GiftCard Partners Blog

Last week GiftCard Partners senior management attended Money 20/20, the biggest industry event surrounding payments and payment technology. The team learned quite a bit on the trip about what the latest technology could mean for how consumers pay for goods. A study released by
Accenture, put an interesting spin on payments that can sometimes can get lost in the latest technology and the cutting edge applications: the consumer perspective. The ongoing challenge in the consumer payments industry has been consumer confidence and adoption. Every wallet, app and mobile device is useless if consumers aren't willing to put their personal information in and use the technology. In the Accenture
survey of over 4,000 North American consumers, they expect to use traditional consumer payments methods like cash and credit 66% of the time, but that drops to only 54% by 2020. While the number is modest, it shows a trend over time that indicates consumer adoption is trending the way of mobile and virtual payment options. The survey results also indicate that although there are the typical fears about security, consumers are also interested in payments choices. Consumer choice overcoming consumer trepidation is the ultimate formula to real mobile and virtual payment adoption. Consumer impact is the only thing that will allow the consumer payments industry to truly turn the corner.

An employee wellness program is a great way to boost employee health and increase the organization's bottom line. Here are five key steps to make sure your employee wellness program is as successful as it can be through the end of 2014 and the beginning of 2015.

Millenials have been a point of contention amongst themselves and among hiring managers. They have higher than average unemployment rates and can frankly be a pain in the organization (I'm a millenial so I can say it). However, millenials do have unique traits that can set them apart during the recruitment and hiring process. Here are three reasons why millenials can become a great asset to your workforce.
Tech skills- Millenials want to learn and tend to adapt faster to new and changing technology. Think about it, this is the first generation who has truly lived their whole lives in the internet age. They get it, and the faster they learn the more they can do for you.
Ambition- This can be an achilles heel, but it can also be a driver of productivity and hunger to do their best for their organization and themselves. Ambition doesn't make everyone a climber. Sometimes it can work in an organization's favor.
Quick Study- 60% of hiring managers indicate that millenials learn new skills required of them faster than older colleagues. A quick learner is not only productive but can help provide training to an entire workforce. Quick learning and institutional training can be a great combination.

Moments of recognition are powerful, they give us a feeling of purpose, a sense of accomplishment and an undeniable drive to produce our best work. Recognition is continuously proven to motivate employees by allowing them to see and feel their personal value.

Sometimes in the enormity of running a retail operation it's easy forget about the front line employees. These are usually the hourly wage earners who may not be the most senior employees but are the employees who have the most impact on consumer experience and can dictate how loyal your customers are. Here are 3 key components to arm your front line associates with to ensure your consumers expectations are fully met. 1.
Tools. Give store associates the tools they need to be successful. This may mean arming them with a tablet with inventory software or ensuring there is an extra manager on duty during your busiest days to keep things running smoothly. 2.
Technology. In today's ever evolving retail landscape this could mean a number of different things. It could mean having mobile devices on the floor in places where beacons are pushing messages to consumers, or having associates armed with tablets to execute mobile checkouts in areas other than the traditional cash registers. But remember it's not all about having the latest and greatest technologies. Find out what spots are weak or need improving on and the right kinds of gadgets that can help improve these areas to see success. 3.
Training. The most important thing to arm store associates with is knowledge. Equip them with the know-how to handle any situation. This builds confidence and autonomy that is usually more valuable in situational problem solving than any piece of technology or tool.
For more information on how to arm your front line store associates with the three T's and beyond head over to Loyalty360.