Users squabble on a Dunkin Donuts-specific subreddit over a new loyalty program the company launched last week.
The new method boosted the amount of points clients get every dollar spent from five to ten. Additionally, it reduced the amount of points needed to redeem them from 200 to 150. However, the Dunkin’ Donuts website states that under the new system, 500 points are needed in order to get a free coffee (fewer points can be redeemed for snacks, donuts, and tea).
People calculated that they would need to spend a minimum of $50 to obtain a free coffee, as compared to $40 under the prior system, since earlier editions of the reward program entitled consumers to a gratis cup with just 200 points.
On r/DunkinDonuts, a forum traditionally used to promote consumers’ enjoyment of the brand, complaints about the new prizes have sparked debate. No one appears to know what to make of it.
Dunkin’ said that the adjustment was made “because our members deserve more” when it first introduced the new program. However, Dunkin’ Donuts has come under fire for suggesting that the new awards will be more advantageous to them than the previous system in multiple postings on the subreddit. A comment with 145 upvotes said that the business was treating its clients like “idiots.”
Customers are receiving “less with the appearance of more,” according to one user who earned a 91% upvote ratio for his article. Another user had a 98% upvote ratio.
As a consequence of the new method, several users of the subreddit have said that they would no longer be purchasing coffee from the company, opting to purchase it from Starbucks or McDonald’s instead. Some even provide consumers tips on how to prepare their preferred Dunkin’ beverages at home.
Users claim they are hoping to force change and get Dunkin’ to go back to the previous rewards scheme by complaining about the new program on Reddit. Not everyone in the subreddit, however, agrees with the critique.
Redditors have criticized other users for complaining about Dunkin’ Donuts in a place where the company is often praised. Others laughed at the idea that a boycott of the company would result from a modification to its reward program.
People also justified Dunkin’ Donuts for the adjustment, claiming that it may be the result of inflation driving up the cost of food and labor, and they cautioned that future price rises for Dunkin’s goods might occur. The new rewards program, according to one supporter of the move, enables consumers to get “lil goodies,” while another user claimed it’s “not a huge problem” to have to pay a little bit extra for a free drink.
Even Redditors who claim to work at Dunkin’ Donuts have commented.
The discussion has also spread to Twitter, where on October 10 Reddit screenshots of the “drama in the Dunkin world” were tweeted by author Magdalene J. Taylor, who covered the story for Jezebel. More than 27,000 people liked and over 3,000 people retweeted the post. The pros and cons of the new rewards program were still being discussed by Dunkin’ Donuts enthusiasts in responses and quote-tweets.
Reddit has long been a hub for the Dunkin’ Donuts fandom, which Taylor claimed to be widespread among “hardened New Englanders.” A dedicated subreddit for the company was established in 2013 and currently has over 18,000 members, and several employees have participated in “ask me anything” threads (AMAs).