FESTOOL VIP CARD! have one?

[L2theP]

Hey guys,
I wish that festool would come out with a VIP card for people who buy their products, support them (FOG for example) and return customers like all of us FOGers, They could do card rankings like in the casinos;
spend less then $2000 get 5% off accesories
spend $2000-$3000 get 10% off accesories and tools
spend $3000 + get 20%off accessories and 15% off tools

i'm new to FOG, but i'm a FESTOOL fanatic, I believe that this type of incentive would really push festoolers to buy more of Festool products and not have to figure out as many ways to rig up jigs and things that festool has already developed, like the LR32 system, which is great but to spend $500 plus while you can make a quickie jig for less then $10 is almost insane to most people, that's why the jig only gets a couple thousand sales instead of getting tens of thousands in sales(not a fact so don't hold me to it). People just aren't as motivated to purchase accessories when they know they are not really getting a deal, simple Idea like the VIP card in my opinion would motivate people and really get the sales up because as human beings we always try justify purchases in our heads (at least i do)"oh well the VIP card will at least cover the sales tax, the shipping cost if any and take a few bucks off the total".
It would be a very welcomed thank you to all of us loyal festool customers

 

[longwood89]

They do...in Germany and Austria.  Their "Tools for Profit" program is very similar to what you proposed.  I live in Germany and am a card carrying Tools for Profit member, but i've only purchased one tool so far, so I haven't reeped any benefits yet.

 

[L2theP]

They do...in Germany and Austria.  Their "Tools for Profit" program is very similar to what you proposed.  I live in Germany and am a card carrying Tools for Profit member, but i've only purchased one tool so far, so I haven't reeped any benefits yet.

i spent over 4 grand with festool and only have 5 tools with some accessories and about the only thing i got for free was the 2009 catalog that i looked through over a 1000 times, just wish some type of discount was available for us US customers, and some of the FOGers are way past the $10,000 spendometer. It's a shame that some tools don't make it over seas, but i'm sure UL doesn't have any jurisdiction on promotion/discounts! 
FESTOOL, don't forget us!

 

[johnsonri]

L2theP,

I agree with you and wish that Festool would have such a program here in the US.  I have lots of Festool stuff and have received small tokens of appreciation from some of the Festool dealers that I have done business with. A discount program, or some loyalty benefit from Festool though would be much appreciated.

Rey

 

[AlexThePalex]

It's a shame that some tools don't make it over seas, but i'm sure UL doesn't have any jurisdiction on promotion/discounts! 
FESTOOL, don't forget us!

Tough luck guys, Festool doesn't do discounts.

The Tools for Profit program they have here in Europe is a sham.

 

[L2theP]

Alex, why is the program a sham?
i don't think that anyone is complaining about FESTOOL, their products are great but some of their accessories are so overpriced. I'm sure that all the people that put so much effort into the design and manufacturing of these amazing products would like to see them being used by professionals and hobbiests worldwide, but in fact as per people in this forum these accessories are just ridiculous in price, in my opinion the most perfect example is the boom arm, u need the arm 250+65 for the handle total that to your 500+ DC your looking at a nearly 1000 dollar dust extractor and it doesn't even come with a single attachment?!?!?! looking through the forums most people make their own.
The economy isn't getting much better, and people are holding on to their cash like it was their limb, and what does festool do? they jack up the prices. 

i need to finish my current winecellar project to make space in my garage but when i do i will be posting some great accessory alternatives for th DIY'ers on the forum

 

[Forrest Anderson]

It's a shame that some tools don't make it over seas, but i'm sure UL doesn't have any jurisdiction on promotion/discounts! 
FESTOOL, don't forget us!

Tough luck guys, Festool doesn't do discounts.

They do regular promotions in the UK though, usually twice. These are notified in their Festool Facts newsletter, available in printed and electronic form, the latest Spring 2009 edition being at http://www.festool.co.uk/images/gb_downloads/FestoolFactsWood_Spr09.pdf

This season's promotions are:

• Purchase a RO 125, RO 150 or ETS 125 and receive 50 sheets of abrasives free! (Choose any 5 x 10 sheet packages)
  
• Purchase a TS 55 or TS 75 and receive a Guide rail and two connection pieces free!
  
• Purchase a KAPEX KS 120 and receive two crown stops free!
  
• Purchase any jigsaw and receive a 25th anniversary knife for free!
  
• Purchase a CTL MINI or MIDI with a DOMINO and receive a DOMINO beech wood assortment SYSTAINER free!
  
