Thursday, December 11, 2008

J.Crew Sends Personal Touch With Orders :)

"Thanks!" to Tigs who was kind enough to share with us J. Crew's latest marketing card (shown in the image above) that came with one of her recent internet orders. The card reads as follows:

We've all read the news, and i think its safe to say, we've seen better times. We understand that now more than ever, where you shop is an important decision... So we just want to say thank you for your continued loyalty to J.Crew. Mickey

I am impressed by the note's message. I think it is a great move by J.Crew and Mickey Drexler- reaching out to customers in a more personal way. :)

Have you received this marketing card in one of your recent orders? What are your thoughts/ opinions on the card? :)

55 comments:

  1. Nope, haven't recvd any cards, I'd be happy just if they got my order correct & sent me a % off coupon.

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  2. yup i agree, additional % off and free shipping would be great! its not like he is at the point of bankruptcy. besides, we all still shop the same amount when the site gets back on right...so no loss on jcrew's part just more aggravation for us.

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  3. I don't know the "personal touch" just really doesn't do it for me. I feel like they're totally sucking up, when in reality they should just be sending out coupons or free shipping or something to reward us for being loyal customers. Cutesy stuff can only get you so far J.Crew!! OT - I just bit the bullet and purchased the short Brewster suede boots in Dark Acorn and the Lille coat in black for a total of $160. I'm pretty psyched, hopefully it won't get screwed up!

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  4. You just got free shipping and a % off with the hohoho code!

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  5. Any bets on what promos are going to pop up tomorrow or this weekend online? It seems to me that the tiered promos are working pretty well for them, since it's so easy to move up a tier with J.Crew's prices. I know that I was a total sucker for the HOHOHO promo, especially bc of the free shipping. I placed three orders this week alone! But the prices are just too good with the discounts. I managed to scoop up a pair of the silver with black maryjane Penelopes for $60! I wish they would just do a flat fee like every other online retailer, J.Crew are you listening?!!

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  6. ctutIsn't this the same note that came with the 25% off card? I got rid of mine but I could have sworn it's the same one.

    Aficionadas, does anyone have Serengeti ballet flats? BIG PROBLEM: I wore them THREE times and the buckle detached itself on the side... I am really depressed, I don't think I have a receipt anymore. What should I do?

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  7. P.S. I don't think they've been stitched up properly :(((

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  8. Yes, I just got that today with an order I placed for Christmas gifts for my daughters...i was going to copy it too you....but I'm too late, haha.

    At least this order was complete and correct. And free shipping with HOHOHO, FiNaLlY!!!

    -Suzy

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  9. I got it in my order today and felt that I was a nice touch. I have really made good use of the free ship/% off promo that J Crew has right now. Love it! :)

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  10. SanFran--

    I would call CS, if you purchased it recently they can probably still find your receipt. I know in stores they can look up purchases with the credit card that was used. Even if they can't, I would still complain...that is seriously not okay.

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  11. SanFranciscoCA - Just bring the shoes into a store, and they will give you the refund. I think they can look up the style number on the shoe and find the original price. I brought in an umbrella that self-destructed and they just gave me the original $ amount no questions asked.

    If you liked the shoes and a shoe clobber can fix it, I believe they will refund you the repair cost - you will have to call them to find out the address to send your bill to though.

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  12. I've also made really good use of the HOHOHO code. I think I have like 7 orders out currently. But it's not my fault I swear! Sometimes I'll check randomly and the item I've been waiting to reappear suddenly does, so I have to order it. Then another item, so that means another order. At least it's all free shipping. And what's really REALLY bad is sometimes I would place an order, the next day the sweater I ordered got marked down by $15 (damn you dream bow cardi!) and so just to spite jcrew I reordered it again, intending to return the higher priced one. It's just so frustrating knowing that I could saved $15, that's like...half a sweater or at least a tshirt.

