My thoughts :
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I agree with others on the elitist aspect. it's fundamentally wrong to provide either early access or exclusive items that the "inner circle" or those that can afford will be the only beneficiaries of.
Many may and probably will disagree. -
Anything that requires designing, sourcing, manufacturing, and delivering yet MORE product when that is part of the fundamental problem in the first place is just a bad idea and totally defeats the purpose. Be it a mug, a calendar, a pin badge, a bag of crips or whatever. It doesn't matter if it's made in Japan or Woking, it all takes time and effort and is a distraction.
If the crew want to drop stuff like this in as one offs whenever they choose to whoever they choose that is their prerogative, but anything beyond that becoming some kind of "right' or "expectation" or “scheme” is only gonna end in tears. As sadly, some of the comments on this thread show. It's like when people start dishing out employee of the month, more hassle than it is worth. There are many ways of rewarding/acknowledging people and their contributions for many reasons. Mostly kept private. At the general workplace or towards a customer. All at the crews discretion as should be the way. -
If anything I'd revert to Alex's original idea of some kind of "allowance" to whatever gathering may or may not take place. A voucher for a hot dog, a free beer, a tenner towards your train ticket. the financial aspect of it is secondary. It's the gesture, doesn't matter if you are loaded or skint, if someone gives you a tenner or a fiver or a pair of socks or a shake of the hand I'd appreciate it.
Yes many people will never ever be able to attend a gathering, so what. Let's hope those that do have a great time. It's like a football team wanting to sack their mgr cos their team didn't win the league, if that was your only criteria for success or enjoyment then every year 95% of fans would be constantly raging. You have to find some other measure of success and happiness.
If you can attend a gathering, fantastic, if you can't, then you've presumably been able to buy and wear some of the best clothes around and you ABSOLUTELY FU**ING LOVE THEM so really, you are a winner already. -
The point here seems to be to reduce the strain on the entire operation from sourcing to delivery. which must be critical or all the changes wouldn't be very bravely getting made. I've spent a lifetime knee deep in supply chain related stuff so I get it. Anything that takes the focus of the team away from keeping the very considerable amount of plates spinning all year round because someone is griping about not getting the right sticker or chocolate bar or staff member 'X' forgot to put extra kisses on the big spenders Christmas card is just a distraction no one needs. It will only add to the hassle, increase the likelihood of moaning and people feeling left out and take folks eye off the ball.
As this thread has shown, the whole loyalty thing in the first place was low key, most people wouldn't be aware of it, so to bring it out of the shadows and come up with a new version in my opinion will just become a millstone. -
The biggest loyalty reward any customer can get is for the brand to simply be able to keep doing what they do and delivering the goods to the level they do and continue to foster the community and the whole 'story'. Most people have zero idea of the complexities : commercial, personal, logistical that go into bringing anything to market. You may think you do but you'd still probably be nowhere near it. To do it so successfully day in day out at this level is no mean feat.
We need to respect that and let the team actually focus on delivering the goods. In fact if I make it to any kind of gathering then really it should be us buying THEM a beer. I am relatively new to this but have picked up quite a few things in a short space of time and I totally love it.
It's like when you find a new favourite band, you'd be gutted if they split up.
So I don't want the wheels to come off because the "Men of Iron Heart" calendar has had a delay at the printers and the big spenders are raging.
I've already gone on too long but you get the gist.
