You got questions...we got answers!
Q. I own a small business, how can I afford a loyalty program?
We have solutions for every size. Being a small business is not an impediment to a viable loyalty program. We have a network of partners that specialize in adding value for small merchants and small businesses. Fortunately the Internet has leveled the playing field; the electronic economy enables "Crowd Sourcing" and "Group Buying". Contact us to learn more.
Q. We own a small restaurant. Do you have a solution for our space?
We believe we do, we have "Market Ready" solutions that can be rolled out in a few weeks. A market ready product does not limit your ability to customize your program. A market ready program gives us a foundation that can be rolled-out in a very short period of time. Contact us to learn more.
Q. Why are loyalty programs so expensive?
Loyalty programs do not need to be expensive. If you decide to develop a loyalty program you can start small leveraging what you already have and grow over time. Most businesses have the key elements to develop a loyalty program. We help you identify the best program, best practices, and co-develop a solution that is unique to your business.
Q. We had a loyalty program before, it was not a success, why are you different?
Loyalty programs fail for a variety of reasons. These range from lack of commitment, misunderstanding of the value, cost of contingent liability, and a long list of other reasons. Our approach is not a black box that just counts points. Loyalty strategies can take many different forms. One key element is how you define a "Loyal Customer", and what you want to accomplish. If you are looking at loyalty as a growth strategy then the approach is very different than if you are trying to manage attrition. You need to evaluate the value of a current customer versus the cost of acquiring and maturing a customer. Our experience is that retaining and developing existing customers is more effective than new acquisition. That said it does not mean new acquisitions are bad. Consumer acquisitions are a must, but these need to follow a path, what we call a "Ping-Tree".
Q. We think we need a loyalty program, but are not sure can you help us?
We believe we can. We can certainly evaluate your business needs and make high-level recommendations at no cost. If you believe you need to improve your customer retention, increase spend, and minimize attrition then a loyalty program can help.
Q. We are a B2B business in the automotive space. Our business relies on Agents. How can a loyalty program help us?
Being a B2B company does not mean you cannot take advantage of a loyalty program, in fact a good program can help you grow your network and more importantly retain Agents. Contact us to evaluate your needs.
Q. We have a very large database can you help us monetize it?
Difficult question. In many cases we can develop products and services in other cases no. It all depends on the data source, age, how it was captured, etc. Contact us to discuss the specific case, and we will give you our take on your case.
Q. Our CFO does not want a loyalty program because it carries “Contingent Liability”, what is this?
If you have a loyalty program that grants points, or other types of currency, the points, or currency can be redeemed for products or services. These points are accrued, earned but not redeemed. The currency must be accounted for on the balance sheet. Your CFO is correct in that a loyalty program may create a liability, but that does not necessarily need to be the case. Contact us to learn more.
Q. We are a large e-tailer looking to add a loyalty program. We have researched many providers and the costs are simply staggering. How are you different?
LWe are very different in that we will not try to sell you a solution that you need to adapt to. Loyalty can be a very abstract term, it all depends what your objectives are and how you want to quantify the return. If you are looking to deploy a packaged turnkey solution what you are really doing is taking someone else's perspective and adapting to it. We believe loyalty programs are ultimately Affinity programs that need to be carefully planned. Every case is special, and in many cases the raw material to develop a loyalty program is already part of your company. Contact us to learn more and help you leverage your resources.
Q. We are looking for a provider that can ship general merchandise for points being redeemed. Our experience with other providers has not been good and we think it is very expensive; can you help us?
We believe we can. We have access to thousands of quality merchandise and apparel items. We service many categories. We do not supply or fulfill cosmetics, adult products, or nutritional supplements. We customize items to your brand's unique needs. We share the wholesale price with our customers and only charge a service fee per redemption. We believe we are the most competitive supplier in the industry. Our merchandising capabilities are not limited to loyalty program redemptions, we also service the corporate incentive and rewards markets.
Q. We are looking for a partner that can source and ship merchandise for a rewards program. Do you provide this type of service?
Yes we do. Our merchandising partners have been sourcing and developing products since 1965. We not only source products, but can also develop unique products if required.
Q. We want to create a Membership Club program. Do you do this?
We can certainly help. It all depends on what you want to sell and how. We can develop and source benefits, develop marketing collateral, etc. We do not participate in programs that are "Churn-and-Burn", or that are not clear opt-in by a consumer. Contact us to discuss you program details and we will give you a candid opinion.
Q. Do you service credit issuers and alike?
Yes we certainly do. We cut our teeth in the Enhancement Services space. We know how to make the most of a portfolio with a viable billing vehicle. In most cases a reasonably good file with a billing vehicle is nothing short of a gold mine. It does require good products, and unique value to consumers. Before a database can be monetized a concrete action plan needs to be formulated. Nevertheless a clean database with a billing element has tremendous value. We do not develop, or support products that are intended as a quick-hit, or hit-and-run. We do not endorse programs that are based on Churn-and-Burn.