Last week I attempted to redeem 500 expensively earned points and get my XL coffee. I was told there was a “system problem”, and my points were lost. Right after I got to work, I composed an email to their support address. I got an immediate auto response and a case number. Not hearing anything for 5 days, I figured they just blew me off but, low and behold, I got an email yesterday saying my points were restored! I checked, and they were telling the truth! I now sit triumphantly sipping my XL rewards coffee! Below is the body of my email.
I have been a loyal Dunkin’ Donuts customer for many years and have spent a lot of money buying your increasingly expensive coffee.
This morning, I attempted to redeem 500 accrued points for a hot coffee at the aforementioned location. The crew member who scanned my phone app said that it wasn’t working properly. Apparently, it worked well enough to remove the 500 points and deprive me of my free drink. After I pointed out to her the fact that the system had removed the points and therefore owed me that free drink, she turned her head and spoke to the person who, I assume, is the manager and informed him or her of the situation. The response the manager gave her: “The system has a problem and there is nothing we can do.” I asked to speak to the manager, but the manager remained out of my view and refused to come to the window to speak to me.
I had to go to “scan and pay” in my app and BUY my FREE coffee. Apparently, the system that wasn’t “working properly” was working well enough to rob me of my 500 points and charge me for the coffee.
I only ask what is fair. I would like my 500 points restored or a free email coupon for one large cup of coffee. I also suggest that your manager not make a long standing paying customer feel like he is not even significant enough for a moment of his or her time. It’s also poor business practice because, even disregarding the human element involved here, the school district for which I work is only 1.3 miles away and employs almost 250 people. I’m sure you get a number of customers from my district every day. Creating negative feelings and a bad word of mouth atmosphere for one large cup of coffee is poor business methodology.
Gosh, you’re so nice and tolerant of corporate runarounds. All that effort just to get a cup of coffee? I feel like you should’ve gotten at least 5x that as compensation, like 2500 points.
I didn’t realize Dunkin customer service was so bad… it’s kinda sad. A large cup of coffee is nearly free to them. It’s pathetic they wouldn’t just pour you one on the spot, despite the app problem.
I agree, and that’s why I made that effort for just one paltry cup of coffee. I felt the manager was insensitive and uncaring. The manager should have come to the window, apologized and given me a cup of coffee.
I don’t know and never will know for sure but, in a case like this, I’m thinking corporate at least sends a note to the manager informing him or her of the complaint and the resolution. If so, my efforts may very well help the next person who encounters the same problem.
If I remember correctly, when I worked at Starbucks, we had quite a lot of leeway in customer service to just make things right without needing explicit manager approval for every little thing.
Customer happiness is more important than the miniscule profit of a single drink. And it would’ve cost more in labor time to argue over anything or pull the manager aside than to just make another drink, anyway.
That’s Starbucks, though, and 20 years ago… app difficulties weren’t a thing yet because apps weren’t a thing yet.
Damn, you took a bit of effort there. I bet a three sentence email would’ve gotten you a free coupon as well. My cousin used to do this whenever he had a bad experience at White Castle and just got coupons up the wazoo for (legitimately) complaining. He never wrote much more than a few sentences explaining the problem.
Glad you got your coffee, surprised they didn’t just hand one over anyway at the counter.
Yesterday I got a $10 coupon from Meijer without asking or complaining about very slow service for a grocery pick up.
They gave me a time my order would be available 3-4pm. Never got the confirmation the order was ready for pick up so I went there at 3:30 and pulled into a spot to wait for the text. An employee delivering other orders approached my car and asked if was waiting, she apologized said the order was still being shopped and would I mind waiting while she went to check on it. She came back right away said it’ll be another 15 minutes or so. And gave me a coupon for $10. Now that’s more like it!
The businesses which run these points things are counting on a substantial number of their customers to not use them. I run Meijer’s app which keeps track of points coming in and points leaving, like a mad revolving door. And then sometimes, instead of a discount at the register at the time of checkout, they’ll also spit out those money-off coupons that Jasmine mentioned for my next order-I’ll typically remember to use them, but forgot a $2 one last month (I’ve since gotten $25 of them and this time I making sure they get redeemed).
Tl;dr if everyone redeemed these points said system would soon be discontinued. As would happen with sales specials if everybody only bought sales items (like I typically do). But the clerks on duty are usually very understanding when it comes to redeeming said specials. Esp. when the tag on the shelf says one thing, but the computer does not.
I’m kinda shocked the manager didn’t just give you the free coffee. I am certain she has that authority. I mean, I’ve seen them replace a coffee dropped by a customer.
I saw a funny thing on Tumblr today that said something to the effect of “Dunks: where you order the same thing every time but never get the same thing twice.” I might also add that you never pay the same price twice. I’d like to say overall service has gone down, but it wasn’t premium to begin with. I’ve gotten a few “we’re so sorry” gift cards from them over the years. Not as many as I should and I go maybe once a month
“You can’t put a limit on my café lattes, it
says so right here. And I don’t want to get
dirty looks when I come in here. If Iwant a
café latte, you give me a café latte. And if
have any problems I’m gonna get my
lawyer Jackie Chiles down here and you’re
gonna be in really big trouble.”
