After our first trimester of participating in the Blockbuster Rewards program, I’m not happy, I’m not feeling rewarded and if there was ever any doubt in my mind why this company is financially troubled and young upstarts such as Netflix are so popular, it’s long gone.
First, an introduction. The program offers what seems to be a decent incentive: Join for a reasonable fee (roughly $10, but the cost may vary by store) and you get 1 free rental per month. I’m not the brightest bulb in the bunch, but I know enough to realize this won’t be a new release. Still, their stores are fairly well stocked, and the kids like some of those movies in the middle of the floor, so when the manager-type says that you get to select from anything “not on the wall”, once a month, for an entire year, for just $10, it’s really not a bad deal. Guess again.
The first rental wasn’t bad. The second rental wasn’t either. The third time around was like a mugging, only worse, because you paid for the privilege up front instead of just being jumped in a dark alley. After the joy that is watching your kids fight over who gets to choose that month’s video, you stand in line and are charged for the rental. When you ask if this isn’t free, you then have the privilege of being berated by a high schooler because you don’t have your free rental coupon.
What’s worse is that the kid doesn’t know how to get the coupon. He just says that you’re supposed to get it with your rental each month, implying that you are stupid for not knowing it, or perhaps trying to pull a fast one by not bringing it with you. But what if the last time in the store was to get your free rental last month? Maybe you went to another store, he says. No, we don’t go to any other stores. One bad experience is plenty, thanks. Perhaps check your email? No, we didn’t get it by email, and we’re pretty competent on that front. No, it didn’t get blocked by the spam filter, thankyouverymuch. After several minutes of feeling like a criminal, he finally gives in, prints out something and gives you the free rental.
So with this experience safely forgotten, we try for month number four. The kids mill about, now realizing that the middle of the store videos pretty well blow, and half an hour later find something that isn’t bad at all. So we head for the register to get out while the getting is good. There is one person at the register – perhaps a college student this month – and three or four people in line. It’s not looking good. Once again, we’re charged, and I ask about our free video.
Again with the suggestion that we bring in our coupon, so being the helpful soul that I am, I try to figure out just when we’re supposed to get this coupon. The kid has no idea. He goes to get the manager, who does not improve the situation. I’m generally an easy-going person. But when I start to get impatient, it’s not a good idea to flick your hair and add “my friend” to the end of everything. As in “I’m trying to help, my friend” or “let me tell you how we do that, my friend”. It’s just bad.
So first, the manager tells me how the kids have managed to get a video that isn’t one that we can rent. But it was in the middle of the store. So he proceeds to tell me how they rearranged the store and now the middle of the store is no longer what can be rented for free. So I try and find out what can be had for a free rental. And he goes on about the middle of the store can still be rented for free (“my friend”). Except for certain areas (“my friend”). Finally, it’s three little bins that are in a particular area that are off-limits for free rentals (“my friend”).
The only problem? The movie didn’t come from one of those bins.
It came off the wall of new rentals and someone picked it up and put it down in the wrong area. I have no problem with that – really – but why it took this guy 10 minutes to explain why we picked it up from the wrong place when in fact we picked it up in the right place was not the right tactic. Just say “that’s a new rental”. Don’t try and explain it. Why do people try and go into so much detail making you look stupid?
Back to the little coupon. I was determined to figure out how to get it and avoid this next month. Apparently at some time during the month, Blockbuster physically prints these things out. But they do it at various times, so you have to guess when they do it and you can pick yours up (there’s a waste of money, my friends). So after they do it, and assuming you guess right, and if you have a transaction, and if they can actualy find your coupon, then you will get your coupon and you can then remember to take it with you so that the next time you can come in and hand it to someone so you can get a free rental without all the hassle.
If you don’t, you will need to get a manager to give you your free rental, wasting at least ten minutes of a clerk’s time and five minutes of a manager’s time, not to mention all the wasted paper and the untold hours of people standing in line – all in the hope that they will get you to come in and rent a movie next month in order to get your stupid little piece of paper so that you can then remember to bring it back the following month. Fat chance, my friend.
