[ MEMBERSHIP ] |
|||
IMAGE: RAWPIXEL. COM / SHUTTERSTOCK. COM |
“ Free rewards linked to one’ s lifestyle within key categories such as groceries, petrol, entertainment, travel, cosmetics and clothing have proved to be the most popular. Clients need to gain as much insight into the various benefits offered on a programme, and if there are partners they would be interested in using or are already using. The programme has to fit into their lifestyle,” says Dr Tshume, adding that assessing one’ s budget is also paramount if there are monthly payments to be met.
Pick n Pay says its no-hidden-costs Smart Shopper programme is their way of“ rewarding our regular customers in a tangible way, through giving them something back for every rand they spend with us”.“ There is no charge to be a Smart Shopper and there is no investment of time required,” says general manager of Smart Shopper, Steve Hoban.“ All a customer needs to do is get a card, keep swiping every time they shop with us, and then enjoy the benefits of getting cash back to spend at Pick n Pay,. We have a very high engagement level with our Smart Shoppers. We communicate with them regularly and we listen
|
to what they want and need. Our membership of over 10 million Smart Shoppers gives us unique insights into their consumer behaviour, and we can see that engagement with the programme is growing.”
With prices rising at an accelerated rate, it might be worth dusting off the reward cards; there really are benefits to some programmes once you get past the sales pitch and sift through the jargon.
The Loyalty Programme Member Engagement Survey 2015 concludes:“ Clearly loyalty programmes should be about more than just selective discounts. They are potentially powerful mechanisms to enable and support rich engagement between the brand and the consumer.
“ Of course, if engagement is the objective, programme owners need to be mindful that consumers have limited bandwidth; on average programme members belong to nine programmes and actively participate in five. Programme owners need to make it as simple as possible to interact, leveraging a wide spectrum of channels enabled by accessible technologies.” ■
|
TIPS ON MEMBERSHIP
1 Know
how you spend. Rewards are meaningless if you can’ t spend them the way you want to. Do you have to spend your rewards at one shop, or only on a specific item? Do you get to choose between treating yourself and buying essentials? Can you spend your rewards online if you prefer?
2 Get more. Discounts stretch your rewards even further. For example, suddenly R100’ s worth of groceries will only cost you R60 when you are on eBucks level five, which gives you 40 % discounts. As a loyal member, you get access to extras such as a complete travel-agent service with eBucks Travel, which offers you up to 40 % off your local flights with kulula. com, international flights with Emirates and car hire with Avis.
3 Do you need wiggle room? A good rewards programme pays attention to what its members actually do to ensure that there is a right choice for all members, whatever they need or want, from new gadgets or the latest TV to essentials such as groceries or prepaid electricity.
|