Existing Customer Journey

Waitrose customers currently receive 6 generalised discount offers every Wednesday but find that the discounts with their loyalty card are generalised and not relevant to them so therefore they don’t end up using them. During our primary research survey, where we surveyed customers that shop at Waitrose, we discovered that of those respondents that had a Waitrose loyalty card 73.9% disagreed/strongly disagreed with the statement: 'Waitrose loyalty card is personalised and tailored to my needs.'

57% of 4806 people rated the Waitrose loyalty card a 1 star on TrustPilot (Waitrose is rated ‘poor’ with 1.9 / 5 on Trustpilot,2023) leaving reviews in the last 2 months such as: “Waitrose needs to improve their voucher offers.I'm consistently offered vouchers for products I've not bought in months because I no longer use those items” (Waitrose is rated ‘poor’ with 1.9 / 5 on Trustpilot,2023).

Customers will complete a rules-based chatbot survey when they create a profile or a current user updates to the newer version. It asks about dietary restrictions, allergies, most commonly purchased products, preferred shopping categories, and their birthday. There is a rating system for the offers given, which allows users to provide yes/no feedback on whether the offers are relevant to them. Once the data is processed, based on what each user fills in the tailored survey, and the rating system, Waitrose then provides appropriate discounts and offers accordingly. New loyalty tiered system whereby customers can advance through the four levels, from Bronze to Platinum, enhancing their engagement. A more loyal customer will be rewarded with more monthly offers to use. When you buy plant-based products you receive double points as Waitrose is incentivising customers to choose plant-based options. Bronze customers will receive 4 weekly vouchers, Silver customers will receive 5 weekly vouchers, Gold customers will receive 6 weekly voucher and Platinum customers will receive 7 weekly discounts.

When Waitrose provides an appropriate substitution for an item, it adds value to the customers experience.

Waitrose customers have been dissatisfied with some online substitutions as they feel like some substitutions are inappropriate or not relevant to them. During our primary research survey, where we surveyed customers that shop at Waitrose, we discovered 80.8% of our respondents ,who used Waitrose online shopping, responded with a ‘no’ when they were asked ‘When you received the substitution were you satisfied with it?’, in regards to online shopping at Waitrose.

Once an item that a customer ordered becomes unavailable a notification will be sent with a timed window of 10 minutes, allowing the customer to decide through the Waitrose application/ website on the substitution change. Customers will be notified and shown the specifications of a selection of substitutes, including a picture and the new price for them to choose from, in order to ensure a satisfied customer upon home delivery.