The concept of “loyalty program” or “loyal guest program” has been known in the hotel business since the early 80s of the last century, when the first of them was created - InterContinental Hotel Group’s Priority Club Rewards. Now there are several dozen international “loyalty programs” covering the activities of chain hotels, and if we count the programs that independent hotels and hotel chains in individual countries have introduced into their practice, then there are hundreds of them.

The popularity of loyalty programs is due to their exceptional “usefulness” to both stakeholders. Hotel guests have the opportunity to travel more often or with greater comfort, while paying less, and for the hotels themselves this is an excellent opportunity not only to retain the consumer of the service without much effort, but also to regularly increase the number of regular customers. This was facilitated by joining the loyalty programs of many airlines. The first to think of this were in the USA, where it is absolutely normal for a businessman to attend negotiations in two or three cities in one day (using the services of airlines); Soon other countries took up the initiative.

So what is a “loyalty program”? Its essence is as follows: the hotel client is offered to become a participant in the discount system. Previously, such a service was available for a certain amount, but now more and more often connecting to the system is free. Sometimes there is a purely symbolic “contribution” - guests receive entry-level “Loyal Guest Cards” if they stay at the hotel for a certain period of time (say, a week), catch one or another PR campaign during their stay, or simply please the hotel management.
After joining the club, points begin to be added to the card for each guest’s visit to any of the hotels in the chain that support this program. Sometimes points are also awarded for dining in a restaurant, using a business center, etc. Their number is directly proportional to how often the guest stays in hotels and uses certain services. Well, in exchange for purchased points, a member of such a club system can receive certain bonuses, i.e. services. Their range is very wide: from the possibility of early check-in/late check-out or a free cocktail to return to the hotel after a working day to the provision of a luxurious penthouse for the weekend, absolutely free.
As we have already said, airlines also willingly participate in loyalty programs: very often at the reception of a hotel you can see an announcement about crediting bonus miles for flights with a particular airline for each night spent at the hotel. Sometimes a traveler has the opportunity to choose whether to use accumulated points as payment for hotel services or receive a discount on an air ticket. But that’s not all, some chain hotels, such as Hilton, offer the so-called. double discounts, when both accommodation and air tickets are cheaper for the guest: this program is very popular.
However, not only she: one of best programs loyalty today in the hotel business is rightfully recognized by Marriott Rewards of the Marriott hotel chain. Thanks to cooperation with 31 airlines, as well as a variety of bonuses offered to customers, over 25 million people now participate in it.
Over 200 hotels and nine airlines are connected to the Hyatt hotel chain program - Hyatt Gold Passport.
It would be unfair not to mention Priority Club Rewards, the leading travel and hospitality loyalty program covering a range of brands: InterContinental, Crowne Plaza, Hotel Indigo, Holiday Inn, Holiday Inn Express, Staybridge Suites and Candlewood Suites and many other chains. and non-chain hotels. Thanks to the variety of brands included in the program, the cardholder can choose from 3,700 hotels in the most different levels and all over the world, as well as take advantage of discounts when ordering services from more than 40 airlines by exchanging bonus points for flight miles. In addition, more than 10 thousand restaurants and a number of partner credit cards participate in Priority Club Rewards.

Even just listing loyalty programs can take a long time; Therefore, let’s move on to the essential aspect already mentioned above. Not everyone knows that loyalty programs are offered to their clients not only by international chains, but also by Russian hotels, both chain and independent. Many of them have developed a very attractive system of discounts, bonuses and “compliments” for regular guests, especially for the corporate segment of the clientele, a significant part of which are business travelers.

