A big "thanks!" to Blumre, who let us know about another email from J.Crew that reminds students about getting 15% off in-stores. (Again, I did not get this email. So I really appreciate Blumre letting us know about this.) Upgrade: that students are receiving 15% off instead of 10%.
Downgrade: the fine print (which is shown below) that indicates there is a change in policy.
Apparently the student and teacher's discount won't be honored over the phone or online any more. It also sounds like they cannot be applied with any other offer or promotions in-stores either. :( I have to be honest- this upsets me a bit. I have always been able to purchase more (and I mean much more) when I am able to justify buying items on sale with an additional percent off AND my educator's discount.Update: A big "thanks!" to Anon at 10:55 PM, who is a J.Crew employee, that let us know the following great news:
Hello aficionadas! I work at the J.Crew call center and PLEASE PLEASE know, we DO still honor the 15% discount. What is required to have this discount added is either a) your student email address or b) your email address from the school you teach. You can also email this information to contactus@jcrew.com and have your discount applied after your order has been placed. Please know the full price of the order will be authorized to your card, and then after your order has been shipped, the 15% discount will then be deducted and issued as a credit to your card/ gift card. If you do not have an email address from the school, faxing us your ID will suffice. I really hope that this helps you all out. We here at J.Crew LOVE your blog. Please also know, it is not just used to fix any bugs in our systems. It is also used to see what our customers are saying about us, and for us to learn how we may improve on our customer service. This blog is very well written, and a wonderful way to read. Thank you all so much for your loyal dedication to the J.Crew brand! Happy Shopping!
I am very happy to hear from this J.Crew Employee (which "thank you so much!" for letting us know too.) :)
What do you think of the fine print of this email? What do you think it means (maybe I am interpreting this wrong)? Do you think the policy has changed for the worse or for the better?
Hmm, the lawyer in me is parsing the small print . . . what is meant by "any other special offers or promotions"? Does that mean sale? Final sale? X percent off final sale? Free shipping?
ReplyDeleteI guess this is what some Aficiondas feared--they would standardize "down."
Wow--- I didnt even notice the fine print. WTG Alexis on spotting that!
ReplyDeleteIf they dont honor my discount anymore I am not going to shop online and over the phone. Shipping is outrageous(!), the items are expensive as is and my discount normally doesnt even cover the cost of shipping (but at least it helps). I just wont be able to afford it anymore!
ARE THEY INSANE??? So many of their customers are students who are on college campuses many of whom do not have a b&m near them... they can't afford this either... I think this will cost them customers and ultimately $.
I just learned about the teacher discount. I don't have a B & M store at all that I can go to...so I faxed my teaching certificate and did get a discount on three items in early July. Guess I can't do that anymore....really disappointed....However, since CS reps differ maybe I can get one that will still do it for me:) I can only hope! I will just explain my situation.
ReplyDeleteYou're interpreting it correctly. I was in a b&m this afternoon, buying up some of the tasty 40%-off merch, and I asked to apply the student discount. They told me that they can't apply it on top of the clearance discount.
ReplyDeleteA couple of weeks ago, at another store, the salesperson did apply it on top of the 40%, so things have certainly changed. Makes me sad. :( 15% off of their normal prices is still higher than most students can afford, particularly for the higher-end pieces.
As hexicon said:
ReplyDeleteWTG j.crew on effing over your CORE customers!
Well, this definitely is a bummer.
ReplyDeleteIt may be beneficial to try and milk out the discounts before everyone gets informed/tightens up on the policies. The employee at the Factory Store (ugh) I was at today said the discount would still apply on the "promitions" (read, $10 off all cardigans). Not sure if this is universal through b&m stores as well.
Obviously, these discounts are costing them more $ than they planned on and so they are limiting how they can be used. I think they will be saving money that way....not loosing money but I see blumre's point......
ReplyDeleteHi guys! I always edit (e.g. compact) the emails images (b/c they are too large to post). So that is when I noticed the fine print. I got that sick feeling in my stomach when I saw it too.
ReplyDeleteI really hope that they do not "standardize down" like Hexicon said.
See - this is crazy. I had always considered that the educator/student discount should be an above and beyond on top of the other discounts. I don't earn either, but it makes sense if they are doing it to "honor" those people as a policy. Much the way I used to get a military discount at many stores. Now, we learn it is really no more than another promotion code.
