KNOWING ME,
KNOWING
YOU
TECHNOLOGY PROVIDES COMPANIES
WITH ALL SORTS OF INFORMATION ABOUT
CONSUMERS – BUT ARE THEY USING IT
WISELY, ASKS BABALWA SHOTA.
E
lection year has seen a lot of people take
to social media to voice their annoyance
at being “stalked” by political parties
soliciting votes via automated voice
messages, endless texts and cold calls.
The invariable question that seems to
crop up after every rant seems to be the universal:
Where do they get my number?
The truth is, receiving unsolicited calls from
anonymous voices over the phone is big business
– just look at the many call centres springing up
all over the country, staffed by an interchangeable
workforce that tries to entice you into contracts
and rewards programmes you had no idea you
30
R E WA R D S & L O YA LT Y S A
wanted or needed. Their pitch usually comes via a
prepared script that leaves you feeling like you’re not
living your best life unless you take that hotel-group
time-share, sign up for the shiny cellphone that takes
two SIM cards, or renew the gym membership you
haven’t used since the second Pilates class left you
with a butt cramp of epic proportions.
So where do these people get our numbers? And,
most importantly, how do they know that you’ve
slept at a certain hotel, your phone is a relic, and
that you’ve been reading up on belly fat busters?
According to Head of Physical Wellness at MMI
Holdings Limited Dr Thandu Tshume, technology
has proven to be the gift that keeps on giving
when it comes to data capturing and tracking
customer behaviour.
“Technology has provided us with more ways
to assess, monitor, track and communicate with
our clients. This allows us to cater directly for our
client needs, because consumer behaviour is very
fluid due to factors such as the socioeconomic status
of a country, a client’s personal finances, type
and quality of benefits and life changes,” says Dr
Tshume, whose clientele runs in tens of thousands
since Metropolitan and Momentum merged to
become MMI Holdings.
One of the country’s most brand-recognisable
loyalty programmes is the Pick n Pay Smart Shopper.