Like many bookstores, we have a loyalty program. Our program is very simple: buy books under your name and when you’ve spent more than $100, your next purchase comes with $10 off. This program helps us get our customers’ contact info for things like our email lists and newsletter mailings.
Our program is free. I’ve never understood the point of charging someone to get a discount. It seems somewhat unfair and clearly skewed toward the bookstore making money off the customer until they’ve earned the money back and can actually start saving. We don’t even make people keep a punch card. All you have to do here is remember your last name and you’re all set.
The beauty of our program is sometimes people forget they’re in the Frequent Buyers Club, so when we tell them they’ve just saved $10, they’re practically leaping for joy. The happiest moments are when kids about eight or nine buy a book and it’s free. Yes, free. Saving $10 on an adult book purchase still means there’s a balance, but on a kids’ paperback often there’s actually part of the discount left.
Yesterday a boy came in and picked up his special order. I told him it was free. “Free?! Dad, she said it was free!” The father was incredulous. The boy looked at me with wide eyes, beaming, and asked, “Are all the books free?” I smiled at him and explained that for every $100 his family spends they get $10 off.
“Dad, let’s just buy a lot of books here!” And that’s how a loyalty program works.
Love it!!
Don’t you just love kids’ enthusiasm? Especially when it is applied to books.
I totally agree with you about paying for a discount program. Barnes & Noble keeps trying to get me to sign up for theirs, but paying for a loyalty program makes no sense to me, either. Wish I lived in your town!
Sue
Book By Book
You have a real loyalty program – you’re giving loyalty instead of just asking it of your customers.
Tim Tocher, author of ODD BALL: HILARIOUS, UNUSUAL, AND BIZARRE BASEBALL MOMENTS
Josie, our Loyalty program is also free and without frequent buyer cards. It’s in our Booklog Point of Sale
Program where when you buy 10 books it gives you a coupon worth 10% of what you spent to be spent on your next book(s). It used to be more exciting to the customer so we tweaked it a little. When a customer finishes the club b/w $200 and $300, they automatically become a 10% off customer (on everything except sale books and the gallery) and people seem to be pleased and surprised when that happens.
Awesomeness! 🙂 e
Where is your store?
We’re in Shelburne, Vermont, just south of Burlington. Come visit any time!