ReplyDeleteWell, I guess I won't be spending as much money at J Crew as I have been. I just can't afford their regular prices, even with 15% off. By combining the discounts, it allowed me to buy more (and spend more). So, J Crew is losing some of my business. I will go back to being a final sale after severl markdowns shopper. :(
ReplyDeleteHexicon - I love your comments. They are so blunt and matter-of-fact.
ReplyDeleteto me, it sounds like another example of this blog being used against us.
ReplyDeleteIt just makes me sad :( But I feel they were moving this way...their clothing is getting less student friendly with many of their blouses being dry clean only now, their simple cotton items getting thinner and more expensive - did anyone notice the thinner it gets the more expensive it is??
ReplyDeleteAnother pet peve of mine is that my store doesn't stock enough of any one item. I think that a few of the SAs in the store are my size and literally I never find pants in my size in the store - I have to order online. Not anymore without that discount!! I wonder if it works over the red phone???
My comment to Jcrew about using our comments against us is this:
ReplyDeleteThis is the BEST free marketing you could ask for! The minute one of us says we like/love an item, 12 of us run out and buy it. And remember many more people are lurking in corners doing the same thing.
Very few other retail stores can brag about this type of following and benefit from this free publicity.
Please, take our comments into consideration and stop taking incentives away when you still cant successfully 1. update your website, 2. get orders out of your warehouse 3. charge people correctly and 4. keep your customers relatively happy. This is when you should be adding incentives not taking them away! What is wrong with you people?1?
Have to agree with weab - just as some other Aficionadas mentioned in other posts, I think they've been reading this blog more for the gaps in their system not to learn how to make their customers happy.
ReplyDeleteI never used the discount before because I didn't learn about it until I found this blog (and that was after I stopped purchasing because of the no minimum free shipping going away), but I am sorry for those of you who did. :(
Apparently, the policy has always been that way and they are just making exceptions for those who ask.
ReplyDeleteFrankly, it's not very uniform then.
Despite the negatives though - they did raise it 5% :) So I guess I can't be too mad.
ReplyDeleteEven though I haven't received this email, I have already fired off an email in response. I hope that I get a proper, and not canned, response.
ReplyDeleteLame, JC. And blumre is so right - once somebody declares their love for an item here, most of us give it a look (or a second look if we weren't sure the first time around) and a lot of us buy. I've purchased items I never would have considered if it hadn't been for the Aficionadas (both here and on Polyvore), and I've purchased multiples! I can't even imagine the number of Jackie cardigans and Silky Jersey tees between all of us. If your items were somewhat afforable at full price, it would be one thing - but I don't want to have to limit myself to 1 complete outfit per season. The student discount is the only thing that makes me even consider purchasing an item at full price. If that goes away, I can wait it out for the sales - by then I bet you'll have a lot more inventory than usual to get rid of.
ReplyDeletescrew you jcrew!! what's the point of having the discount if they make it impossible for people to use....makes no sense......
ReplyDeletejcrewbug: did anyone notice the thinner it gets the more expensive it is??
ReplyDeleteReminds me of underwear. ;) The smaller it is, the more expensive it seems to get.
Also, that is a disappointment. I would be really interested in seeing what their demographics are like. Not who they're trying to target, but who they actually do end up selling to. Do you think anyone does reports on this?
WELL SAID CAW!!!
ReplyDeleteBeware Jcrew the social workers are pissed... we will community organize, and if you annoy us, we will do it against you ;) remember voices have bower and us social workers know how to use them... now where is Jcrewmommy when we need her?
bower=power
ReplyDeleteangry fast typing never works. why is that?
Off topic, but is the J.Crew website frozen up or really slow?
ReplyDeleteWelcome back, Alexis!
ReplyDeleteGoing to vent a little before I sign off for the night. (Warning: long)
I have a PS appointment tomorrow. This is my bad boyfriend's chance to woo me back. If things don't go well I think I am going to have to call it quits.
I've been a J.Crew shopper since 1993 or so. During the mid-90s I ordered stuff here and there, but J.Crew became a wardrobe staple for me in the late 1990s. Around that same time, I really begain having trouble finding things at Nordstrom--everything was too young or too old, too chintzy or too expensive. In 2004, I became a true J.Crew Aficionada. In the last four years, my wardrobe (bikinis to cocktail dresses) has become 95% J.Crew. And of my J.Crew purchases, 95% are made on-line.
