Shoppers at department store Myer have taken to social media to report they are “so disappointed” after gift vouchers they had bought as part of the Myer Christmas Club had not arrived by mid-November as expected.
The Christmas Club program allows members to set up a monthly direct debit to save throughout the year for Christmas purchases, with a $10 bonus voucher for every $100 saved through the scheme.
According to the club’s website, shoppers can elect to get a hard copy or e-gift card sent to them at the end of the year in time for Christmas shopping, which will arrive “in November”.
But shoppers have taken to Facebook to make stressed pleas to the retailer to confirm exactly where their cards are this week, reporting frustration with the vague answers provided by the customer service team as Myer’s first festive sales events slide by.
“Our annual Christmas shopping spree begins with the Myer Christmas Shopping Event night,” one shopper said on Facebook last night.
This year, the 12 hour sales event to kick off the department store’s Christmas campaign was held on Tuesday, but customers said despite having received their voucher by this time in years prior, they were still yet to see their cards and were stressed about missing out the ability to shop the sales.
“So disappointed and completely lost faith,” the shopper said.
In response to customer concerns, Myer’s social media team reported they had been informed vouchers would be posted to club members by Friday.
Despite this confirmation, customers were angered by the lack of updates from the store in the lead-up to the weekend, reporting having been on hold for significant periods of time, or sending private messages to the company’s social media accounts without response.
SmartCompany contacted Myer for comment and the company confirmed all cards had been sent. Those worried about the delivery should contact the company for further details, a spokesperson said.
“There has been strong demand for our gift cards this year and we have worked hard to distribute them as quickly as possible. Where customers have contacted us, we have offered eGift card delivery of their cards, so that they can have them sooner than they would receive them via the post,” the spokesperson said.
Director of Marketing Angels Michelle Gamble says customers who plan ahead for Christmas are the ones most likely to expect clear and punctual communications about their purchases.
“The sort of people who go into these programs are planners. They plan their expenditure all year.”
The department store has assured customers vouchers will be received shortly, but Gamble says the concerns highlight the importance of up-front communication with your customers around this time of year.
“These are organised kinds of people, and they are feeling that Myer is making them stressed,” Gamble says.
The sooner a brand is able to confirm key details of Christmas purchases, like delivery windows, the better, Gamble says.
For those who are worried about getting their goods on time, she suggests brands think about ways to add extra details to a customer purchase to generate goodwill.
“The biggest issue that Myer might have here is that they will lose people for next year’s [program],” she says.
“If I was them, I would be offering these customers something extra.”
Never miss a story: sign up to SmartCompany’s free daily newsletter and find our best stories on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram
* This piece was updated at 12:5-pm on November 23 to include comment from a Myer spokesperson.
