issue 13 / volume 41

The practicality of some
loyalty rewards programs

» App-based programs offer hidden benefits while points programs still a mixed bag

Patrick Vaillancourt
Senior Columnist

I“ been somewhat hesitant
to join loyalty rewards
programs offered by some of
my favourite shops and retail-
ers after reading many articles
that offer only scathing criti-
cism. For the longest time, the

was an Air Miles Rewards
card, though it isn’t so much
a loyalty program since Air
Miles are accepted at different
retailers and online stores.
Recent changes in my life,
however, have opened my eyes
to the benefits of being a loyal

a few different rewards clubs.

traditional card-based points
programs has been standard.

of the HMart rewards pro-
gram, a Korean grocer with

a few locations in the Lower
Mainland. Though I never
saw the value in getting a card
myself, HMart was the only
grocery store I used for my
Korean foods, and those were

and bulgogi, coupled with the
fact that HMart is the closest
Korean grocer to me, meant
that signing up for a points
card would do me little harm.
In fact, I routinely save $5 off

: every single purchase I make
: there simply by redeeming the
: points I have accumulated.

Indigo (or Chapters) is

: alsoamembership I proudly

: retain. I visit the bookstore

: frequently, and my impulsive

: book-buying behaviour makes

: mean ideal candidate. Not

: only dol get special pricing

rewards card I had in my wallet : with an Indigo card, but their
: system also makes it easy to

: accumulate points quickly

: and redeem them whenever I

: choose. It also helps that the

: program works seamlessly

: between different stores:

: Indigo, Coles, and Chapters

: all fall under this program.

; : Joining this rewards program,

customer. I’m nowa member of : ifyou frequent the Ro oketare

, : : asmuchas! do, isa win-win.
My experience thus far with the :

But Starbucks is the

: most impressive rewards

For example, I’m a member program I have joined.

The designers of the

: Starbucks program, which

: includes a smartphone appli-
: cation, have implemented

: a program that thrives off

: aseemingly human need

: to excel. I’m obsessed with

: levelling up in the program,
imperative. My need for kimchi on my, way fo Pecominga
: entitles me to benefits such

: as discounts and free mer-

: chandise, as well as exclusive
: member-only promotions.

Though the idea of these

programs is to get you spend-

Shopping
through card
balances keeps
your debit or
credit cards in
your wallet.

: ing more, there are some

: practical cost-saving attributes
: found in app-based programs.
: The Starbucks program, for

: example, requires that the

: user pay for drinks froma

: gift-card balance in order

: to acquire the stars to “level

: up.” Ironically, this is perhaps
: the hidden gem of the whole

: regime, but also the one that

: prevented me from joining

: long ago in the first place.

Shopping through card

: balances keeps your debit or

: credit cards in your wallet.

: I’ve had some pretty rough

: bank statements for too much
: Interac usage, and paying into
: a rewards program balance

: once or twice per month is

: much more cost-effective

: than using your debit card

: daily for that $3-coffee.

Reward cards also add a bit

: of certainty to my budget, and

: certainty will help me infinitely
: in mastering the art of bud-

: geting my personal finances.

  

a

opinions // 19

 

Off the Depp end

» Why sobriety and award shows suck

Elliot Chan

  

#, @theotherpress.ca

he viral video of Johnny

Depp slurring his words
and swaying on stage at the
Hollywood Film Awards
reminded me that the only
reason we care for award
shows—i.e., other people’s

success—is when in the process :

of acknowledging their success
they embarrass themselves.
When I was younger, I
would admire the prestige
of award shows. Now that
I’m old enough to live
vicariously, I barely have time
to acknowledge my friends’
successes through Facebook,
let alone watch an award
show for people I haven't

 

: even heard of. Most often

: I hear about these events

: afterward when something

: controversial happens like

: Miley Cyrus dancing or John

: Travolta reading poorly. Depp’s
: intoxicated spiel reminded me
: that award shows are the perfect :
: environment, not to celebrate

: the accomplishments of those

: who are “better” than us, but to

: ridicule them openly.

The culture of raising

: someone high and then

: throwing them down is one

: that Hollywood does best; it’s

: tradition and it’s sacred. Award
: shows of all calibers are jokes.

: True, once in a while someone

: deserving wins and it’s super

: inspiring, but those moments

: are rare. There is nothing

: inspiring about watching some
: actors read the teleprompter or
: some show-biz folk read a list

: of names to thank. That’s not —:
: impressive. Watching Depp flub :
: his way through an introduction }
: isn’t impressive either, but it is
entertaining.

I propose a change: we

: should stop treating award

shows as these hoity-toity

: the nominees, presenters,

: honourees, and attendees

: throughout the night as they

: mingle, drink, win, and/or

: lose. They can dress up if they
: want to in fancy who-you-

: wearing garments or they can

: wear whatever they wore while
: rolling out of their limo-bed.

: I don’t want to see celebrities

: sitting and smiling politely. I

: want to see them getting into

: arguments, I want them trying
: to impress others, I want to see
: them sweat during awkward

silences. Yes, I pretty much
want them to go through the

: social experience we all have

: when we attend parties and

: networking events, but I want
: it televised. Get them drunk

: and get them talking; let the

: variety shows, but instead make
: itan all-round party—a Big

: Brother-style show that follows

viewers join the party. Fuck the

: ceremony!

Wouldn't it be great to see

: Depp drinking and chatting up
: Matt Damon or Cuba Gooding
: Jr. before walking on stage to

: embarrass himself? Think

: of the 100 other things that

: happen in an award show that

: go unnoticed just because they
: didn’t happen on stage. There

: are so many opportunities to

: acknowledge that celebrities

: and rich successful people are

: just like us: one drink away

: from doing something stupid.

Winners get their trophies

and viewers get what they want:
: celebrities in a glass box. We

: are going to do it anyways, so

: instead of focussing in on just

: one troubled actor, why not

: focus on them all. If we are

: going to laugh at one, why not

: laugh at all of them? What’s the
: worst that could happen—we

: empathize with entertainers a

: little bit more?