Waitrose Card - free hot drinks!

[telstarbox]

If anyone does a lot of travelling near a Waitrose store, it's worth getting hold of a free Waitrose Card which entitles you to a free tea or coffee every day, with no obligation to purchase anything else.

There are lots of branches near stations - there is one inside King's Cross, one near Birmingham Snow Hill, and one has recently opened just outside Manchester Piccadilly.

Elsewhere in London, locations include East Croydon and Wimbledon.

It's even better than a Bite Card!

 

[Mojo]

Is there anyone who doesn't know about this offer?!

By the way, is there a machine at Kings +, I didn't spot one last time, although I admit I wasn't looking?

 

[NeilWatson]

Waitrose now open 50 yards from Peterborough station - ideal for sandwiches etc as well as the free drink offer.

 

[telstarbox]

I'm going over to Kings X tomorrow so I'll try to have a look.

 

[bb21]

I thought many of the outlets were chock-a-block with people on weekday mornings wanting a free drink or has that changed?

 

[AM9]

I understand that the 'free' coffee will be changed/stopped some time in the future. It was a great footfall generator and has put the store in the headlines. The problem is that (inevitably) many potential customers are going into the stores just for the coffee without buying anything, some of them not even going through the tills. I hope that they introdue a minimum purchase to qualify for the free coffee, which should put off the freeloaders.

 

[telstarbox]

Perhaps they shouldn't put the machines just inside the front door then...

 

[AM9]

Perhaps they shouldn't put the machines just inside the front door then...

Although our local Waitrose has three, one of which is just by the entrance, so are the newspapers and the vegetables and I don't thiink that they have had much theft from those shelves. A cup of coffee/tea probably costs less than 20p to provide, so they presumably are prepared to provide it without direct payment, but persistent abuse of the offer will result in removal of the privelege. I believe that the first change in our branch will be to remove thetwo self-service machines leaving just the patisserie as the only source. That's right at the back of the store. That wouldn't be an issue for me as I do 90% of my grocery shopping there anyway.

 

[telstarbox]

What I meant is that if people have to walk to the back of the shop, they'll walk past more products and so might see something they decide to buy with the free drink.

 

[AM9]

What I meant is that if people have to walk to the back of the shop, they'll walk past more products and so might see something they decide to buy with the free drink.

Or feel less inclined to blatantly walk out without passing through a till.

 

[TheWalrus]

I understand that the 'free' coffee will be changed/stopped some time in the future. It was a great footfall generator and has put the store in the headlines. The problem is that (inevitably) many potential customers are going into the stores just for the coffee without buying anything, some of them not even going through the tills. I hope that they introdue a minimum purchase to qualify for the free coffee, which should put off the freeloaders.

I work for Waitrose and have heard of no changes to the free drink offer. So you know before we do!

 

[Busaholic]

If anyone does a lot of travelling near a Waitrose store, it's worth getting hold of a free Waitrose Card which entitles you to a free tea or coffee every day, with no obligation to purchase anything else.

There are lots of branches near stations - there is one inside King's Cross, one near Birmingham Snow Hill, and one has recently opened just outside Manchester Piccadilly.

Elsewhere in London, locations include East Croydon and Wimbledon.

It's even better than a Bite Card!

What's a Waitrose? We still await the fabled Starbucks so that we can all go and demonstrate against it.

 

[ValleyLines142]

With respect to Waitrose, despite having some lovely food, their coffee is absolutely awful. It tastes like sewage.

 

[AM9]

With respect to Waitrose, despite having some lovely food, their coffee is absolutely awful. It tastes like sewage.

Everyone is entitled to their opinion but they of course can only speak of their own preferences. Their latte suits me and they are only 2miins 30secs., walk from my front door.
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What's a Waitrose? We still await the fabled Starbucks so that we can all go and demonstrate against it.

Well Waitrose is at least British so it doesn't have a globetrotting pseudo-profit centre to avoid paying a fair share of tax.

 

[Busaholic]

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Well Waitrose is at least British so it doesn't have a globetrotting pseudo-profit centre to avoid paying a fair share of tax.

Couldn't agree more.

 

[jon0844]

I thought many of the outlets were chock-a-block with people on weekday mornings wanting a free drink or has that changed?

The one in Welwyn Garden City certainly is busy and you usually have to queue. There are now two machines, and people do walk in and get one then go out. You're supposed to scan your card at the desk and get a receipt (which shows it as free) but as people just grab one and go, there's no way to tell if someone has a card OR if they've already claimed their free coffee for the day.

But in my experience, and I only get a coffee when I've shopped (as it's not near me otherwise) is that about 25% of the time there's something wrong with the machine. The most common is that it runs out of milk, and it won't say anything or stop to ask for an attendant - it just gives you a latte sans milk, or whatever milk it has and/or other mess that comes out.