I am not making this up. I actually asked the overly-friendly manager if he was serious about this and he was completely serious. He said that if we don’t do anything other than pick up our monthly freebie, we should ask to see the manager each visit, because we won’t have the printed coupon. As I mentioned, I understand they want us to come in and rent a movie every week.
I understand that a $4 rental is going out the door for less than a dollar when we don’t do so (12 rentals per year for $10). I get the economics. But surely someone realizes that making $0.83 per rental on movies that otherwise sit there is better than wasting 15 minutes of hourly employee time on top of that with each one, don’t they? I don’t know. I don’t think they do.
In any case, I guess I’ll be checking in with my new friend next month.
The conclusion? If you live in Charlotte, go to the library instead. The selection isn’t as good, but the DVDs are free – at least, they are unless you choose a new release, and even those are cheaper than Blockbuster, and in any case, the lines are shorter and the people are generally nicer and at least you won’t feel bad if you don’t go, because you don’t feel like you’re missing out on something you paid to get. And you certainly don’t have to make friends unless you really want to do so.
Comments
56 responses to “Blockbuster Rewards Are Anything But Rewarding”
hey chad… i’m sorry that there’s a lot of idiots out there posting in your blog. i guess they just don’t get it. i really just want to say one thing to those “idiots:”
WE DON’T CARE HOW MUCH YOU SAVED WITH THIS REWARDS PROGRAM FROM BLOCKBUSTER — SO STOP MENTIONING IT!
how they fail to realize that the point of this issue is the misleading small print that comes with the membership is beyond my comprehension. and it is very funny how some of them try to back up their logic with the fact that they have a degree or working on a degree, which to me, only makes it seem as if they are insecure with their reasoning and intelligence, so they need to confirm it with their attendance to a college or university of some sort.
well, i can go on about the annoyances of those posts that i had to read to research this blockbuster rewards program, but it’s not worth my time because i know that they still won’t understand. thus, that is generally all i have to say. thanks for the information i have received from this blog though.
Chad: Thank you so much for the double benefit I received from reading these posts. 1) I will not choose a Blockbuster Reward membership as my “free gift” from e-rewards because I see that it is a promotion they have no intention of operating as a true loss-leader. Rather the corporation is relying on a combination of small print and un-trained employeesm to discourage the legitimate use of the coupons. 2) I will never assume that people can follow a well written logical argument. Discouraging in a way, but good to reflect on the zen truth that being right is no guarantee of being treated right.
I also wanted to add to my last post, I agree with Kstie, this program is not for people who just want to go in and get a free rental coupon once a month,it is for people who actually rent a lot.
I read the first comment and was shocked. I guess it depends on what area you live in as to how it operates. I live in Charleston WV. I get a coupon printed for a free non new release rental at the end of a transaction during that month. It is usually around the same time each month that I get it. Also, after every 5 new releases I rent, I get a sixth new release rental free. The third perk is that, every Mon Tues and Wed, for every new release rental, I get a non new release rental free.All I paid for my 1 year membership was $10. As many movies as I have gotten free ($4) for each movie, I would say that I have come out ahead. I rent on average 6 movies a week and get six free($24). So at the end of the year after getting 6 non new release movies a week times 52 weeks a year, I would have spent $208 dollars. That is just on the non new release rentals. I still get the other coupon for another non new release free a month and a new release free for every 5 new releases I rent. I really think I come out ahead. You should ask about why its not the same for you
I never have any issues at my Blockbuster. The Rewards program is designed for people who rent often not for those that only rent once a month. Anything that is not “2-day” is allowed to be rented and that (at least in the stores in my town) is not always just the middle of the store. There are often many movies along the walls that we can rent for free. I’ve never have any problems but I guess that’s because we use the program as it is meant and have always received our coupon sometime in the month, typically the last week. If you really think all of the movies in the center of the store are bad then you should really rethink being a rewards member. I’ve also rented a lot of TV series for free M-W with a new release. Which is actually handy because new movies all come out on Tuesdays.
