Just like our Membership contact centre, our social media community management team have been busier than usual with the launch of our new membership. We’ve been helping thousands of members and customers understand more about it since it launched on 21st September.
Our team are based in Manchester at 1 Angel Square and between us work 365 days a year (yes, Christmas day too) and have around 20,000 social conversations with members, customers, and colleagues each month. We’re not alone though, colleagues in our Food and Insurance customer service teams help us out too.
Membership launch day saw our usual social inbox traffic increase by 80%, with members sharing which local cause they’d selected to receive their 1% with us. They were also asking us questions about how it all works.
The main topics of conversation we’ve been having with members, and the answers to their questions, are:
- How do I nominate an alternate Co-op cause, to receive my 1%?
Our colleagues chose their community’s 3 Co-op causes for launch, but we’ll be asking members for their nominations on our next round of causes, very soon.
- Where is my card and does my old card work in the interim?
All cards are being posted to members currently and will be with members by mid-October. Old cards work in the interim meaning the 5% and 1% is being earned already.
- Does the 5% replace the dividend?
The 5% doesn’t replace the ‘divi’, membership points will still be accrued in the usual way on the total spend (not just Co-op branded products and services) and a ‘divi’ will be paid out again once our rebuild projects conclude in a couple of years.
- How does the 5% and 1% work in independent co-operative society businesses?
The 5% and 1% can’t be earned on transactions with independent co-operative society businesses, but membership points still accrue. If that independent co-operative society makes an annual profit and pays a divi, it’ll be paid to members by us, on the independent society’s behalf.
I’ve been really excited by the level of intrigue among our members on social, members who perhaps hadn’t considered the Co-op as a different way of doing business before.
Members, like our colleagues, recognise something different is happening at the Co-op, and we’re just getting started.
Jordan McDowell
Senior Social Media Community Manager
Thank you for the update. I’m not clear about your answer to members wishing to change the charities they can choose? For example supporting my children’s school in a different postcode?
Hi Julie, we’re looking at how we can open up the 4,000 charities to all members. This is something we are working on and should have an update on in the future. ^Catherine