So, it's a real gamble and I'd not rely on it.

I do think it was a silly offer in the first place. Far better to have offered a free coffee when you spend £n or something.

Let's also remember some customers complaining about the 'wrong type of customer' in their Waitrose, presumably because Waitrose forgot to ask for payslips or job titles before issuing cards.

Well Waitrose is at least British so it doesn't have a globetrotting pseudo-profit centre to avoid paying a fair share of tax.

Maybe it states the coffee it gives away for free actually costs £5 a cup, so it can reduce its tax bill.

 

[DelayRepay]

Let's also remember some customers complaining about the 'wrong type of customer' in their Waitrose, presumably because Waitrose forgot to ask for payslips or job titles before issuing cards.

As reported in our favorite newspaper! (which is also free at Waitrose provided you spend over £5...)

 

[jon0844]

As reported in our favorite newspaper! (which is also free at Waitrose provided you spend over £5...)

Funny thing is that I've not once taken advantage of that offer (and it's quite easy to spend over £5 on any given visit).

 

[PG]

They could do a reverse offer, a free fiver if you take a copy

 

[Busaholic]

If I ever get a Waitrose card, I shall be sure to do the 140 mile round journey to my nearest store to claim my free coffee, so they better not run out of milk!

Speaking of the latter, my local Morrison's has a cafe and it ran out of milk sachets. I wanted some for my pot of tea and was directed to the cream sachets: I replied that I had just shopped and passed a whole aisle full of milk of all different persuasions, to be told the cafe staff 'weren't allowed' to use this milk. A quick trip to the customer service point brought an embarassed manager who went and got 2 x 4-pinters and took them to the cafe. The moral being it's not just railways that get such unreasonably demanding customers.

 

[AM9]

If I ever get a Waitrose card, I shall be sure to do the 140 mile round journey to my nearest store to claim my free coffee, so they better not run out of milk!

I must bite my lip and refrain from comments about Waitrose being much more numerous in the south-east.
Seriously though, the offer is fine for the majority of customers who see it as a simple deal, i.e. you give them some information about your shopping habits and they give you coffee (and a free Newspaper * when spending over £5 or £10 in store) just for showing your card. If you object to deal and showing the card then you don't have to take the coffee, but there are always some, just like fare dodgers, who freeload.
Our store's machines often run out of milk so the staff get some more from the shelves. As they don't now do the 6 pint bottles, the changes are required more often.

* I can't stand the negative Daily Mail, but the Torygraph, the Times and The Grauniad/Observer are quite refreshing for a casual lunchtime read.

 

[Metrailway]

If you live near an IKEA, they have a similar offer - free tea or coffee if one has a IKEA family card.

 

[Mojo]

If you live near an IKEA, they have a similar offer - free tea or coffee if one has a IKEA family card.

Note this offer applies Monday to Friday only, and is only in the restaraunt, not the bistro.

 

[Busaholic]

If you live near an IKEA, they have a similar offer - free tea or coffee if one has a IKEA family card.

Now I'm getting stroppy, my nearest IKEA is a 250 mile round trip away, might as well be in Sweden.

 

[snail]

If you live near an IKEA, they have a similar offer - free tea or coffee if one has a IKEA family card.

So do Booths for those in the North West.

Waitrose apparently had lots of complaints when they increased their spend to qualify for a free newspaper from £5 to £10 so it has gone back to £5 Monday-Friday.

The Manchester store I pass recently replaced its constantly failing machine with two more reliable ones that produce a passable coffee (for the price ). My normal daily spend is 70p - money they probably wouldn't get if they charged for the coffee as I would buy my daily pastry with an expensive coffee from Costa or Pret. Yes, I do have more money than sense when it comes to these things.

 

[AM9]

.... Yes, I do have more money than sense when it comes to these things.

(Warning: slightly OT) Ah so its the likes of you that are responsible for Manchester's 0% rise in average house prices this year, putting them at the bottom of the table.

 

[Condor7]

In addition to the free newspaper if you spend over £5 you also get the Waitrose magazine free, and the coffee, not a bad deal all round.

 

[AM9]

In addition to the free newspaper if you spend over £5 you also get the Waitrose magazine free, and the coffee, not a bad deal all round.

I've been getting the Waitrose Magazine free for years as I have a JL Partnership credit card. That also gives JL vouchers at 1% of JL and 0.5% of non-JL spend.

 

[snail]

(Warning: slightly OT) Ah so its the likes of you that are responsible for Manchester's 0% rise in average house prices this year, putting them at the bottom of the table.

Not me. I don't live in Manchester.

 

[AM9]

Not me. I don't live in Manchester.

Your location says "t'North". Isn't that the same as Manchester?