You think the rewards program is a problem……I am dealing with a whole different issue with them….They evidently sell customer lists to companies without your permission and whatever that company does with it is your problem. I used my credit card once to rent and part of my card info was released. I have people calling constantly saying they are from Blockbuster rewards and they have our names and the last 4 numbers in the one credit card I used there. I don’t know who these people are and when I tell them to quit calling and even put them on my states no-call list, they still call…..even as late as 10:30 at night, which is soooo illegal, but they call with a blocked number and when I use the phone system in place to call back, it goes to a fax line that justs beeps real loud. I am very frustrated and am not sure how to stop this because when I ask for a supervisor or ask for a name they hang up………I’m just saying….very annoying….don’t use credit cards at blockbuster.
Yes the situation is ridiculous, you are basically paying for a marketing/sales scheme but the thing that bothers me most about this blog is you bitching about the overly friendly manager. Come on! If the guy was a jerk you’d be whining too. I think I would much rather deal with him than someone who treats you like poopoo!
Chad,
I definitely appreciate your insight. I was contemplating purchasing the rewards program, however I would only be using it for the free rental feature as well. I see you have been beat up quite a few times by people saying that it was just poor customer service. I think what these people are neglecting to see is the couple other responses from Seattle and Pheonix that had the same experience. If indeed this is just a matter of “poor customer service”, it seems that Blockbuster should spend a little more time training their employees on how to handle this situation. I have to agree with you that the idea of a free rental with a purchase is not what they offer you. I am a faithful Netflix subscriber and I only visit Blockbuster when I need a movie to watch that day (which is rare, maybe twice a year). On those rare visit, they attempt to sell me on this “free rental” offer. I am so glad I decided to follow my gut. Yes you may have to wait a few days for your rental, but if you go with the “3 a month” plan and space them out, you won’t have any probelms. By the time you watch the others, your new movies have come in. Additionally, you get new releases and you can even put a movie in your que before it comes out and they will send it to you when they are released. I think it is well worth my money. I have given a monthly membership to many family members and friends as birthday presents. Every single one of them subscribed. I currently pay $15/ month for my plan and I average 7-9 movies a month. This would cost me appx $28-36 a month at Blockbuster (plus the additional $1/ month for the membership fee). And I would have to make that dreadful trip every week to take the movies back. Though the Blockbuster is only about 5 minutes from my house, the 30 second walk to mailbox is much more convenient.
Thanks so much for your comments.
Ryan, so glad you could come back!
You see, it’s not my intention to slam a particular store – or a particular employee – but the program. The fact is, over the course of several months, I tried to make the program work, and went out of my way to do so, speaking with several employees and managers at multiple locations.
To me, that indicates a problem with the implementation. Has it changed by now? Perhaps. Maybe it’s because of this page (it was written well over 18 months ago, anything is possible). Is it because I’m so incredibly difficult to please? Quite possible. I have high standards. Is it because I can’t read? Doubtful. I am completely aware of what the program says, and did everything I could to follow the rules to the best of my ability.
If multiple locations and multiple employees can’t help me with that process, there is (or perhaps, was) a flaw in the process. I’m sorry if you can’t see that, but I am glad that it works for you. Seriously.
I happen to prefer patronizing services that are more customer-friendly, and this was one program that was not. So Redbox and Netflix get the business instead.
As to the page name, I’m sorry you don’t like it. Perhaps the most appropriate name should really be after_trying_my_best_i_just_could_not_make_the_blockbuster_rewards_program – _work_even_though_i_went_to_several_stores_and_talked_to_a_bunch_of – _employees_and_at_least_three_managers_but_be_sure_and_ask_ryan_too –
_because_it_works_for_him.php – that would be the most accurate of all.
I was lazy, and I was also guilty of making the assumption that people would realize that this was my personal story of what happened to me, and figure that it wasn’t about every single store in the entire chain. Sorry for any inconvenience it may have caused you. 🙂
Your advice should be to avoid that particular Blockbuster store. You argue that customer service at that store is poor. Let’s go as far as to say every store has the same poor service. In that case, you could advise people not to go to Blockbuster. But you still couldn’t say that their rewards program isn’t rewarding. The program works fine for me, and because the employees at my Blockbuster locations (there are 3 stores near me) are competent, I am able to receive the benefits of the program. When stores with good customer service are considered, the logic flaw becomes obvious. It’s your site so you can say the argument is about anything you want, but blockbuster_rewards_are_anything_but_rewarding.php should be blockbuster_near_me_is_anything_but_rewarding.php