there's something about ..... og

OG has the best business concept in Singapore. No other famous departmental store can come close. They appeal to a niche in Singapore and made their target-market very loyal to them via their loyalty programms that is the BEST IN THE WORLD.

My mum is a fan of OG. Like all Or-Bah-San in Singapore, OG is THE store. Not Metro, not Isetan, not Takashimaya. OG is to them, what sexy-photobook-in-kinokunia is to me.

And from a fan's perspective, the most desirable thing to own is the OG's member's card.

My first thought was that the card gives a discount on every purchase made in OG. However I soon realised the card merely gives you loyalty points for you to redeem gifts. And to entitle to a member's card, you have to spend $70 in one single receipt during their yearly membersip-renewal-excercise.

This already beat those loyalty programs from Credit Card companies and Petrol companies. While these companies give out free cards and hope you stay loyal, OG make the customer spend $70 and still have the customer's loyalty. No hope is necessary, it's a surebet.

And so my mum frantically needed to buy something so as not to miss out on the CARD of the Century. In order to fulfill my fillial-piety,I have decided to help by buying a child car-seat for my kid and thus qualify immediately.

And so we got the new card but we have to redeem all available points in our old card or those points will be forfeited.

Of course, redeeming gifts is the whole reason for getting the card in the first place. And off we go to the redeeming counter.

I went with high anticipation for a wide selection of good products. I mean... I was never dissappointed with those redemption programs from Petrol companies and Credit Card companies and surely this can't be that bad considering we had paid to be a member and have consistently purchased something throughout the year so that we can redeem wonderful gifts.

The first thing I realised when I enter the redemption area is that you get 1 point for every $10 spent. That is already double that of any credit card. And my mum has about 37 points to redeem. That raised my expectation of a wonderful selection.

NABEH!!!!!!!!!!!!! I COULDN'T BELIEVE MY EYES!!!

This is not Loyalty-program!!! It's a ROBBERY-PROGRAM!!!!

It's not FREE GIFT we are redeeming. It's to redeem an opportunity to BUY some products AT what looks like their original selling price or at best at 10% discount!!!!

150 points + $39 for a cooker?!?!?!??!?!

Pardon me... but why do I need to spend $1500 throughout the year so that I can buy a cooker at $39?!?!?!!??!?!?!? I might as well go buy the cooker at $39!!!!!


And what's with the shopping bag that looks like what you can buy at Basar Malam at $1!!! And you have to pay $2 for it!??!?!?!?!?!?!?!

NABEH!!!!

37 points entitled us to "redeem" three of those bags and not only that, pay $6 for it. And not only that...... TO QUEUE UP FOR 20 MINS FOR IT!!!! NABEH!!!!!!!!

I was so fuming mad that I told my mum that I'll give her $50 to give up the points and we leave immediately.

But you know... OR-BAH-SAN's loyalty is strong. To them, this act of "redeeming" is what they look forward to every year.

I look in front of my queue and I see these Or Bah San's face.... all breaming with joy.

Now... isn't this the BEST LOYALTY PROGRAM IN THE WORLD!!