I've never driven as hard a bargain as some of the amazing Aficionadas who are so good at getting a deal. Sure, I looked for the coupons in my e-mail, but if I really liked something, I'd pay full price *plus* shipping.
So I have to ask? Why does J.Crew treat its web/catalog customers so unfairly? Even though I am not even eligible for a student/teacher discount, the restriction is so unfair to web/catalog customers. I am so frustrated that B&M customers get all kinds of goodies I am never offered. I've never been out there trying to stack discount on top of discount--I just would like the benefits the store customers get. (Never mind the benefits that they *claim* are provided exclusively to web customers.) And when I say ask, I have asked J.Crew this question, and I've never received more than a canned "thank you for contacting us" answer.
Unless the PS treats me like $%#@, I know that I will buy a few things tomorrow. But if this PS is not willing to forge an ongoing relationship with me, I'm going to have to either take up with a new store or go to the retail equivalent of a convent.
Seriously, I don't know where I'll go. Nordstrom has no concept of quality, professional basics. Their Point of View department is for skanky secretaries, Savvy/Studio 121 are for kept tarts who want $300 jeans, and their tailored clothing is, let's just say, a little butch. BR hasn't appealed to me in a few years, I loathe Macy's (and my store is always too messy to find anything) Talbots is too dull, and I will slit my wrists before I enter Chico's.
So, I feel like Scarlett saying "Where will I go? What will I do?" And we know what Rhett said to that.
Thanks for letting me vent. I will report on my PS experience this weekend.
Blumre, I'm here, I'm pissed and I'm not making a purchase! I am all for standardizing their practices and policies, but they are most definitely using what they read here against us. I think we should consider starting a second Blogger page with membership and password to allow for "private conversation" on subjects we don't want monitored. What do you think, Alexis? Anyone else?
ReplyDeleteHex: Never say sorry for venting! I read every word of what you wrote and you made me feel like someone echos my thoughts! This is the place to vent. Thanks for sharing and reminding me that i am not alone!
ReplyDeleteJcrewmama (sorry I wrote mommy and not mama--- its late and its been a long day) I am in!
ReplyDeleteI like the idea of helping people but I hate the idea of this all being used against me or any of you!
This has always been the policy when the discounts were first introduced. The exceptions were made for customers when they asked.
ReplyDeleteAnonymous @ 9:39 and others, the question remaining is, will they continue to honor it when customers ask (either in stores or via phone/website)?
ReplyDeleteI not a teacher or student but I can totally understand how upset those that are must feel. However, don't throw in the towel just yet. The small print looks just like the small print that comes with any coupon. They all say "cannot be combined with any other offer". So maybe that is just he standard and you can still stack when you get a agreeable CS, like most (but unfortuntely not all) are.
ReplyDeleteHexicon-I really hope you have the best shopping day ever tomorrow. I totally agree with you about the other options out there, retail wasteland
As the associates come out of the woodwork, I really need to say that this is truly insane.
ReplyDeleteIt's amazing to me that a company who can screw up so much will decide to become tough about discounts. Do they care about winning customers back? Probably not or else they wouldn't be choosing this poor time for this decision.
With the economy how it is, most stores are using discounts to bring people in the door. If they think that a 15% discount on regular (over priced for the quality) will do that for a targeted group which typically has less disposable income, they are pretty crazy.
I am with hex here. I don't really shop anywhere but JC and BR. I do BR for most of my pants and basic tops. JC for the skirts and jackets and fun stuff. JC also has most of my casual wear other than jeans and my vineyard vines wear. I do spend money on high quality items. Full price for JC is not high quality for the cost these days.
Oh well. I'm really getting annoyed by JC and their policy changes. I live in the same city as a store but I PREFER to shop online.
To all the JC employees who read this, you can really make a difference by changing the shipping. You change that....you will see a difference in sales. Your competitors are beating you there. You also have BR with the same prices in store and online. Not too much to ask....
jcrewmama-I think that is a great idea. A blog/forum were we can discuss how to get the best deal with out big brother watching us lol
ReplyDeleteI think it's ridiculous that they won't let the student discount be combined with other promotions like additional percent off. I definitely purchase a whole lot more when I can combine the discounts. I can't imagine them losing that much money if people are buying more because they can combine discounts. Plus, I feel like I end up purchasing more expensive items because the combination of discounts make it seem like I'm getting a better deal. In the end, I spend more money than I would have normally.
