Blow the Dust off Your Customer Loyalty Program & Make It Shine
Do you remember that Customer Loyalty Program your company has in place? Oh that’s right I think Bob’s looking into that every other Thursday. Well it’s time to take it to the next level, it could be the difference between having a successful year that’s one for the books and barely making it through. Entrepreneur released an article explaining the importance of a Customer Loyalty Program and how it is more valuable than ever “in this age of social connectivity.” Word-of-mouth has gone to a whole new level…and spreads like wildfire. It’s important to invest financial resources into making your current customers feel appreciated, after all they could end up being a spokesperson for your company or for your competitor. The article highlights 5 ways to improve your Customer Loyalty Program. Here’s a couple that caught our eye:
Refresh the ‘Thank You’- Give your 'Thank You’ a facelift, after all it’s seen by all of your customers. Entrepreneur states, “…ideas for improvement include lacing in a promotion to instigate immediate action…” Why not offer gift cards to new customers to show that you appreciate their business, whether it’s to
SUBWAY for a healthy lunch or family night at
Boston Market they're sure to be grateful.
Improve your feedback channel- Most company’s don’t realize how critical your customer feedback can be. Make sure that you are getting relevant information and turning it around to give your customers the best experience they can have. *Tip: Maybe you understand the importance of customer feedback and find it hard to pry it out of your customers? I smell an incentive. Try rewarding them with gift cards to their favorite restaurant or clothing store! To find out more ways to kick start your Customer Engagement Program check out
5 Ways to Take Customer Loyalty to the Next Level here.
Engage Effectively by Knowing What Your Employees Want
In order to effectively use an employee rewards program you have to know what will drive your employees. Knowing what is most important to your workforce is critical in motivating them to reach their maximum potential. Here are a few key factors that could drive your employees. Find out what matters most to them, and plan your employee engagement and recognition accordingly.
Safety Programs and Incentives
Although safety programs are effective for cutting workplace injuries in all workplace environments; manufacturing is an optimal industry segment to promote workplace safety incentives. Workplace environments can be harsh and employee safety is a number one concern and constant initiative. Formal safety reward programs provide an important function to motivate employees to take proper safety precautions and adapt to the safer behaviors that your environment demands. If employees are motivated to take safety awareness seriously enough to reduce the likelihood of accidents, and the program is properly structured with measurement methods in place; the company will realize ROI in increased performance, and reduced healthcare insurance premiums. Following are a few examples of typical safety and workplace incentive programs that manufacturers employ:
Getting to the HEART of Business
This is an incentive and gift card blog, but at the heart of our industry is full of interesting stories about businesses, how they start, and what makes them keep on ticking. Check out Anthony Tjan’s post on
Harvard Business Review:
Great Businesses Don’t Start with a Plan to learn how GiftCard Partners was started and what makes it tick. Ed Shulkin’s post (Eshukin on the blog) is a great reminder of why we are all in business. Enjoy!
How the Hospitality Industry AND Retailers are Capturing Loyal Vacationers
As the economy continues to improve, I for one am thinking about how and where to vacation this summer. On a personal level, I know I will grab up deals with extra gift card dollars wherever I can find them. And with professional interest, Harris Interactive’s recent survey (on behalf of Choice Hotels) seems like really great timing for the loyalty rewards market. The survey reports that out of the 2,100 U.S adults that were surveyed, over 87% of Americans plan to travel for leisure this summer, and they report that if they had an extra $50 to spend on their vacation, they'd be most likely to spend it on: