J Crew - end of the white card

The Post
When I wrote this post on J Crew's striped sailor always cardigan, I added some thoughts about not receiving the 25% off, multi-use white card from the company. At the time of writing, I thought I'd drop a few lines and end the post, but I got pretty wordy. And others chimed in with plenty to say as well. That surprised me. I don't know why as so many of us are loyal to the brand. It stands to reason that those who didn't receive the card felt slighted. I have to say I've received all of the promos until now, so I didn't know what it was like to not be included. -- Oh, no, I didn't receive the fruit or luggage, but I didn't expect to receive those. I've received most of the other gifts & the other promo cards sent by the company. I can't receive a catalog to save my life, so I haven't received any of the promos included in them and that's fine. It's been clear for awhile that they don't have the catalog situation together. 

The white card
I received a number of emails with readers offering their white card to me. Thanks again. I really appreciated the thoughtfulness! Those types of personal emails show how great online communities can be. I initially declined said offers because I was sticking w/my self-imposed ban. After a few offers I was happy I didn't accept a card from someone since the number on the back is trackable. There's nothing JC could 'do' to me. They can already track all sorts of things about me thru my site visits & transactions and you have to remember that we're all on camera when we're in the store. (These facts apply to any store.) Perhaps I sound paranoid about card trackability, but I'm still glad I didn't accept. I know some people wrote letters and received a card as a result. I didn't do that. I had been meaning to write a letter of thanks for the gifts I've received and I never did. I decided it would be rude to write to complain without having shown gratitude for the things I did receive. Although I do show love daily here on the blog. So there's that.

The wording on the white card specifically said to our most loyal customers, yet the distribution didn't reflect that. We have a choice about where to shop and JC should be thanking customers for shopping with them. Instead, they have changed the return policy. Changed the educator discount. Changed the alterations policy. And there's the everlasting final sale business which is just great (sarcasm) for items that are .com only. We accept their weak buttons, unraveling seams, cropped hemlines, escalating prices, recycled fashions (ruffles & graphic tees!) and other foibles, only to be punished like bad children because we're not buying enough?  Or is it that we're not buying at full price? Or is it that we have heavy returns? If the returns are heavy, pay attention to the free feedback on -- wait for it -- the blogs to learn the reasons why.

There was a huge range of 'loyal customers' who got the white card. Some said they shop online only, some haven't shopped in a long time, some are convinced it went to areas where stores are hurting and so on. Then there was The List. The stores got a list of customers who received the card. They also get a list each quarter of local customers who receive the J Crew credit card rewards. The store can use this list to ensure the customer has received their rewards card and/or call to remind the customer to use it. I believe they see the value of the reward card, which irked me when a SA alluded to that. It's one thing to perceive me as  a customer to shop a lot and it's another to see the exact amount I earned for my rewards card. I don't like it. At any rate, I think the list for the white card was to be used in a similar way. Not nesc to confirm that you're the proper owner of the card, but to call you -- if they chose to -- to ensure you received it. Someone made a comment that this whole thing was like mean girls and I have to agree. Did they think the details of the card wouldn't be spread online? Or did they know it would and wanted to see what sort of chaos would ensue? The whole vibe is like we're standing behind a velvet rope, seeing if our name is on the list to get into the club. There was no way I was going to ask my local store if my name was on the list. So I could hear the crickets? Also, I know if I was on any list, my store would call me. That's the kicker. They call & email me for various things and I always go to the store. The store treats me well and I return the favor with my loyalty. I am really conscious about what I buy with my PS because I don't want want to hit her w/excessive returns. If I buy online, I always take it back to that location because I know she or someone else in the store will inspire me to find something else. Too bad the store's headquarters does not ensure that my loyalty is rewarded. A couple of words jumped out at me a few times during all of this --> resentment & paranoia. What type of promotion creates those sentiments?

J Crew credit card
I think the white card should have definitely went to all J Crew credit cardholders. If they wanted to throw out some white cards to other customers, great. If every cardholder would've received it, I wouldn't have felt bad. This was supposed to be a loyalty reward, but there are cardholders that didn't receive it. I'm not even a cardholder. I just think that would be a fair way to distribute the card, esp if it is purported to be for loyalty. I've said it before and I'll say it again -- if there were what I consider to be true rewards with the JC card, I would carry it again. I chose to canx my JC card because it is not worth the possibility of a lower credit score for having it open not to mention the 20.9% interest rate. Sure, if I have it at a very low balance in relation to my limit or no balance at all, it may help my score. However, having an extra line open can make the difference in points. The type of lines of credit (loc) you have open affect your score. Credit cards are not considered as good as other locs. And whenever you open or close a line, you take a point hit. I've read about it on the credit bureau forums and other places. You think we're geeks for fashion? There are credit geeks obsessed with having the perfect FICO, which you can quickly read the % breakdown for on Wikipedia. And for the record, I'm not in finance so my commentary is based on my personal experience.

There are 2 tiers for the J Crew credit card, regular & silver, with no discernible difference between the two except a higher limit. The $25 rewards earned for each $500 spent are pretty standard, but heavily controlled. You have to spend $500 during a certain quarter to be eligible for your first $25 reward. I think if you spend $450, you don't get a reward (obv) & that amount is not rolled over to the next quarter. Which izsumbul. Please provide correct info if I'm wrong. (ETA: I have been corrected. The points do roll over.) (ETA: I was corrected again, which is completely in line w/my experience w/JC. It's very easy for everyone - incl employees - to confuse the policies. If you have a JC card, you should check to see if the points roll over or not.) I do know the rewards are mailed during a certain time frame, so you're panting like a puppy waiting to be fed as you check your box that week. Then you're forced to use them within a fixed period of time, which is about 6 weeks or so. In contrast, other retailers issue rewards when you've earned them. There's no need to look for them during a certain period. They show up as a nice surprise. Also, Nordstrom &Talbots have introduced the opportunity to earn rewards if you are not a cardholder and that is simply brilliant. You want me to choose your store in a crowded marketplace that has hundreds of retailers screaming for my attention? I will definitely give your company a 2nd look if I have an opportunity to be rewarded for shopping there, esp if you're not strapping me to a credit card to earn. I have the Nordstrom's Mod Card, which debits thru my checking account. And Talbots Classic Red Awards gives me 1/2 point for each dollar I spend whether I use my debit or MC/Visa card. Both retailers have had double point promos and the non-credit card reward programs are included. Let's all say it together -- inclusive. Let's keep it real, though. Shopping is not equal. Our budgets and choices differ. However, we have the opportunity be rewarded by some companies in relation to those budgets. That's inclusive and doesn't cheapen their brand in the process, imo. Anthropologie has the Anthro card. There are no rewards, but your purchases can be tracked thru the card, which is handy for a return if you lose your receipt. There is currently no time limit on returns. That policy applies to all shoppers. Inclusive. Also, Anthro has periods of time where shipping is free for Anthro cardholders. Again, another benefit for shopping with the store. Oh, and while we're at it, Talbots and Anthro remembered my birthday. Let's not even talk about JC missing it. Did they celebrate yours?

J Crew Diet
I'm so glad I had this JC break. I cannot even tell you. Actually, first I should tell you that I did go into the store to make returns. I returned a lot of things (spite!) and --  I re-bought an item during the sweater promo. I'm not stupid. That deal was good. So you wanna know what happened when I was at the register? The SA said, all sweaters are an additional 30% off, plus you'll get to use your red card. Y, I'm pretty sure she said red card. I should have played dumb and said 'what red card.' Instead I said I didn't get one. She had nothing to say to that. It was exactly how I thought it would be. Dumb. Uncomfortable. Nothing but crickets. The disgust I'd been feeling during this white card promo continued in full force. I had to go to Sephora for perfume to and rid myself of the funky feeling. At any rate, while on my JC diet (sweater cheat aside), I got more creative with my outfits. I have discussed this recently before -- not being as creative when wearing J Crew as I was when mixing many other retailers. I easily adopted the cardi/tee/jeans routine and I know I can do better than that. There's nothing wrong w/the look, but it begins to blend if I wear it more than a few times/week. Also, I pretty much feel uncomfortable in tees that are fitted, no matter how many embellishments are slathered on. I still can't believe I let myself get sucked into the number that I own. But that's Crewlade for you. It'll convince you that you really do need that $14.99 art tee.

How about these thoughts from Dinster:

"This is my first time posting. I posted on JCA about how I wrote a letter to J Crew Customer Service about not getting a card. Reading the comments on your blog has made me even more mad. A list of names at the store? A letter to Slastena about promos only for Full-Price buyers? Are you kidding me? It's all so nasty and Mean Girl, straight out of high school. I've always gotten that impression, in the last year anyway, that J Crew is really trying to be the 'cool girl' at school, with all these articles on glamazon Jenna, the out-there styling, the tie-ins with so-called 'hip' brands. (although really, Tretorns were never my idea of hip). Some marketing guru may think this is a path to success, but to me it just feels wrong. For one thing, a truly 'cool' store would not be right across Crabtree & Evelyn and down the hall from an Auntie Anne's! For another, I want to feel good about my clothes and the stores I buy from -- I don't want to feel as if I have to measure up to their 'cool' quotient. I have loved J Crew for years, but strictly for their clothes, how their pants and coats/jackets had beautiful lining and were in sturdy wool I couldn't find anywhere else (this was around 2003/2004). I did not buy J Crew to be 'cool'.