Interestingly, hotels can in some cases consider corporate clients to be the ideal target audience. Why? Private clients, tourists and similar categories of citizens, for the most part, are primarily interested in staying in a comfortable room at a reasonable price: other services offered to them by the hotel usually do not appeal to them much. Why, tell me, does a guest coming from the region on a tour package need to rent a hall in a business center or five possible options for organizing an international conference call directly from his room? At best, he will be interested in the restaurant and spa services, and only if they are offered at a discount.
Whereas business people, especially top managers large companies, staying at a hotel even for just a couple of days, are able to mobilize all the resources provided by the hotel. They can rent a conference room, request special equipment for holding a seminar, hire a waiter to serve them exclusively in the lobby business negotiations; “put the receptionist on notice” if a “dead woman” is found in some corner where he wanted to sit in silence with a laptop wi-fi zone... The laundry room is busy putting the suit in order, the concierge is selecting the optimal route for moving around the city without traffic jams, the counter is at the same time ordering air tickets and transfers... And, believe me, the client, to whom everything listed was provided in the shortest possible time, in the best possible way, is inclined to forever “stick” to such a caring hotel. He will come to the hotel of this chain more and more often, and thanks to the discounts of the loyalty program, he will buy more and more services. Because he really needs all of them, and the chance to get some service quickly, efficiently and at half the price, or even for free (especially for a person who earns a lot, and therefore is accustomed to counting his money) is the best “bait”.
Hoteliers have taken this fact into account; in almost every self-respecting hotel, in addition to the standard network of discounts for members of the loyalty program that operates in this hotel, special offers have been developed for corporate clients and business travelers.

