Bill Hanifin
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Today was a groundbreaking day for brands that sponsor loyalty and rewards programs.
I woke up this morning and scanned my email. My local coffee shop sent me a free coffee coupon by email and, upon ordering in the store, was able to flash my Android smartphone to the server and cash in my coupon.
Later that morning, I went online to make an airline reservation. Even thought I am known by my middle name, Bill, the airline allowed me to make my reservation for next week’s trip in my “TSA approved name”, the one that matches to my passport, and seamlessly linked my reservation to my frequent flyer account. What a time saver.
Finally, I did a little shopping to buy some fitness equipment online, wanting to take advantage of a special offer received by email today. It all worked smoothly, I got my free training materials to complement the video purchased and walked away charged up for the weekend.
Wait a minute … today is April Fool’s Day ….. that’s right …. none of this happened.
In fact, here is what did happen:
My local coffee retailer #failed in the line of fire. Since I forgot to print out my coupon, I was not given the offer.
My airline was not able to link my familiar name with my TSA name and I spent too much time updating my profile to get credit for my flight.
My last experience turned out better. After drafting an email to customer service and finding the link broken, I posted on the TRX Facebook page asking for help. I received a reply post within about an hour and ultimately a phone call and email from a customer service representative offering to take my order over the phone while the company corrected some flaws in its shopping cart.
I am loyal to those brands that, even if they make mistakes (we all do) show interest to correct them and remember that customers should be the center of customer-centric strategies!
What about you? Any Loyalty surprises to share on April Fool’s Day?
