Electrónica Lolyalty Program

Electronic Loyalty Program Boosts Sales A Dallas sub shop uses new technology to reward loyal customers with unprecedented ease. T he players Based in Dallas, vPromos is the company behind the ultimate paperless loyalty solution called vPunch. Launched in 2011, vPromos allows consumers to more easily save and interact with their favorite merchants by electronically attaching merchantpromotional offers, such as punch cards, coupons and gift cards, to existing debit and credit cards. T he challenge By Steve Arel Contributing writer, FastCasual.com Sponsored by: The Great Outdoors instituted a traditional punch card loyalty program years ago. Initially, the program worked with paper punch cards handed out to anyone who asked. The Great Outdoors, a Dallas-based sub shop chain, operateseight restaurants in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. Since 1973, the business has built a loyal fan base. The chain’s name derives from its founder, Jerry Oliverie, who wanted to bring the feel of the outdoors inside his restaurant to allow customers a getaway from urban living. Each Great Outdoors restaurant uses creative interior design to produce a sense of nature’s openness. Countless cards have beenput into people’s hands, but that’s about the extent of what the sub chain knows about the program. There is no data about which of the restaurant’s eight locations customers frequent most, how much they spend, what they routinely buy or where they live. While the existing punch card program has helped build relationships with customers and reward repeat business, company leadership was lookingfor a way to drive up visit frequency and increase spending per visit, and actually be able to measure the results. Company leadership was looking for a way to drive up visit frequency and increase spending per visit, and actually be able to measure the results

It’s difficult for us to run with the big guys using email programs, social media and the like … and even harder keeping up,” said GailVoelcker, vice president and director of operations for The Great Outdoors. “We knew that getting our name out into the virtual space was important.” T he solution The popularity of loyalty programs in recent years has left many people carrying wallets full of plastic cards and key rings containing more reward cards than actual keys. The vPunch Rewards program established by vPromos aims tolighten the load by connecting merchant loyalty programs to existing credit and debit cards. Touted as Effortless Rewards, for both consumers and merchants, the paperless system automatically tracks customer transactions at participating merchants and applies applicable rewards and discount offers directly to a payment card transactions. Customers don’t have to produce a loyalty card or coupon toreceive credit for their purchase or to redeem a reward. “One of the biggest problems with participation in loyalty programs is that people often forget their cards or don’t carry them,” said Robert Greenberg, chief marketing officer for vPromos. “So they’re not getting credit. With this program, you don’t even have to mention that you are a member of the program or that you have a reward coming.”TheGreat OutdoorsPurchase: $10.00 vPunch: -$5.00Total: $5.00Congratulations!You have redeemed your vPunch Reward!Congratulations!You have redeemed your vPunch Reward!*$3.00  minimum  p The vPunch loyalty program instituted at The Great Outdoors automatically tracks customer transactions and applies applicable rewards and discount offers directly to payment card transactions at the point of sale. WithvPunch Rewards, merchants can design their own customized program, determining different tiers of loyalty and setting specific rewards based on purchase frequency. Such flexibility doesn’t tie companies to pre-determined reward structures, a beneficial approach for businesses that can’t afford to give countless deep discounts and scores of freebies, according to Voelcker

T he results With...