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  14. I know what you mean! Even with all this 30% percent off sale today, but then tomorrow it's 20% off, and then again bam! 30% off...why can't j.crew just permanently reduce prices on last season stuff like more retailers do. I of course love and appreciate the 30% off and fs, but the effort is exhausting.

    Jcrew really expects its customers to work harder, it is very frustrating and I don't feel an ounce of guilt when I return something because it went down in price.

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  15. Thank you Prachi and anon @12:02!

    I REALLY like these shoes, I'd do anything to keep them!!!

    I'm going to be very skeptical about getting shoes from them in the future; this particular pair was on great sale but still....they shouldn't fall apart, it happened in the middle of town, I could barely walk, the shoe was slipping off my foot....

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  16. I don't suppose anyone has a S or M blouson-sleeve bateau sweater in heather graphite they're looking to part with? It's the only color I want and of course it's the first to sell out. Thanks!

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  17. Anon at 12:10am: I'm with you on that one. I don't feel guilty about returning something that went down in price and I've reordered. Just means I can buy more product.

    Jcrew can solve this problem by allowing price adjustments within a certain period of time (gap allows it for two weeks I believe). But don't limit it to full price items only!

    Just a thought. I mean, I'm sure there's a downside to offering price adjustments on sale stuff, but it would sure prevent people like me from ordering something with free shipping, the returning and reordering again since I don't have to pay for shipping.

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  18. Hello all! I am an associate (the same associate who mentioned the final sale waiver a few days ago). Auntie claus negated me but I've confirmed and double confirmed that sale items are returnable through January 1, 2009. Happy shopping!

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  19. Thanks for the tip associate. But this is ridiculous, J.Crew should make the return policy clear to customers...not something you luckily find out about in the comments of a (great) blog.

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  20. got one in each of my latest orders. i was kinda expecting it to have a coupon on the back or somthing.... :(

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  21. I am at this point very *VERY* happy with JCrew.

    I must confess that I used to write harsh feelings against JCrew, but I really enjoyed the HOHOHO promotion!

    And in the mean time, I also noticed that Banana Republic website did not have as much interesting sale as JCrew. As a result, I drained **A LOT** of money to JCrew.

    Ok, I also drained a lot to RevolveClothing, which has been offering equally incredible deals too! (A lot of sale is 50% off, and then there is an additional 25% off coupon, plus free shipping, plus no tax, plus return shipping is free!)

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  22. Promo is now 20% off of sale and FS on orders over $125.

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  23. They even went as far as to make it seem like it's hand written. Hrm . . .

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  24. If you are thinking about applying for a J.Crew card, now is a good time. The incentive for associates in the call center ends soon, so they will be willing to bend to get you to sign up. Ask for the 20%, free shipping, and free premium gift boxing. You'll get it, and maybe more if you ask.

    SanFran - Call J.Crew and explain your situation to the CS rep. You can fax the documentation of your expenses to the call center, and they will credit you. Otherwise, they can pull your receipt through the credit card processor. It's helpful if you know what day you were in the store, and you will need your full credit card number and billing address. Ask the rep to get "Support Services" on the line to do this; they have the tools to interface with the retail computers.

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  25. Sorry this doesn't cut it for me......there should be a free shipping coupon for any amount code to use. Heck, JCrew used to send these out with every order that had a backordered item in it!

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  26. I'll Pollyanna here and say I loved the HOHOHO promo. And the 30% one just before that. Plus some people got the 25% card. Not to mention an extra 20% for signing up for the J Crew card. I have purchased some great items and am happy that there have been specials. Sure -- the company is not perfect since the website has issues, but the employees have been great throughout.

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  27. I received 4 small orders in the last 2 weeks, there wasn't a card in the boxes, and the items without their usual tissue wrap, just in the plastic bags. The boxes and mailers were ripped also, something could have fallen out.