ReplyDeleteOT, I was in my local b&m earlier (yes, my second time this week...) and they had a sign that said "All Novelty Jackets 25% off." It was put above the Ecole and wool Fionas. I guess the sale isn't so secret anymore.
Yes, jcrew beware of us because as easily as we buy we can also stay away, right girls ? (and guys?) I agree that 98% percent of my wardrobe is jcrew and they do have a unique place in the market, but as hexicon illustrates, they toy with our emotions. I wish other things in life appeared as aribitrary as jcrew policies.. Good luck on your date hexicon, stay to your guns!
ReplyDeletecaw: I agree. With the Fall semester starting (and a nonpaying Job until the spring semester) I've got to go on a J.Crew shopping hiatus, at least, until the Indigo Chambray shirts go on sale...and then for real after that. Too Much money for so little income! At least the combining of coupons offered some compensation.
ReplyDeleteI have a cynic within, but I haven't even had a gut feeling that the blog is being used against us. I'm potentially going to offend some people with this thought, but I think it's borderline narcissistic to think that they are moving *that* quickly to change policy based on our discussions here. Maybe that's not the right phrasing but it's what comes to mind right now. They *have* to have bigger fish to fry. Esp with the tech issues they are having. There are always politics in corporation and it takes awhile design, agree upon and carry out change. So I just can't see that they would be overly focused on what we're saying and make a change within a week or two like this. I’m sure that organizing their policies is probably always on the agenda. I’m aware that the blog has been up at least a couple months, but it was some months ago that J Crew pulled codes from Retail Me Not. As Anon @ 9:39 says, the discount has always been this way. So, imho, this is another example of a policy that was diluted along the way. J Crew clearly has communications issues, fearless leader and all. I've never heard of so many employees carrying out policies in so many different ways. We’ve all had suspicion that they are trying to appeal to a certain demographic and we’ve feared that we’re not included. I am in agreement with that. J Crew has gone upscale and aiming for a different market. Unfortunately that’s shutting out students and teachers. I think it’s ridiculous because not every student is a 19-year old shopping at American Eagle. Some students want to cover their bodies in different ways than the looks those clothes provide.
ReplyDeleteI am totally on board w/Hexicon about clothing in general. She covered Macy’s and others. I’ll add that Bebe (too trashy), Arden B, The Limited, Express are just not doing it for me. Alexis posted an article awhile back and within it is the fact that there is a huge gap in the market between jrs and the Chico's set. I'm in that gap! And I'm wondering if there are other lurkers who work for BR or other companies that are reading the blog. I imagine there are competitors watching Mickey Drexler's moves and if they do research then they've seen this blog. If so, they can see how much we love J Crew and why. Perhaps they will make changes in their company accordingly. We are here and ready to spend.
Random thought -- I think it's funny how ON has knocked off some J Crew items. I'm telling you -- I think all of these clothes are made in the same factories regardless of the corporation.
I am still OK with J Crew keeping an eye on the blog. I think it will, unfortunately, lead to tighter discount policies. However, I also think it will lead to things like less expensive shipping and better benefits for card holders, in the future. At least, that is what I choose to believe, for now. My glass is half full.
ReplyDeleteOT but still speaking of discounts. A pre-shopping Cole Haan discount code came out today. Wanted to know if anyone would like it? It is nly 20%, but their sales are much harder to come by.
Looks like they had "in-store purchase" about the student discount on the website too:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.jcrew.com/AST/HeaderNavigation/Help.jsp
I think this has been the policy all along but they were allowing it as a courtesy over the phone? Also, it specifically says college students, but grad students have been getting it too.
I was all set and ready to buy stuff online at the final sale with the extra 30% off. However, by the time I applied the discount I realized half of it would be eaten up by the shipping charges. So, I chose to forgo the purchase. I had stuff for myself, toddler, and husband in the bag, but I could not justify saving money on a discount only to pay back most of it in shipping. It seemed like a loss to me.
ReplyDeleteAre you listening, J.Crew? I spend way more money for all three of us at Gap and BR because they do offer free shipping and discounts are stackable.
can you pls post the cole haan code?