RENAISSANCE ST. PETERSBURG BALTIC; COURTYARD MARRIOTT ST. PETERSBURG VASILIEVSKY
The Marriott Hotel Group in St. Petersburg supports the global bonus programs of Marriott International. One of them is Marriott Rewards. Guests participating in the program receive bonus points for staying or holding events at the network's hotels, which they can later exchange for airline tickets or a certificate for accommodation at a Marriott hotel. The guest himself chooses whether to accumulate points for accommodation or air miles. Specifically, every dollar spent is one mile.
The Renaissance St. Petersburg Baltic and Courtyard Marriott St. Petersburg Vasilievsky hotels offer guests participation in the Preference Plus bonus program. All its members who book events or stay their colleagues in the specified hotels accumulate bonus points, which can later be exchanged for prizes and gifts. For every $100 spent, 1 point is awarded. For example, for 15 points you can get a cake from the pastry chef, and for 300 points you can stay at a chain hotel in continental Europe.
HOTEL "MILAN" (Moscow)
Corporate clients can take advantage the following discounts or bonuses.
For business travelers there is a special reduced price for accommodation (from 3800 rubles/person).
There are discounts for the event depending on the number of people, if there are less than 50 participants - discounts will be up to 50%, if more than 50 - up to 70%. Equipment for conference rooms for corporate clients is provided free of charge; Also, members of the group are given a discount on accommodation in Milan from 50 to 70%, and on food in the hotel restaurant - up to 50%. Event organizers can stay at the hotel for free.
Also, corporate clients have the opportunity to conclude a contract for a year at a fixed price, not to mention the fact that they have priority booking rights even in high seasons. In particular, it was this proposal that contributed to the conclusion of an interesting long-term agreement with Cathay Pacific. This flagship airline of Hong Kong operates scheduled passenger and freight transportation to 114 cities around the world and is one of six international airlines with a five-star Skytrax rating. For employees of this company, Milan provides fixed price for accommodation and food for the entire period of cooperation, regardless of inflation, seasonality, hotel occupancy, price jumps, etc.
HOTEL "IRIS CONGRESS HOTEL (Moscow)", previously part of various chains, in currently is currently developing new types of programs. They will be designed for the main segments - corporate, tourist and conference segments, with a certain gradation of the discount system for each segment. Iris Congress Hotel traditionally pays great attention to gifts for the loyalty of partners and its guests. These are, as a rule, hotel services in the form of various vouchers (for accommodation on holidays, for festive events held at the hotel, dinners, visits to the fitness center, etc.). According to the staff, guests are especially happy to receive gifts in the form of culinary masterpieces from the hotel's pastry chef.
In addition, each partner company of the hotel receives gifts from the sales department, sometimes small but pleasant: various souvenirs, which the hotel tries to make as diverse as possible. The sales and marketing department strives to constantly be at the center of events and regularly conducts quality surveys with guests souvenir products in particular, and the level of services provided in general. At the end of the year, the hotel holds corporate evenings for key business partners from the corporate and tourism segments, where company employees are awarded for the most number of nights booked.
As for affiliate programs, negotiations are currently underway with several airlines and banks regarding the accrual of mileage and bonus points, if you have a bonus card in the first case and payment for services with a bank card in the second.
HOTEL AND RESTAURANT COMPLEX "RING PREMIER HOTEL" (Yaroslavl) made a special gift to its clients on its fifth anniversary, when guests could receive Gold and Silver club cards (Golden Guest, Silver Guest) with a lot of accompanying bonuses just for the fact that they were among the first guests of the hotel. Although other types of cards also provide many advantages. By the way, in addition to the Standard card (Regular Guest), there is also a “Corporate” card (Corporate Guest).
The cards differ in the size of the discount and the number of bonuses and work on a cumulative system; over time, the “level” of the card increases.
The hotel loyalty program provides the opportunity to enjoy discounts even for corporate clients who do not live at the hotel, but use the services of a restaurant, banquet halls, etc. Thus, when ordering even just additional services, you can accumulate enough bonuses over time to secure hotel accommodation with significant discounts.
Regular Guest card holders receive one free massage per 3 days of stay and a 5% discount on beauty salon services for the entire stay.
The Silver Guest card gives an 8% discount for the entire stay; two free massages for 3 days of stay; late check-out (within 2 hours after check-out time - free); 5% discount on a la carte at the Sobinov restaurant.
The Golden Guest card allows you to stay in a hotel with a 10% discount, receive a free massage daily; gives privileges when ordering a room and priority on the waiting list for booking. Its owner can also use a free transfer from the station (to the hotel and back); late check-out service (within 4 hours after check-out time); receive the latest press in your room and toll free number for newlyweds.
Among other things, the hotel's loyalty program provides discounts in hotel shops, birthday gifts for birthday people, free equipment for conference rooms, discounts on events, etc.
In the MAXIMA HOTELS hotel chain, the guest is given an information letter containing the contacts of his personal manager and the offer of special rates. Thus, a personalized relationship with each corporate client is established from the very beginning of cooperation.
Guests of any hotel in the chain can take advantage of various opportunities to receive an additional discount or bonus. As a rule, corporate clients most often order transfers and meals at a discount. This spring, during the Eyjafjallajökull volcano eruption, corporate clients were provided with free transfers to Moscow airports and an additional 10% discount on accommodation during the period of forced waiting.
The special loyalty program “Guest of Honor” was developed exclusively for Maxima Hotels guests. Within its framework, the client receives a discount card and begins to enjoy all the privileges from the second check-in at any hotel in the chain.
First level - Classic card - 5% discount on accommodation, services in restaurants, lobby bars and health centers. Next comes the Premium category card - issued upon the tenth check-in at any hotel in the chain or after 15 nights of total stay. With this card you can get a 10% discount on accommodation, 5% on the services of restaurants and lobby bars, and 10% on the services of health centers. Next, the Exclusive card, received upon the twentieth check-in at any of the hotels in the chain or after 30 nights of total stay. This card gives a 20% discount on accommodation, 10% on services in restaurants and lobby bars, and 20% on wellness centers.
