BASECAMP REWARDS - CUSTOMER INTERVIEW
Date: November 20, 2024
Interviewer: Sarah (Basecamp Marketing)
Customer: Patricia K., 52, Real Estate Agent
Visit Frequency: Rarely now (used to be 4x/week)
Member Since: August 2024

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SARAH: Patricia, thank you for agreeing to talk with us. I understand your visit frequency has changed since the rewards program launched?

PATRICIA: Yes, and I'll be honest with you, it's because of the program. Not in a good way.

SARAH: I'm sorry to hear that. Please tell me what happened.

PATRICIA: So I'd been coming to Basecamp for almost three years. Always the Belmont location. I knew all the baristas by name. When the rewards program launched, I thought "great, finally getting recognized for my loyalty."

SARAH: What went wrong?

PATRICIA: Several things. First, the sign-up process was confusing for me. The young man at the register was in a hurry and just handed me a card and said "download the app." No explanation of how it worked, no mention of points expiring. I didn't download the app for weeks because I didn't think I needed to - I had the card.

SARAH: And then?

PATRICIA: I came in maybe once or twice a week for a month, always used my card. Then one day I downloaded the app to check my balance, and it showed zero points. I asked at the counter and they said I never "activated" my card by linking it to an account. All those purchases - gone. Nobody told me I had to do that.

SARAH: Oh no. I'm so sorry.

PATRICIA: It gets worse. I was upset but I thought okay, fresh start, I'll use the app properly now. So I did for another few weeks. Built up maybe 80 points. Then I went on a work trip for about two months - real estate conferences, that kind of thing. When I got back, my points had expired.

SARAH: The 60-day policy...

PATRICIA: Which nobody ever told me about! Not when I signed up, not in the app, not via email. I had to find out by asking why my points were gone. It felt like a trap. Like you're punishing people for not coming often enough rather than rewarding people for coming at all.

SARAH: I can understand why that would be frustrating.

PATRICIA: I've been going to Stumptown now. They have a simpler program. But honestly, I miss Basecamp's coffee. I really do. I just feel... burned.

SARAH: Is there anything that would bring you back?

PATRICIA: [pauses] Maybe. If you fixed a few things. Better communication about how the program works. Warning emails before points expire. Maybe a longer expiration window for people who travel for work. And train your staff better - some of them are great, like Devon at Pearl District, but others clearly don't understand the program at all.

SARAH: That's really valuable feedback. Can I ask - what was your experience with the app itself?

PATRICIA: Clunky. I'm not a technophobe but this app feels like it was designed by people who didn't think about older users. Buttons are small, things are confusingly labeled, and it crashes sometimes. Once I was in line and it crashed and I had to restart it while people waited behind me. Embarrassing.

SARAH: Is there anything positive you can say about the program?

PATRICIA: [thinks] The concept is good. Earning points toward free drinks makes sense. And when it works correctly, it's satisfying to redeem. I did redeem once - a free latte - and that felt nice. The staff who DO understand the program are helpful and friendly. It's just inconsistent.

SARAH: Thank you for being so honest with us, Patricia. This feedback is exactly what we need.

PATRICIA: I hope you actually do something with it. Because right now you're losing good customers over a program that's supposed to keep them.

[END OF INTERVIEW]