ReplyDeletei applaud the fact that j crew has increased the discount to 15% off. for those who do live near a b&m store, i think a sa can help get what you need from the catalog by simply showing the required student/educator's id and mentioned that there is an item not available in stores, only on web that you would like to purchase it. the sa can verify your id and help place an order over the red phone.
ReplyDeleteof course for those who aren't near a b&m, then what is the alternative?
It has seemed recently that it has been open policy TO combine the educator with the other promotions...anytime I have asked at my store they say "Of course...no problem", and the same over the phone. Why would they all be allowing it and doing so with a big smile if they were going to take it away now? It just doesn't make sense...I hope and pray it's not true.
ReplyDeleteGigi-I agree with you. I don't think it is possible for j crew to be implementing policies in connect on with the blog so soon. But I do worry that in the coming months they will be much stricter with the PM-ing store sales. Not just because of this blog though. There are other places were people are sharing and discussing this info. So if changes do come, we should remember it is not necessarily to do with the blog or our posts
ReplyDeleteJenn_Brak - I would LOVE that discount code if you are willing to share it!
ReplyDeleteI hope I was clear earlier - I am not suggesting abandoning this site! What I was suggesting was a second place where people who had concerns about saying certain things publicly could go to discuss them in a Members Only setting. Nothing could or would ever replace J.Crew Aficionada, and I am also glad the management of J. Crew is reading here. I think that overall, it will be a positive thing that they head what we say, like, buy and dislike. Like someone said previously, we're a free test-market, a known quantity of people who are loyal J.Crew shoppers over a course of years and various incarnations of style at J.Crew. It had been suggested in various places that folks might not want to say certain things in ubloic, or might feel exposed as customers. If so, a members only section or alternate website would be one option. I would hope the primary discussions would remain here. (I know I would take mine here for the pmost part.)
Alisha
Cass- Send an e-mail to jenn_brak@yahoo.com and I will send the Cole Hann e-mail on to you.
ReplyDeletefor those who are tall and need to order tall sizes only offered online, this fine print is discouraging.
ReplyDeleteHello aficionadas! I work at the J.Crew call center and PLEASE PLEASE know, we DO still honor the 15% discount. What is required to have this discount added is either a) your student email address or b) your email address from the school you teach. You can also email this information to contactus@jcrew.com and have your discount applied after your order has been placed. Please know the full price of the order will be authorized to your card, and then after your order has been shipped, the 15% discount will then be deducted and issued as a credit to your card/ gift card. If you do not have an email address from the school, faxing us your ID will suffice. I really hope that this helps you all out. We here at J.Crew LOVE your blog. Please also know, it is not just used to fix any bugs in our systems. It is also used to see what our customers are saying about us, and for us to learn how we may improve on our customer service. This blog is very well written, and a wonderful way to read. Thank you all so much for your loyal dedication to the J.Crew brand! Happy Shopping!
ReplyDeleteI agree, if an item is only offered online they should offer the student/teacher discount there too. How else am I supposed to be able to afford the item?
ReplyDeleteAnon @ 10:55: I just saw your comment! Thanks so much for your kindness, and consideration. :)
ReplyDeleteI haven't used the teacher discount yet as I didn't think I was able to 'double dip'. I've lucky enough to get decent deals without it. Good thing I am not used to stacking codes. Guess you can't miss what you never had.
ReplyDeleteI am pretty happy with J.Crew lately. My experiences over the past two weeks are much improved.
jcrewmama- I totally understood your idea. :-) Someone else suggested a forum, which is also a great idea. However, I think a forum would attract random people and could get a little ooogly. Unfortunately there is no way to truly identify people in forums and blogs. You don't really know who people are or their intentions, even if the site is password protected. Constant Chatter is a good example. You need an id and password and I think some people just make up ids for the sake of venting a particular thought.
ReplyDeleteI think some people have buddied up through email to share thoughts they don't want to post here. I've definitely done that. For the record, please don't take my comments negatively in any way. I met my husband online, so that pretty much refutes what I just said about not being able to identify people. *lol*
Does anyone else have skype - i text chat on there a lot with profs. It's nice cause you can send links, pics, files easily.
ReplyDeleteAnon at 10:55pm/JCrew Employee: Thank you so much for taking out the time to clarify that point for us. A big "thank you" goes to you!!!! :)
ReplyDeleteJCrewMama - I guess you are right and I'll just post the code. FALLVIP.
ReplyDeleteI understand the desire for a more private setting to exchange information, just don't understand how it could work.
