again and have a great day!

[Eddi7117]

 Unfortunately i had $190.39 taken I just found out about.  This new policy is terrible, I really hope Bestbuy rethinks this. Boo!!!

[Sarah-BBY Retired: Community Connector]

Hi Eddi7117,

Thank you for sharing your thoughts on our Go Digital changes.  I also received your private message, which I was just able to respond to so make sure you check that too! 

Thanks again and have a great day!

[Zoz]

I stopped by to see if any were being noisy about the recent point expiration changes... not many, considering.

I didn't know this forum existed but found it while looking for a Best Buy Corporate email address in which to escalate my points restoral request (sent in a few hours ago) in the unlikely event it is refused.

I had $248.87, spent at Christmas, now "expired". That's $1.13 from a reward. Insult to injury - I have an item on backorder since LAST JUNE. Talk about loyalty...

BB is my fav tech spot. I'm sure this policy will either soften or BB will lose loyal customers that know when they are spat on.

Similar situation - I have a GM (General Motors) credit card with a 5% cash back (old, no longer offered). When the program changed, did I lose my points? No... loyalty was rewarded and I have basically the same terms / conditions as when I got the card 13 years ago. In fact, terms got better - the $2500 reward cap towards new cars was removed.

I used my point balance to buy my first Corvette (2003). I plan dumping points saved since 2002 into a Chevy Volt next year.

My favorite loyalty story is about Apple dumping the open-architecture Apple ][ line stranding 1 million loyal owners. Eh... I choked a bit reluctantly putting together my first IBM compatible, but Intel has done a great job keeping the open-architecture box alive. No regrets saying good-bye to Apple...

Today? I have IT and Telecom purchasing selection power over 12 locations in North America. I just say no to Macs and iPhones... you never know when Apple will leave you stranded again. My Apple slogan: You can buy better but you can't pay more. Loyalty plays a large part in overcoming that reasoning.

See how that works?  Loyalty... don't take it for granted.

[Kyle-BBY Community Connector]

Hello Zoz,

I apologize if our Annualization policy upset you at all.  We did keep in mind the interests of our loyal Reward Zone members when we instituted this policy and, along with progressing toward to a more green method of certificate issuance, it allowed us to reset our points table for the year to see how our members use the program, which in turn gives us the opportunity to provide even more benefits in the future.

I believe you were referring to the number of points forfeited when you mentioned the $248.87 and that amount in points would actually very nearly earn you a $5 certificate (250 points = a $5 certificate).  I have sent you a private message to explain the activity on your account in more detail and open up the discussion for any more specific questions or concerns you might have.  You can view that message in your forum inbox by clicking the envelope icon in the upper right hand corner of the site (must be logged in for it to show up).

Your RZ resource,

[geekers]

I found this thread and signed up for an account because, like others in this thread, I was upset, and felt cheated and betrayed by the loss of 'points' through annualization. I didn't get an email informing me about the changes and impending loss of points, and when I happened to log in today, I noticed that I lost $248.79-worth on 2/11... less than $2 away from a certificate. I feel, as others mentioned, that this is certainly a bad move for Best Buy and that Reward Zone doesn't feel like much of a reward anymore.

[Kyle-BBY Community Connector]

Hi geekers,

I’m sorry if the Reward Zone point Annualization upset you at all.  Our intention for it was really to reset the points table for the year and get a better picture of how our members use the program thus, in turn, allowing us to provide even more benefits in the future.

If I had to guess, I would say your junk-mail filter caught all of our notification emails because 1.) we definitely did send them out and 2.) you were also issued a certificate via email as a result of the point Annualization that has yet to be redeemed so it probably got caught by the filter as well.  I am going to send you a private message to discuss some options for that certificate and more about your account in general.  You can watch for that message in your forum inbox by clicking the envelope icon in the upper right hand corner of the site (must be logged in for it to show up).

[phloog]

Kyle and Sarah...As someone sort of on the outside, I think your corporate leadership needs to reevaluate this decision.

Yes it alienates customers, but also look at what is happening.  Two employees at a minimum now have to spend a non-trivial amount of time handling these complaints, trying to save relationships, and then, based on what I'm seeing here, giving adjustments to that policy for those who gripe the most.  I'm not sure how much money you were saving by doing this, but even if you ignore the lost sales and ill will you've created with customers, you're apparently not saving all that much if you're constantly forced to manually adjust the policy frequently. 

Someone at corporate HQ is patting themselves on the back for saving thousands of dollars, when it's harming relationships AND you're not really saving as much as you thought.