Members of the Guest of Honor program are provided with additional bonuses, including the possibility of free early check-in or late check-out until 16.00. For Premium or Exclusive cardholders - free room upgrade.
Another opportunity to obtain privileges has appeared thanks to affiliate programs Maxima Hotels. When booking, the guest can choose a cooperation program with a bank or airline. For example, discounts for holders of some bank cards reach 15%
Airline cooperation programs allow you to get both a discount and additional miles on your frequent flyer card.
Loyalty programs for corporate clients extend not only to accommodation, but also to conference services. In particular, there are a number of special offers:
- “One in Mind” allows you to receive a conference room with equipment for 1 day as a gift when holding a multi-day event.
- The Maxima-BONUS offer includes 3 days of accommodation in a standard double room on weekdays at special prices and one-time use of the conference room during the stay for free. If a group is accommodated in 10 rooms at the same time, the 11th is provided free of charge.” The chain's immediate plans include developing a discount card together with famous sports and entertainment establishments in Moscow and the region. The network has already established strong partnerships with the largest water park in Europe, Kva-Kva Park. Corporate clients of the network from time to time receive exclusive bonuses in the form of certificates for visiting it. Now more than 30% of guests are holders of “Guest of Honor” cards, which is a clear confirmation of the effectiveness of the loyalty program.
The AZIMUT HOTELS CHAIN ​​is not far behind, with its “Your Comfortable Companion” loyalty program, introduced in December 2009 and providing the opportunity to stay and eat at Azimut Hotels in different cities of Russia at special prices. Becoming a participant in the program is extremely simple - just fill out a form when checking into the hotel and receive a loyalty program participant card, which begins to be valid from the next check-in. The program has four statuses: Companion (basic status), Silver Companion, Gold Companion and Platinum Companion. A wide range of services is provided for the business tourist segment: conference rooms, free Wi-Fi Internet, direct landline telephone and cable TV in all rooms, 24-hour reception, laundry and the ability to order a transfer.
Over the course of six months, more than 500 people became participants in the program. 32 hotels in Russia and the European Union are participating in it: in St. Petersburg, Samara, Ufa, Kostroma, Astrakhan, Murmansk, Vladivostok, Stavropol, Moscow region, a project in Moscow, with a total capacity of 5,400 rooms. The chain also interacts with AZIMUT Hotels Company Europe, which includes 22 3-4 star hotels located in 17 cities in three countries of the European Union (Austria, Germany and the Czech Republic) - thus, loyalty program participants can receive “earned” discounts and bonuses also during business trips in Europe.
CHAIN ​​HOTEL SWISSOTEL (Berlin), in addition to the standard bonuses offered by the chain in all hotels in the world, presents its own - exclusive - loyalty program Club Swiss Gold, updated in 2010. In addition to special prices, special privileges for regular guests and cumulative discounts, the loyalty program offers new service: “Exceptional Rates for Weekend Breaks.” What it is? Every weekend, three Swisstel hotels around the world offer incredible discounts on their rooms. These hotels can be booked strictly one week before your arrival date. Yes, the rules are quite strict, but the price is very attractive. Thus, under this offer in August 2010, it was possible to book a hotel in the center of Berlin at a price of 95 euros per day, and in Chicago (USA) - $99 per day. And the famous Swissеtel Sydney offers a 15% discount on every subsequent night of stay at the hotel to anyone who stays there for at least two nights.
At the service of business clients is a studio-restaurant at a hotel in Berlin, where you can “connect” both the studio itself and the chef to conduct your business events.
But of course, with 48 million members in the industry's largest loyalty program, Priority Club Rewards, it's hard to compete.
INTERCONTINENTAL HOTELS GROUP (IHG) is a global hotel company that is the largest in the world in terms of room capacity - 650,000 rooms in more than 4,450 hotels in almost a hundred countries. More than 180 million people stay at the company’s hotels every year, and, of course, many, many constantly take advantage of the bonuses provided by membership in the “loyalty program.”
All points earned can be converted into bonus miles, which are accepted by more than 40 airlines. More than 10 thousand restaurants and a number of partner credit cards participate in the program.
Points do not expire; they can be exchanged for a hotel room even during peak seasons. The conversion of dollars spent into points depends on the hotel system and the level of loyalty club membership. So to get gift number, it is enough to score 15 thousand points. Card holders have the opportunity to check out of their rooms later, receive pre-prepared keys and documents for the room, various discounts, etc.
There are three levels of cards, which differ in the services provided and discounts. The fact that InterContinental Hotels & Resorts and Crowne Plaza are purposefully positioning themselves as a “brand for business travelers” plays a significant role in this. What is the evidence for the validity of such a claim? The main concept of the brand is that you pay for what you really need.
We will also mention such useful (and extremely inexpensive for businessmen and corporate clients who are participants in loyalty programs) services as:
- 24-hour access to hotel Business centers;
- a visit to the Club Lounge, where in addition to food and drinks, guests are offered free Internet access, international press, and a separate meeting room (in most hotels).
The InterContinental hotel loyalty program - Ambassador - gives guests: international press, room upgrades, free week-end, the opportunity to quickly accumulate points (points never expire)
A special “Business Sense” program, which includes breakfast and additional services (for example, unlimited Internet access and a 25% discount on Business center services) The benefits of the Staybridge Suites brand for business clients are as follows: The hotel concept is focused on the needs of business travelers who have to fly to often business trips for a long time, for which guests are provided with:
Free wireless Internet(WiFi) throughout the hotel.
24-hour store with everything you need right in the hotel.
Free breakfast at Hub Kitchen.
Free evening cocktail after a hard day's work.
The longer you live, the less you pay for each night, starting from the 3rd. Holiday Inn and Holiday Inn Express also offer their own special programs to reward regular customers, in particular the corporate segment, for transferring the benefits of loyalty programs of “in-network networks” Intercontinental Hotels Group and an entire magazine is not enough.