Actually, this brings up a question that has confused me since beginning commenting here. WHy do people choose to be anonymous? I understand the J Crew employees needing to be anonymous, but why do others choose anonymity? Sometimes, it makes me suspicious of their comments. Is this common in blogging?
Anon/J Crew Emp: Thanks! Can we combine discounts? Like with the extra30 code? I've gotten inconsistent thoughts on this one when I call in.
ReplyDeletehexicon: Loved your comments. You are so spot on about the other retailers.
ReplyDeleteI've been credited a number of times for the discount. As an underpaid part time faculty member, I really appreciate it and see how it's also smart marketing. Students and colleagues do notice what we teachers wear . . . and sometimes ask. J. Crew clothes are just right on the difficult-to-negotiate spectrum of acceptable teaching clothes. Neither too casual or too stuffy.
ReplyDeletehexicon: I agree with mom-nyc! Your comment about the different stores was great. I was trying to rack my brain to see what I would use to fill in my new wardrobe gap and came up empty. :(
ReplyDeleteJust place an order over the phone.....for only one top.....got the 30% off and the educators discount as well as free shipping b/c JCrew has messed up 3 of my orders....I have just as nice AM as well as PM CS reps answer the phones as well as many not so friendly CS reps in the AM or PM as well.
ReplyDeleteJenn-Brank,
ReplyDeleteNo worries! When you opted to email the code earlier rather than post it, I assumed it was a single-use code. So, I went on a hunt online, and I found that very code myself (love you, Retailmenot.com!)
Thanks for posting it for us all, nonetheless.
As for how a private blog would work, it just requires people to register, and the blog owner can require as much or as little info from each member as they wish to ensure the members are folks the owner would want posting and reading there. Even Blogger allows it to a certain degree. It would just be another place for people to share with the group without feeling like their words are being seen by anyone else - including J.Crew staff. I haven't had a problem with anything I've written or seen written here or wished it were private, but I know others have at times. Anyway, it could be made to work, but is compeletly optional and voluntary for people! No stress, no pressure, and I'm not doing anything without Alexis' approval and consent - it's her baby! (I have my own blog where I can mouth off if I want to, and I have done so about J.Crew there.)
:-)
Alisha
JCrewMama I just chose to e-mail it becuase the e-mail that accompanied the code was very cool and thought people might enjoy seeing what was coming soon. BTW -the code works on all merchandise, not just new. I see a verdant green handbag in my future!!!Retailmenot.com is a wonderful tool! I seriously have not paid shipping for any online purchases in about 13 months. I made a purchase from a store with a 16 month old coupon code and they honored it. More for my audacity than anything else! I figure if I have to pay shipping, than the purchase is not to be. A great way to limit my spending!
ReplyDeleteJenn_Brak,
ReplyDeleteSounds cool. I'd love to see it - would you please forward the email to me (if you still can) at alishanocpam@gmail.com.
Thanks!
Alisha
jenn_brak: my online shopping philosophy re: shipping is the same. If I can't get free shipping, then I generally don't want the item. Free shipping codes at J.Crew are havoc on my bank account, which is why a little piece of me is always happy when they expire.
ReplyDeleteI was at J.Crew last weekend and used my student discount (new 15%) along with the 30 /40% off sale items (can't remember which). The sales girl said they weren't doing this anymore but she would let it slide.
ReplyDeleteUm, I just heard on an economic report on the news this morning that people are not buying clothes. They are buying a bit of furniture, some electronics, but they are not buying clothes. We are apparently the only group of average people still out there buying clothes in these poor economic times. So, J.Crew, HELLO! Throw us a bone here!
ReplyDeleteI've not had a problem with stackable discounts in my b&m thus far, but over the phone, no rep would apply an educator's discount on top of final sale items. I do think the company is adjusting/toughening its policies in direct response to the information it sees in this blog.
I guess they think it's smart for their bottom line, but don't be too sure. Remember what happened to the Gap when it diversified and expanded too quickly and went from a nice cheap place to buy chinos and jeans to a much more expensive (and emptier) behemoth that had lost its identity?
I'm afraid the tighter J.Crew's policies get, the less I'll be willing to throw down my hard earned money on their product.
