It’s Just Not App-ening, Part 6
A convenience store I frequent recently restructured its rewards app. With the old app, you typed in your phone number on the PIN pad, it gave you a “Yes” or “No” prompt to ask if you wanted to use any applicable rewards/discounts you had earned, and that was that.
With the new app, you type in your phone number on the PIN pad to verify that it’s you, but then you also have to open the app on your phone, find the right reward/discount, tap it to open a barcode, and then the cashier has to scan the barcode the same way they scan regular items.
The new app means that it’s actually MORE difficult to use your rewards/discounts, due to all the extra steps, than it was with the old system. That sets the scene for this story.
I’m in line behind a middle-aged man who already seems grumpy. He’s been grumbling to himself about how slow the cashier is moving, how much time the customers ahead of him are wasting, and everything else. His turn at the counter finally comes, and he steps up.
Cashier: “Welcome to [Store], did you find everything you need today?”
Customer: “Yeah, I did.”
The customer puts his phone number into the PIN pad while the cashier is scanning his items, but doesn’t say anything about wanting to use his rewards. The cashier finishes scanning, announces the price, the guy pays, and then snaps to attention.
Customer: “Hey, wait a minute! Where’s my discount?”
Cashier: “I’m sorry, sir, what discount would that be?”
Customer: “For my rewards! I put in my phone number, but it didn’t take off any of the discounts I have built up!”
Cashier: “I’m sorry, sir, the new app doesn’t apply discounts automatically. You have to show us the barcode in the app.”
Customer: “What’s this ‘app’ thing?”
Cashier: “It’s a mobile app, sir. Like on your cell phone.”
Customer: “I don’t have a cell phone! How am I supposed to use your stupid new rewards program if I don’t have a cell phone?”
Cashier: “You can also tell us what rewards you think you have available, and we can look for them on our end.”
Customer: “Nah, you’re discriminating against me for not having a cell phone! I’m going to sue this place for stealing extra money from me since I can’t use my rewards!”
The customer stormed out to his truck and screeched out of the parking lot. I stayed back from the counter while the cashier sighed and gathered himself, and then made sure I had my phone ready to use my own discounts since I normally forget.
Related:
It’s Just Not App-ening, Part 5
It’s Just Not App-ening, Part 4
It’s Just Not App-ening, Part 3
It’s Just Not App-ening, Part 2
It’s Just Not App-ening