• Purchase a limited edition Forstner drill bit set for a special price of ?98.15
  
• Purchase a C 12 set and receive it in the new SYSTAINER with storage lid
  
• Purchase this assortment of SYSTAINER (SYS 4 - 445597, SYS 3 Sort/4 - 491522, SYS 2 - 445434, SYS 1 Box - 487552) and receive a roll board free!

Forrest

 

[L2theP]

hey Forrest,
as great as these promotions are, they are just like spitting in the face of all the people that already own all those tools,  we shouldn't have to wait until the spring promotion to buy a drill kit to get a free sortainer we love our FESTOOLS and we want them now. My VIP suggestion is to give back to all of us return customers that spent big bucks, any FESTOOLER already ownes most of the tools that are being promoted. so now should i be thinking  "maybe i'll wait untill the next promotion to buy a CT22, maybe they will throw in a antistatic hose adapter for free"?

 

[AlexThePalex]

Forrest, they do have their promotions, but they are nowhere near the idea L2theP is talking about.

Furthermore, the tools you want stay the same price, not one cent goes off, and all those promotions add are some minor accessories. If you want to get an expensive tool like say a Rotex of 550 euro's, the extra box of sandpaper of 35 euro's is not going to influence your decision. And that's when you only think of the retail value of that little promotion. When you look at pure production costs, which it'll cost Festool, it's even a lot less.

Alex, why is the program a sham?

Maybe sham is not the right word, I should better call it an empty shell. English is not my mother tongue so sometimes I don't get the exact word right away.

The Tools for Profit system is close to worthless since the toolpoints you get for buying a tool aren't worth much. Here's the key they use to calculate your reduction.

100 tot 150 TP= 10 Eurocent per TP
150 tot 300 TP= 30 Eurocent per TP
300 tot 450 TP= 50 Eurocent per TP
450 en meer    = 70 Eurocent per TP

Say you buy one Rotex, a DTS400 and a CTL 22 E SG. That's 565+296+546=1407 euros.

That'll get you 35+19+36=90 toolpoints.

90 toolpoints are worth NINE whopping euro's. So you just bought 1400 euros worth of tools and you get a mind blowing 9 euros discount on your NEXT tool.  Well, this isn't exactly worth the effort, is it?  It isn't even a ONE per cent discount.

Of course, according to the key they use it's more interesting when you buy a lot of tools. But honestly, who buys 15 Festools in one year? Well, it happens sometimes of course. Even the rarest of phenomena happen sometimes. So let's say you got a company with 12 employees and you want to upgrade all your current plunge saws. Let's buy 12 TS55's because that'll get you 12x40=480 toolpoints, enough to fall in the highest category where the toolpoint is worth 70 eurocents.

12 TS55 saws for 498 (lets say 500) euro = 6000 euro.

480 toolpoints x 70 eurocents  = 336 euro discount on your NEXT tool.

Lets buy another TS55 to have one reserve. So on an investment of 6500 euros you get 336 euros discount = 336/6500x100 = 5 per cent.

Honestly, that's a ridiculous percentage on such a large order. Anyone who has ever had to do anything with trading large amounts knows that.

So hence I come to the conclusion toolpoints are worthless, and nothing but an empty shell.

 

[Brice Burrell]

I don't see a discount program happening in the US at least not a meaningful one. Festool products are cheaper here than the rest of the world, I imagine Festool would prefer to rise the prices not discount them any further.

 

[L2theP]

Alex,
really the sham is not too far off according to your elaboration.
i would rather not have anything then something as stupid as that, it would just annoy me to get a dollar or two off on my next purchase, that's how much i give to a homeless person when i see one.  well, with things the way they are and tons of people selling off their festools on ebay and craig's list FESTOOL is going to have to reconsider their strategy. As per my last conversation with a festool rep at a local tool outlet their sales are not rising.  SO if they don't start recognizing how fortunate they are to have people like FOG members as their clients and reward us in some way (throw in a domino into the box so we could play around until we pick up the cutter and domino assortment systeiner for example) people are going to keep utilizing their skills to make their own jigs, their own templates.... and so on.  which in turn = to even less sales

Brice,
well then they are just going to loose more clients. As for most cases quality over quanity is key, and i would rather spend a year on building a library instead of going and doing 10 different jobs, but since the economy is changing from bad to worse and not the other way around i have to adapt and offer lower prices and still stay on top of the quality because like festool's my reputation is the key to my next job. People just don't splurge on having work done like they used to.