And, a smart clothing company knows that one of the best ways to advertise its merchandise is to have people wear it. If an item is beautiful and tasteful and affordable (like J.Crew's merchandise) I buy it. In my school, I'm probably one of a few teachers whose students ask, "Where did you get that? I love it!" And then they visit J.Crew in addition to Abercrombie and Hollister and spend money. Reducing the benefits of student/teacher discounts just seems counter-productive on so many levels.
ReplyDeleteA few thoughts...I have not had near the shipping/lost order problems as most of you. I have been very fortunate that when I placed multiple orders during the 40% sale, I got all my items.
ReplyDeleteI have never tried to stack the student/teacher discount over the phone, but do show my ID when in stores. Never had a problem.
I am like many others on this blog, who don't have access to a B&M store nearby, so all my purchases are online.
It is very frustrating that shipping codes are not always available. One reason I continue to shop at BR is because I am LUXE and get free shipping, free alterations (on all items!!), and they often send additional discount codes.
I too have the silver JC card. What has that given in extra benefits??? Nothing. I continue to shop online with JC becuase I like there clothing. However, I cannot tell you when the last time I bought a full price item was. It's just not worth it when I have to order online and get charged shipping plus not being able to use a student/teacher discount.
Then there is a whole other issue of emails. I have them on all three of my emails. Do I receive emails from them on a regular basis to any account? No. I have yet to get several of the emails mentioned on this blog.
So my thoughts to JCrew are this: you really need to reward your loyal customers, offer better incentives to your card holders, and be more consistent with your business practices.
The easiest way to loose customers is to upset them by making them feel their business is not important.
Sorry for such a long post...
I am so mad. Today when I email to get my teacher's discount they told me that I would have to do it via my school email address. I tried to explain that during the summer these addresses are locked (for lack of a better word) since so many teachers are coming and going in our system. David (not very knowledgable) really ticked me off. Grrrr.
ReplyDeleteugh - this was not what I wanted to see this morning. I agree with all of you, and am glad we can still email in for web/phone discounts. the not stacking thing though is a problem...I'm hoping "promotion" just means things like the 25% off the ecole/fiona, not general sales. who knows though...
ReplyDeleteHas anyone had success using a student or teacher discount with a free shipping code?
ReplyDeleteI'd rather not switch my J. Crew orders to my .edu email address, but if I can get free shipping and the discount, it would be worth it!
j - I haven't switched my account info to my .edu address. I just always email from that address once my order arrives with the order #, name, and zip code, and they adjust it from the email. I've started to get jcrew emails to that account off and on, but it doesn't seem too bad, and I definitely didn't switch anything under "my account"
ReplyDeleteAs other associates have said, this has always been the policy and discounts were sometimes stacked on a one off basis. Just a quick note on the difference between sale and promotion- "sale" is a markdown on the actual price ending in .99 and "promotion" is a limited time lower price, ie merino sweaters for 59.95.
ReplyDeleteAnonymous sales associate, what you are saying isn't entirely the case. You used to be able to get the extra 30% when final sale items were placed in the basket, then add a free shipping code at the end. Now, you have to enter a code to get the extra 30%, and there's nowhere else to enter another code. To tighten policies like this when the economy is so poor is not the best move; other retailers are sweetening incentives to bring in customers. All JC is doing is alienating the loyal customers who have been there all along.
ReplyDeleteMaybe it was a one off basis, but it happened very often, often enough to seem to be that the policy was stackable discounts. I spent a lot of money during those sales.
ReplyDeleteJust ordered something using the red phone and was nit able to combine the teacher's discount with the 40% extra. I called back to talk to another CS, and she said the same thing. She said it is part of the new policy, just like they won't ship sale items for free even if you have full priced items. So I'm not sure if in the future Jcrew will slowly stop combining those discounts. The second CS finally said she was going to combine it for me for THISTIME only. The only thing that really bug me was when she said, "55% off is a lot, we can't really give that..."
ReplyDeleteMy B&M had no problems at all combining the extra 40% with my reacher's discount. If stores can do it without judging that a customer is getting too much discount, why can't CS do it over the phone? Plus, the whole point of sales is to stimulate sales, is jcrew not wanting us to buy or what???
ReplyDeleteThe stuff I didn't buy this morning because CS phone reps wouldn't honor the SHOP free shipping code along with the 40% in store promo (I would have taken the 30% if they'd allowed the SHOP code) is still in my basket as of this moment, and it's been there since Tuesday. No one else bought it. And now, I'm thinking I don't want it anymore. So, ny0311, I'm guessing they don't want to move merchandise, because this would have moved into my house by now if they were more consumer-friendly.
