Vodafone killed Cherry Points: A Mistake?
The loyalty programme was axed by the company at the beginning of this year, was that a mistake?
Published 23/06/18
Earlier this year Vodafone decided to abolish its loyalty programme for pay as you go customers. The programme, which awarded customers for topping up frequently, was a huge perk for many Vodafone customers. Now, Vodafone has no loyalty programme as such. It comes at a time when Vodafone's biggest competitor, Three, is aggressively pushing its own 3Plus programme.
Just to explain how the Cherry Point programme worked, every time you topped up, you received Cherry Points in proportion to the sum you topped up by. The more you topped up, the more points you earned. These points could then be exchanged for rewards on Vodafone's website or instore. Obviously, more valuable rewards required more Cherry Points to redeem. Rewards included free top-up credit, Bluetooth speakers and headphones, even some budget phones.
I, myself, used the service. I managed to earn several free €20 top-ups. Over time, it saved a lot of money. I can say that it was an integral part of being a Vodafone customer at the time. Knowing that being loyal to Vodafone, I would be rewarded, was a nice feeling. I strongly believe that customers who took advantage of the programme were a happier customer as a result. For Vodafone, that meant better customer satisfaction and less churn, something any network would love.
Just to explain how the Cherry Point programme worked, every time you topped up, you received Cherry Points in proportion to the sum you topped up by. The more you topped up, the more points you earned. These points could then be exchanged for rewards on Vodafone's website or instore. Obviously, more valuable rewards required more Cherry Points to redeem. Rewards included free top-up credit, Bluetooth speakers and headphones, even some budget phones.
I, myself, used the service. I managed to earn several free €20 top-ups. Over time, it saved a lot of money. I can say that it was an integral part of being a Vodafone customer at the time. Knowing that being loyal to Vodafone, I would be rewarded, was a nice feeling. I strongly believe that customers who took advantage of the programme were a happier customer as a result. For Vodafone, that meant better customer satisfaction and less churn, something any network would love.
Poor Implementation means poor engagement
Personally, I think the Cherry Points programme was poorly implemented by Vodafone. The programme itself was great, but I think many people were unaware it even existed. The whole process of redeeming rewards seemed convoluted. There was no clear way of identifying how much points were earned for a top up, or even how to see what rewards were available.
It was available via the MyVodafone app, which is the best app offered by a mobile network right now, but poorly executed. Clicking the Cherry Points option in the app brought you to the Vodafone website. Why bother with an app if it takes you straight to the website. The website version was finicky, it just wasn't reliable. I'd click to redeem a pair of headphones and it would say they're out of stock.
Perhaps the biggest reason for the failure of Cherry Points was the fact that it was limited to pay as you go customers. Vodafone should have expanded it to include all of its customers. After all, bill pay customers pay the most money, surely they deserved some sort of reward.
This mess could have been fixed, a more streamlined interface for the mobile app and website would have helped a lot. Vodafone could have also pushed the programme more with it's marketing, similar to what Three is currently doing with 3Plus. Instead, Vodafone decided to axe the service completely, and I miss it. But Vodafone didn't give up, far from it, its now got a new system of rewards that work, are implemented properly, and fundamentally, add value to all of Vodafone's customers.
It was available via the MyVodafone app, which is the best app offered by a mobile network right now, but poorly executed. Clicking the Cherry Points option in the app brought you to the Vodafone website. Why bother with an app if it takes you straight to the website. The website version was finicky, it just wasn't reliable. I'd click to redeem a pair of headphones and it would say they're out of stock.
Perhaps the biggest reason for the failure of Cherry Points was the fact that it was limited to pay as you go customers. Vodafone should have expanded it to include all of its customers. After all, bill pay customers pay the most money, surely they deserved some sort of reward.
This mess could have been fixed, a more streamlined interface for the mobile app and website would have helped a lot. Vodafone could have also pushed the programme more with it's marketing, similar to what Three is currently doing with 3Plus. Instead, Vodafone decided to axe the service completely, and I miss it. But Vodafone didn't give up, far from it, its now got a new system of rewards that work, are implemented properly, and fundamentally, add value to all of Vodafone's customers.
'Fantastic Freebies' are, well, Fantastic
The new system has been operating for several months now and its only gotten better over time. I really do hope that Vodafone continues to improve it. It's accessible via the MyVodafone app, which is so far ahead of the competition at this point it's not even funny. Every few days, Vodafone hosts competitions for rugby tickets, smartphone giveaways and more. You enter your mobile number, and it's that easy. You're in. I've never won anything, but that's just my luck. If I had to say something about this, I think Vodafone should publicly announce the winners on one of its social accounts.
That's not all. Vodafone also provides customers offers on special days such as St.Patrick's Day, Easter, and Christmas. On those days, you can avail of free data, calls or texts. On St.Patricks Weekend I was taken aback by the offer of free unlimited data. These occasional offers seem very minimal, but they go a long way to improve the customer experience. This programme is accessible by all Vodafone customers, pay as you go and bill pay. You don't even have to be topped up.
There's also more good stuff. If you're a Vodafone X customer, you can indulge in discounts in cinemas and more. Again, this is accessible via the MyVodafone app. Simply go to the offers section and click to enter. The offers can be seen below. I've used this several times, its simple and just works. Simplicity is key with this kind of a service.
That's not all. Vodafone also provides customers offers on special days such as St.Patrick's Day, Easter, and Christmas. On those days, you can avail of free data, calls or texts. On St.Patricks Weekend I was taken aback by the offer of free unlimited data. These occasional offers seem very minimal, but they go a long way to improve the customer experience. This programme is accessible by all Vodafone customers, pay as you go and bill pay. You don't even have to be topped up.
There's also more good stuff. If you're a Vodafone X customer, you can indulge in discounts in cinemas and more. Again, this is accessible via the MyVodafone app. Simply go to the offers section and click to enter. The offers can be seen below. I've used this several times, its simple and just works. Simplicity is key with this kind of a service.
A welcome improvement for the customer
Vodafone's new rewards programme is better implemented. It works better than the Cherry Points system, even if the rewards are smaller. The fact that it is available to all customers is very important. I know many of my friends who are always eager to check for the latest offers, it adds value to their plans.
There was a point when the Cherry Points programme existed in harmony with the Fantastic Freebies programme. That time is gone now. For customers, it means things are simpler and more streamlined. Even if Cherry Points died, the programme paved the way for the ones we have today. Three's own 3Plus programme was launched in response to the Cherry Points Programme. In a way, it pushed the industry to deliver more benefits to the customer. It wasn't a mistake to kill the service. If Vodafone continues to improve Fantastic Freebies, I think customers will be quite content. That's all that matters in the end.
There was a point when the Cherry Points programme existed in harmony with the Fantastic Freebies programme. That time is gone now. For customers, it means things are simpler and more streamlined. Even if Cherry Points died, the programme paved the way for the ones we have today. Three's own 3Plus programme was launched in response to the Cherry Points Programme. In a way, it pushed the industry to deliver more benefits to the customer. It wasn't a mistake to kill the service. If Vodafone continues to improve Fantastic Freebies, I think customers will be quite content. That's all that matters in the end.