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  28. casual-crew: The ripped boxes indicate that the shipper had either mishandled the box, or opened. Either way, anything like that would not be liable to J.Crew, but they'll probably refund you if anything had happened anyway.

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  29. Tacky, lame attempt...and I think Emily Post would agree. Poor marketing strategy...that doesn't cost JCrew a sent...goes in the trash bin without even reading it all the way through...heck, I couldn't even get through the whole little note on this post!

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  30. Honestly, I don't pay much attention to anything that comes in the package except for the clothing and the receipt, so I'm not sure if I got one this week, or not. I have a couple orders coming today, so I'll be sure to check the packages extra carefully to see if they have the card from Mickey.

    Btw...LOVED the HOHOHO promotion...too good not to take advantage of. ;)

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  31. Jeff: I know J Crew was not responsible for the ripped packages it was done in transit, if something was missing UPS has to come and inspect the package, than a claim could be made, it just the hassle you have to go through to get refunded back. I did enough of that last week trying to sort things out with turkey.

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  32. Hmmmm, imo the note doesn't go far enough. "Better times" is he alluding to the economy or JCrew's web/warehouse problems...both? It still makes me angry that they really haven't come clean and admitted or apologized for the problems.

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  33. I appreciate the card. Yes, it does have identical copy to the 25% off card mailing, however, I still appreciate the effort. I appreciate that I'm being thanked for choosing them when I could choose any other shop to frequent. It's also nice to see a change from the 'Just Ask' red card that I've seen a billion times.

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  34. it's the same card as the 25% off card... yet i'm guessing people will get this card in an order when they DIDN'T receive the red card... i would be highly mad that I got the same thank-you, yet didn't receive the 25% off red card! doesn't make sense if you're using the same thank you note, and yet rewarding some and not all!

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  35. My HOHOHO order came in yesterday, and I had a card too. I was going to post it, but did not get to it.:)

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  36. The difference is : 25% off card was printed and then signed, this one is all hand-written ( or should I say- hand-stamped).:)

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  37. I am kinda embarrassed to say..I saw it at bottom of box and quick grabbed it to see if it was something special from Mickey for ALL my numerous screw-ups! But, I quickly realized it was just the same note as red card and didn't even completely read it to the bottom. Oh well, they have me no matter what, I think.

    I mean, when I think about it, their answer to ALL of my crazy hassles recv'g order after order with missing items was to offer me a greater discount and free overnight shipping. Guess who took the bait because she's obsessed?! SUPERB thinking on their part. I am happy, and they have more of my $$

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  38. casual-crew,
    The exact same situation happened with one of my packages last week. The box was large yet contained only 2 items from my order. I also noticed the box had no tissue paper. Of course I thought the box had been tampered with and called immediately. J.Crew was nice enough to credit my account back and offered me the 30%off from Turkey on any item I wanted. They also refunded my shipping costs from that order and offered free shipping on the replacement item.
    When I mentioned the missing tissue paper, the CSR offered the excuse that J.Crew was "trying to go green" and that the missing tissue was not unusual. I have never received a package without tissue and thought it was kind of odd but I really was happy about the hassle free call.
    My items have not shown up yet however the manager in my store said some of the items are sitting on the dock out of the original boxes and are now being sent seperately. This is creating problems because if you need to return that item for any reason, it appears to them that the item has already been returned.

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  39. I thought the gesture was still nice. When the website issues first occurred, everyone seemed to complain that they wouldn't acknowledge any problems or that they wouldn't offer attractive promotions in these tough times. Well, now times are even tougher and this and the 25% card and the constant promotions seem like they are trying and responding and listening. Maybe they haven't found the right balance yet, but at least they are making the effort.

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  40. I'm not into this gesture, personally. After reading about the TURKEY disasters, etc., I too feel that they can do better than saying "Eh, print up a bunch of those 'thanks' cards and throw them in to placate people."

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  41. The "go green" thing is correct. J.Crew will no longer be including tissue paper in the boxes.

