"Thanks!" to Naomi who shared with us two interesting articles about J.Crew's previous IT:The first article is "J.Crew To Bring Outsourced Tech Operations Back In-House" by Paul McDougall (at InformationWeek; January 17, 2007; click here for article link)
The second article is "J. Crew takes back some services from EDS" by a staff writer (at CBR Online; January 19, 2007; click here for article link).
The articles describe that during 2001-2007, portions of their IT were outsourced to an outside service provider (EDS). However, J.Crew wanted to take over certain portions of their information systems once that contract expired this year.
I am now curious if J.Crew's new system upgrade was completed by an in-house team or outsourced to a third party. Ultimately, I hope their system upgrade is completed soon. I must admit, shopping online at JCrew.com is one of my favorite things to do (and I miss it)! :)
Have you been buying the same amount online as you did before the system upgrade? Are you confident in making purchases online with J.Crew today?
I am not buying as much as before the upgrade. I admit I have a J Crew addiction but I am finding it harder to buy things. On one computer I can't sign into my account on the site, I can't get the items I want to go into my cart, I keep getting error pages and I can't get the coupon codes to work. The worst thing is having to enter the discount codes (30% off) in the checkout process. I liked being able to see the discounted price of items when they went into the cart. I used to put items in the cart to see what they came to with the discount. Now, I have to nearly complete the checkout process to do the same thing which is a huge hassle. I must say it has stopped me from putting a lot of "maybe" items in my cart which I used to do before. I usually ended up buying most the those items but they don't even make it into the cart now.
ReplyDeleteI tried buying two sweaters tonight and it won't honour the 30% discount. I could call it in but I think I will just wait and see if my other order shows up first.
Very interesting articles. Great find. I am still convinced that there is some internal sabotage on the part of some employees.
ReplyDeleteI agree, liana, I like it when the net price shows up in the cart. I have definitely purchased more during those times.
I have definitely purchased less since the upgrade...I chanced placing a phone order last evening and got the Extra30, Educator, and Free Shipping on a pair of Cropped Chinos and Serengeti Capri Sandals...I really, really hope they come, but won't be surprised if they don't, at this point.
ReplyDeleteI have purchased so much less since the website downgrade, which has been great for my wallet! The final sale is also a strong deterrent, because then I have to go through the trouble of listing on eBay for items that don't work out. Funny, I've become so conditioned to the final sale that I'm wary of buying anything on sale from other retailers because of the fear of being unable to return stuff.
ReplyDeleteI know we've talked about this before - before the website change I used to "speed shop" a few mornings a week. Now the layout is such that I have to have some kind of idea of what I'm looking for, plus have to think about if it's worth chancing an order that may never get here - not conducive to impulse buying!
I've gone to phone orders only. They seem to work and when sometimes after mentioning on line trouble they offer free shipping or a gift card. On line can't do that.
ReplyDeleteThis does not surprise me at all. The whole thing seemed like a change in supplier. I wonder why they opted to go in-house? Maybe I'll send them my resume!
ReplyDeleteI have also gone phone-only for the time being.
Re. Internal sabotage - what a strange thought. Why would you think that? Incompetence is the simplest and most likely explanation.
ReplyDeleteLiana: That is too funny that you admitted having a J.Crew addicition: I do to!
ReplyDeleteI also agree with you & GIGOFCA that it was nice to see the discounted price of items when they were in the cart not after the checkout process begins.
JCrew Guy in Canada & Molly.Porter: I can totally understand why phone orders seem like a good option over online right now- especially since they can check the real time status of items being ordered and possibly offer additional perks. :)
Silver_Lining: I know what you mean about "speed shop" in the mornings because I did that too! Once 6:47AM came around, I started loading up my cart and press "submit" before any items "leaped out" of my cart. It was quite the rush. ;)
FabulousFloridaMommy: I also hope you get your items. I think it is fantastic you were able to get all those promotions on the order too! :)
Like many others, I have purchased much less in the past few months. I've continued to place occasional small orders, and about 50% of the items actually ship.
ReplyDeleteI think one glitch that existed last year is being able to order items that are out of stock. The problem seems to be much worse now. Is the "unable to show item" screen a new remedy to prevent ordering items that are out of stock? I hope they can make real-time inventory work online. I would hate to lose the daily sale site updates!
Liana: I too used to put "maybe" items in my cart to test the prices. The new coupon code process definitely makes me shop with more purpose and spend less money.
Hey, what is the phone number for J. Crew card holders so they can be "first in line?" I am a card holder, but I threw away that information and can't seem to find the phone number anywhere. I have a feeling I'll be needing it soon.
ReplyDeleteJulie: I agree that ordering "out of stock" items seems to be worse now. It is always disappointing to know you can't get an item you thought you could.
ReplyDeleteAshley: I am not sure if this is the number you are looking for: The credit card company's (World Financial Network National Bank) customer number: 1-888-428-8810 (TDD/TTY: 1-888-819-1918) | Monday - Saturday 8am-9pm ET; Closed Sunday.
Since the website upgrade, I've been buying more stuff in the store and have made a connection with one of the sales rep's there (since I happen to run into her every time I go in!) I like it and there's less frustration that comes from knowing I have to buy four of something to ensure a good fit. :)
ReplyDeleteI did buy some stuff from the website, but only full-price items - I don't trust their inventory numbers on sale items! I also hate final sale. Perhaps this is their nefarious plan all along?! ;)
Melanie: I hear you about buying more from the stores! ;) It is also great that you have a SA you can turn to at your local J.Crew- that is super useful.
ReplyDeleteThat EDS firm or whoever J.Crew outsourced their IT to during the upgrade had better be humiliated. I'm sure they won't be getting new clients any time soon, and I bet their current clients are looking elsewhere for their IT needs.
ReplyDelete