Kill the coupons
I know: complaining about Macy's is so 2008. But they just don't seem to learn. I went to the store today clutching two shiny red coupons, one for $25 off a $100 purchase and another for 20 percent off anything (except, if you read the fine print, pretty much everything). I actually made two significant purchases, but was unable to use my coupons on either. Both were on sale, and virtually every sale item was an extra 15 to 30 percent off when you paid with a Macy's card. I was excited to get my extra discounts on top of that, but was told at the register that offers can't be combined. So why bother distributing the coupons? Without them, I would have been pleased to save an extra 15 percent for using my Macy's card. But because I had these coupons I couldn't use, I walked away feeling like I'd lost out on savings. Dumb marketing. I actually felt for the sales associate who had to turn me down, and the customer in front of me, and the one after me. "The register won't let me do it," she explained helplessly. My favorite, though was when she said, "You'd have to talk to a manager about trying to override it, but that would require being able to find a manager."
Argh! I agree, it is so annoying. I am actually canceling my card because of my frustration over Macy's non-coupons. Add to their employee policies and the lack of unique brands and I am done.
Posted by: Brown Huntley | January 05, 2009 at 08:04 AM
I had a similar experience at Herbergers. I had 20% and 15% coupons, thought I was really going tomake out well on my shopping trip. Wrong. I will never go back to Herbergers with their coupons. At least when you go to Kohls with coupons you know you will be able to use them. Hats off to Kohls.
Posted by: Debbie Drange | January 05, 2009 at 08:05 AM
I just tried to use a coupon too at Macy's on one of those massage chair things and was told I couldn't use it because the product "plugs in." What kind of explanation is that?
Posted by: Amy Nelson | January 05, 2009 at 10:21 AM
It's quite interesting, if you stay back and watch EVERY cutomer have issues with the coupons. There are so many exclusions it's ridiculous. My friend and I have left merchandise at the register without paying after going back and forth with the employees.
And this has been on more than one occasion. It's a joke.
Posted by: St. Paul shopper | January 05, 2009 at 12:53 PM
Thank you for addressing the Macy's coupon madness. Aside from opening the "A" section to find new coupons every day, which I've found confusing and hard to keep organized (not to mention why we'd ever shop full price again), I used the calculator on my cell phone to quantify if the $10 off or the 15% off coupon would maximize value on my 4-year old's new winter parka. The difference was pennies and hardly worth the effort as I waited in the long pre-Christmas line with only 2 of 4 registers open in the kids department. LL Bean on line here I come.
Posted by: Lynn | January 05, 2009 at 09:34 PM
I had the same coupons last week. The real kicker was when I tried to use gift cards to pay for my purchase. The sales clerk told me gift cards couldn't be used with coupons. Huh? Aren't gift cards equivalent to cash? I put my foot down and waited for a manager to come override the system. While waiting for the manager, the sales clerk went on a rant about how the coupons drive the employees crazy!
Posted by: Erin | January 06, 2009 at 05:02 PM
I'm probably the only one in this group that appreciates the Macy's coupons. I refuse to get a Macy's charge so unless I have a coupon, I won't get the extra discount. But I must agree with the other posters that the exclusions are frustrating and sometimes stupid.
Posted by: Susan | January 07, 2009 at 07:39 AM
Basically if you have a Macy's credit card and plan to use it you can't use the coupons; it's either one or the other.
Posted by: keri | January 07, 2009 at 09:49 AM
So true!! I can't stand their coupons. They never accept them. Why bother to market them as an "Extra 15%" if you aren't going to give the extra percentage off??? Since when doesn't "extra" mean "additional"? Not in this case, apparently.
It has been so frustrating that I have no desire to shop the Twin Citis stores anymore.
But I have noticed when I travel to the western stores in California & Nevada, the service is WAY better and not nearly as hostile as here. Why is that??
Posted by: Christa | January 08, 2009 at 09:13 PM
SOOOO agree w/everyone. In today's economy, doing everything you can to establish customer loyalty, should be most important. Not only are these "coupons" ridiculous-they create an odd connotation for a dept. store. It seems to set almost predetermined hostility. By not allowing the SA any control of the situation, and not providing the customer any realistic option to redeem these coupons, it's a marketing nightmare. And sadly one that could have been totally avoidable.
Posted by: heart | January 13, 2009 at 09:59 AM