NO STOCK OF DISNEY STICKER ITEMS - A SLAP IN THE FACE FOR CUSTOMER LOYALTY

On 23 November I ordered “click & collect” online from Dischem Kolonnade in Pretoria to the value of R636, specifically to collect enough digital Disney stickers so that I had the required total of 45 to redeem for the Lunchbox. I received an SMS to say they were processing my order. In their favour, they did try and contact me but unfortunately I have very poor cell phone reception where I live (2 ½ hours from Pretoria). I went to the Dischem Kolonnade on 26 November to enquire about my order and was told that they were waiting for stock of one of the items from another branch. It was due to arrive that afternoon and the order should be ready the next day. She said that I would receive an SMS. I enquired about the digital Disney stickers and the lady at the counter told me that they would be issued as soon as the order had been completed. I saw a stack of the Disney lunchboxes I was hoping to collect. The next day I returned to Dischem Kolonnade as I was going home and needed my order and I still hadn’t received an SMS. The lady (different to the previous day) took down my order number and enquired about my order. While we were waiting I saw that there were no lunchboxes left and I asked her about the one I was now hoping to claim with my 45 stickers. I was told they were out of stock. I enquired when they were going to get more stock and she rep**** that they weren’t getting any more as the promotion ended the next day (28 November). I asked whether I could go to another branch and she told me that no-one had stock. I am not sure if she was aware that the promotion may have ended on 28 November but customers are still allowed to redeem their stickers until 24 December. While I was waiting two more people came to the counter to redeem their stickers only to be told that there wasn’t stock of the item they wanted. Not wanting to go home with nothing I took the Salad Box for 40 stickers. One of the other people did the same. To qualify for the large Lunchbox you needed 45 stickers which required you to spend R5500 and at the end you are told there is no stock left with almost a month to go before you can no longer claim. I think it is outrageous that we are told there is no more stock coming in – too bad, so sad – was the attitude. I thought to myself how many times I specifically went to Dischem instead of Clicks so that I could get stickers even in the cases where the items were more expensive at Dischem. Obviously this is the whole idea behind the promotion except now one’s loyalty is rewarded with a slap in the face. A few months back Spar had a promotion with MasterChef pots and pans and there was a shortage of lids at the end. Spar made a plan and got some lids into the stores. Surely Dischem had some idea of the number of stickers that were distributed since the start of the Disney promotion at the end of July. They were recorded on the till slips so their systems must have been able to tally the number of claims there were going to be. To run out of stock with a month to go is unfair. Come on Dischem you can do better than this to reward the loyalty of your clients.