[ SNAPSHOTS ]
NEWS ABOUT LOYALTY & REWARDS
INITIATIVES
HOTEL GUESTS WANT MORE
BUSINESSES QUICK TO
GO THE POKÉMON WAY
More than 15 million users downloaded the
Pokémon Go app within a week of it launching
in July, and some business owners were
almost as quick to cash in on the craze.
Among the fastest out of the blocks was
a café and bar in Reno in Nevada, called The
Jungle, which – within days of the launch of
the app – offered Pokémon trainers (that’s
what the gamers are called) a 15% discount
on their purchases if they checked into The
Jungle’s Sierra Perks loyalty programme.
All that was required to qualify was to
show management at the establishment that
they were hunting Pokémons at the time of
their purchase. The Jungle reported a 30%
increase in revenue within a week of
making the offer.
Free Wi-Fi, premium bedding and
complimentary breakfast are no longer
enough to excite and motivate loyalty among
hotels guests. This is the finding of a J.D.
Power study into hotel guest satisfaction,
released in July.
“Customers have responded well to the
enhanced offerings provided by some hotel
brands to create value, but as those perks
become standard, customers are quick to
ask, ‘What have you done for me lately?’”
says global travel and hospitality practice
lead at J.D. Power, Rick Garlick. “When guests
no longer see added value in the quality of
amenities they receive, the only option to
differentiate a brand truly is to develop
a strong service culture that makes guests
feel special and appreciated.”
The study also found that while satisfaction
is higher among members of hotel rewards
programmes than nonmembers, younger
guests are less likely to be members than older
guests – only 39% of guests categorised as
millennials belong to a rewards programme,
compared with 56% of Generation X-ers and
66% of baby-boomers.
“We’re finding that every succeeding
generation seems to be less likely to be a
member of a hotel rewards programme than
the one before,” says Garlick. “As we’ve seen
across numerous industries that J.D. Power
tracks, younger guests in particular are
especially driven by the value proposition,
underscoring the importance for hotel brands
to make a stronger case for the benefits of
loyalty to these travellers.”
UBER PARTNERS WITH CARDS TO DRIVE LOYALTY
Although the hail-a-ride company does not have a formal global loyalty programme, Uber has been
experimenting with techniques for some time.
Among these is its VIP loyalty initiative, which is available in select cities to people who have used
an Uber more than 100 times, and a recent promotion in Los Angeles (where
Uber was launched) where users are offered a free ride for every 15 taken.
Uber also partners with credit-card companies to build loyalty.
In South Africa, Discovery cardholders get up to 20% cash
back on trips with Uber when paying with their Discovery
Card. Uber clients with qualifying FNB and RMB Private
Bank accounts can earn up to 15% back in eBucks when
paying for Uber rides with their qualifying card.
R E WA R D S & L O YA LT Y S A
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