ReplyDeleteNice job, J.Crew.
I just placed an order over the phone and was able to use the 15% student discount AND a free shipping code - I asked the sales rep if I could use the shipping code and she disappeared for ~30 seconds, maybe to check with someone about current policy...?
ReplyDeleteI'm unlikely to continue shopping on their website if they discontinue that policy, especially with the redesign - I like the old site so much more!
.deb
ReplyDeleteThat's great that you were successful in the quest for stackable discounts! I had a miserable bad karma jcrew day. Maybe I'll try again tomorrow. Hopefully I'll find some customer friendly reps. The ones I spoke to this morning acted like it was their own money they were protecting. Penny wise and pound foolish, as my grandmother used to say.
It's nice for those who use the teacher/student discount that J.Crew has a "secret" exception to its policy that the discount may not be used on the phone or on-line, but why???
ReplyDeleteWhy go to the trouble of "clarifying" the policy if there is a "secret" exception? All it means is that *some* CSRs will cooperate and some will say "No, we have a policy."
The economy is taking its toll on the clothing industry so it makes sense that JCrew will be tightening its belt on discounts.....just shop somewhere else or pay the higher price...it just depends on if you really want and/or NEED the item. You know, one can only wear so many clohthes! :)
ReplyDeleteAnonymous SA
ReplyDeleteJ.Crew will indeed force some of us to shop somewhere else, as you suggest. Poor economy means incentives to buy non-priority items, and indicators suggest that people aren't buying clothes. Does J.Crew want us to buy their clothes or not? What middle class shopper can afford to pay a hefty price for clothing when gas is at an all-time high? J.Crew can delude itself into believing that it's Loro Piana because it uses their cashmere vendor or Louis Vuitton because of the much-touted Italian leather used on their bags and shoes, or try to market the $5,000 rolex to those customers, but the core of its shoppers was and has always been middle-class or upper-middle class clients, not the 3% of the population who can afford luxury brands. So shopping somewhere else is indeed an option for me, as it must be for many other contributors here. If I could afford Dior I would buy Dior.
J.Crew has always provided an affordable and stylish clothing option for me. You are right on this, anonymous SA: new clothes, unlike gas or food or the mortgage, are not a priority. And if J.Crew continues to tighten its policies when no one has any money, J.Crew may no longer be a priority when I'm shopping. And if enough people feel the same, there won't be as many J.Crew SA's, now, will there?
Oooh, I just placed an order a few days ago on 8/13. Everything I ordered was in the sale section and I used the EXTRA30 code for an additional 30% off. I sent an email (a sort of sucking up one!) to contactus@jcrew.com asking them to honor the 15% student discount...AND THEY DID!
ReplyDeleteHere's my original email and the one I got back! So they still totally are doing it; I got the email back today!!
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MY EMAIL:
Hello! I just placed an order, and the confirmation number is XXXXX. I know that you honor student discounts (I believe the amount was increased this month to 15%!), and as you can see from my email address, I am a student at Boston College. I would appreciate it if you would adjust my order amount to reflect the student discount.
I know you guys have been having a rough time lately with the website upgrades -- I love J. Crew and I appreciate the great customer service I've gotten over the years. Thank you so much! Please email me back or call me at XXXX if you have any questions about verifying my status as a student. Thanks again!
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J. CREW'S REPLY:
Dear XXX:
Your inquiry is important to us and we sincerely apologize for the delay
in responding to your email.
We will gladly honor the 15% student discount to your order. This will
reflect as a price adjustment to your order. You should expect this
credit appear to your Mastercard within 3-5 business days after your
order as shipped.
If we can be of further assistance, please let us know by responding to
this email at contactus@jcrew.com or calling a J.Crew Associate at
1-800-562-0258.
Sincerely,
Lora
Kate: Go Eagles!
ReplyDeleteWhat about us students that have always been getting 15% (select schools)? Do we get 20% now?
ReplyDeleteSo after reading that the student discount could be applied over the phone I gave them a call to double check and they totally said yes. In fact they were so nice, instead of making me go online to buy everything, they just did it for me over the phone on a couple of sale items. Just wanted to let you know they do honor it.
ReplyDelete