So many retailers have bought the 'friends and family' strategy, and usually you don't really need a coupon to get the discount, the cashier will give one to you if you ask while shopping. Wouldn't it be great if J Crew wised up to this? Make everybody feel like they are part of a family? Instead of making some of us feel like we're the ugly stepsisters? (nothing against stepsisters ;-)"

I replied....
"I have also gotten the mean girl/in crowd feeling from J Crew. I've caught whiff of a theme of Jenna feeling awkward while growing up and feeling much more at home/free in NY...I've wondered from time to time if Jenna operates from the jr high, hs gawkiness she felt. I'm not saying she was a 'mean girl.' I'm suggesting that she has subconsciously carried her experience and it's showing up in styling, i.e. feeling more awkward or tomboyish more than girly while growing up & that translating into her 'borrowed from the boys' mantra."

Not too long after writing that, I saw this article on JCrewaholics which included the following:

"Toughest by far, though, was reaching adolescence and realizing that she was exempt, on height grounds, from joining the clique of girls who could pull off the sloppily big sweatshirt and supershort skirt combo, which on her was clumsy, not cool. “I had a boyfriend who asked me,” says Lyons, ” ‘Why can’t you look like all the other girls?’ ”

I cringe to think that Jenna Lyons is working thru some teenage stuff from eons ago and people are snapping it up as the latest, edgy fashion. Who does this model resemble?

After taking a step back these past couple weeks, I really thought about the current offerings at JC. The above outfit is cute when under the influence of Crewlade, but ultimately is not the look I'm going for. Long ago someone made a comment on The Mothership comparing JC to F21 & H&M. I scoffed a bit. Passed the comment by in disagreement. Now I get what she was talking about. If I mentally remove the JC label from my ruffle tees & sequin tanks and swap them for F21 labels, I wouldn’t know the difference. That will be my new barometer. Can I find this at H&M or F21? I shop both of those stores. Now I'm thinking if I can find it at one of those two, I’m not buying it from JC. As far as J Crew, I really hope some to see the return of great fabrics and return to better quality. I'm also looking from uniqueness with the prints & colors. I still love JC, I'm still a fan and I'm hoping that JL's $1M bonus wasn't just a way to keep her from jumping ship with others that left the company. The reason it appears other retailers are 'copying' J Crew is because a number of personnel moved to positions with other retailers. Personnel changes aren't the only reason we're seeing what we are at JC. I was looking for a particular comment someone made on The Mothership. Didn't find it, but did bump into someone mentioning previous merch being made in Pakistan, which is known for its textiles. The items that are made in China are not produced w/the same care, hence the experiences we're having with quality.

As far as this whole promo card, I had to keep asking myself why I was so angry. I came to the conclusion there are a number of reasons. I tapped into my own personal issues which include having spent so much money in one place in a couple years time. I got bamboozled! I'd have to say I felt a bit of shame there. I also know there are also marketing forces that have been hard at work, convincing me I'm a friend of J Crew. It's just not shaping up to be a true fact. Perhaps I woke up a little bit from my customer coma. As stated before, I'm not sure how things will shape up, but will definitely continue to review J Crew. I definitely want to keep sharing irl pics & reviews. I expect blog activity to eventually continue as normal w/relation to the company. However, I'll be curious to see how my shopping habits fall out in the next few months and over time.

What changes would you like to see J Crew make with future promos like the white card? 
Anything you'd like to add about other JC promos?
Do you have thoughts on the J Crew credit card? 
Would having better credit card rewards increase the number of JC cardholders? 
What would you think if J Crew offered an additional % off sales for cardholders?  
Would you like to see J Crew offer a non-credit reward system?  
Do you think better credit card rewards, more JC cardholders and a non-credit reward system would cheapen the brand? I bring this up because they seem to be targeting elite group that they think isn't interested in rewards. (?)

Please share your sentiments and no personal judgment or personal criticism.

Chime in...
♥
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For the record and because there are always new readers, no, I don't secretly work for J Crew. I don't work in marketing or for any retailers. I'm just another fan swimming w/you in the Crewlade. I've just moved to the shallow end.