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  42. I got one of these w/ my order the other day. It would been a nice touch had my order not been jacked up....

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  43. the hohoho order was fabulous! free shipping is one of the best deals esp. with jcrew. they're shipping gets so expensive some times! as for the card, i'd love to have some kind of coupon attached!

    oh and for you guys that have had an order messed up, it happened to me one time where something was missing and so they refunded me that entire price for my sweater and an extra $5 just because...

    has that happened to you guys?

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  44. The "go green" thing is also a cost cutting move for the company, however it is great for the environment.

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  45. Personally, I LOVE the tissue in JCrew boxes...I will really miss it...I "recycled" it and used it for all kinds of things...gifts, filler for my purses to keep them in shape, etc....let the dog entertain us by shaking it all around the downstairs and running around like crazy...ha ha...well, anyway, I really did like it...

    If JCrew is going upscale taking away the tissue just leaves plastic bags like everybody else and I feel looses the special JCrew touch that sets them apart.

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  46. I got this note in an order that I received yesterday. It was a kind thought for sure, however I was disappointed with them because they sent me the wrong pants! I had ordered the black watch plaid trousers and they sent me black corduroy pants in a bag labeled "black watch plaid" - the woman I spoke with was amazingly helpful and offered to send me them overnight for free for a party on Saturday, but I couldn't be home to receive them so I decided to shell the whole thing. I appreciated their helpfulness, and actually called back again to thank them, but I thought that the combination of the mistake and the card was...unfortunate.

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  47. Nils,
    Oh the irony....a screwed up order and the note was included....that is just bad bad business.

    A perfect example of why this note means NOTHING...absolutely NOTHING.

    JCrew is grasping at straws trying to save its drowning self.

    Yes, I know this is negative but it is the truth...

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  48. Well my orders came today, and they both had the cards in them...both orders were correct, too. :)

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  49. My order came today but I don't think there was a card - maybe I should double-check, though it doesn't make much of a difference to me. As long as I receive it in a reasonable amount of time - which I did - and it is correct then it is OK with me!

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  50. I was told by associates at my store both last week and today that I had the usual 60 days for returns of sale items bought in December. So that's what I'm going with.

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  51. It's extremely easy to make printed notes look hand-written these days, right down to faking a personalized-looking John Hancock. I'll take flat-free shipping, or free shipping, instead, please.

    I'm fine with no tissue paper in boxes - the less paper wasted, the better.

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  52. 2 of my 3 HOHOHO orders have arrived, and everything was perfect! Just got the shipping confirmation on the biggest one, and nothing says cancelled! Woo hoo!

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  53. O.K. If I didn't read this blog, I wouldn't know WHO IN THE HELL MICKEY IS! I ordered from JCrew for 6 years and never knew who anyone was (and I really didn't care) so why sign a card with Mickey and nothing else......I bet 100's of people got this card and thought, "Who is Mickey, a mouse?" (well if the shoe fits)and threw it away!

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  54. I thought this was bad move. I order tons of merchandise from J.Crew but never received the red card offering 25% off. On a recent order, I received this note, which I immediately assumed was the much-discussed red card. I was incredibly disappointed to see that it wasn't! Moreover, I was irritated: If the company, economy, etc. is in rough shape, why expend money on an impersonal "personal note" that most people will toss without reading? That seems like a poor way to spur consumer spending... but a great way to bleed money. The ongoing website issues are no secret, and it's inadequate to proffer a note which, essentially, says, "Sorry we continue to mess up; sorry you have less spending money; without further incentives, please buy our product."

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Dear J.Crew Aficionadas & Aficionados: Please feel free (and encouraged) to share your thoughts and opinions. :) However, please note that this is still a personal blog. So comments that are considered inappropriate (e.g. obscene, racist, homophobic, personal attacks, rude, and just plain mean) will be removed.

And now back to J.Crew! :)