Interestingly, at the Hospitality Ideas & Trends Club (HIT Club) press breakfast that took place not long ago, speakers raised issues of loyalty programs, even though they were not on the agenda. The discussion was about the extreme desirability of interaction between airlines, restaurants, various service enterprises, as well as hotels. And not only chain hotels in key cities of Russia and the world, but also small independent hotels in the regions. After all, even if several private hotels in a particular city unite and come up with their own loyalty program, which provides for interchangeability in the event of a guest visiting a hotel with full occupancy, minimal discounts and a small number of bonuses - all the same, with active announcement of the program and competent communication of information to clients , these small, in fact, measures can significantly stabilize the position of each of the participating hotels in the market, increase the influx of new customers and replenish the number of regular ones.

Prepared by Kristina GOLUBEVA

All entries

Loyalty programs are a reward system regular customers. They help manufacturers cope with competition, attract and form a pool of loyal customers.

Recently, the effectiveness of such programs has been declining. This was confirmed by the COLLOQUY center, which conducted a study in 2015. The client does not see real benefits, perceives bonus programs as an attempt to sell unnecessary goods and stops trusting brands.

This doesn't mean they don't work. For each task, it is necessary to select a special loyalty program. In this article we will analyze 8 programs and help you choose the one that is suitable for your business.

1. Bonus for every purchase

Where it works: grocery, perfume and hardware stores, gas stations, outlets Catering, airlines.

The more often a customer buys, the big discount earns. With the accumulated points you can buy a free product or get a discount. The program works in the areas of quick and short-term purchases. Good example on Russian market– Podruzhka chain of cosmetics and household chemicals stores.

How it works?

When making their first purchase, the client issues a card to which bonuses are awarded. The more you buy, the more bonuses you get on the card. They can be spent on the following purchases: receive a discount or pay for goods in full.

Podruzhka chain of stores

In Podruzhka cosmetics stores, the assortment differs from the usual Rive Gausha or Letual. The chain's stores are located beyond the Garden Ring and in the Moscow region. The main location is residential areas where a pool of regular customers is formed. Therefore, the range of products is wide; for example, Japanese cosmetics can only be bought here. Prices are affordable, customer service no complaints.

The company has developed a flexible discount program for customers. The discount depends on the amount the client made purchases in the previous month:

Up to 1,000 rubles - 3%

1,000 – 1,500 rubles – 10%

From 1,500 rubles – 15%

With such a system, it is profitable to buy hygiene products, cosmetics and household chemicals in one place. If last month the purchase amount was 5,000 rubles, then next month the client will receive a discount of 750 rubles. The discount accumulates regardless of whether you accumulated this amount in one visit or came to the store several times. But if the client does not have time to use the bonuses within the next month, they automatically expire. This motivates you to buy constantly and receive monthly bonuses.

Pros:

• a flexible discount system that motivates you to buy more and maintain a high discount;
• accumulated bonus system;
• personal communication with clients. Creates trusting relationships;
• additional bonuses on purchases.

Minuses:

• the program may not work if there is no communication with clients;
• To participate in the program you need to make a purchase and receive a bonus card;
• Feedback from the client is required;
• To receive a discount, you must present a bonus card;
• complex implementation system.

Result:

Long-term relationships with the client are formed. A bonus program requires a system of rewarding the client at every stage in order to constantly maintain his interest. The program will work in online stores, offline points of sale, airlines and hotels. When implementing, you need to know not only the frequency of purchases, but also the average bill. The bonus must be equivalent to the cost.

2. Percentage of all purchases

Where it works: clothing boutiques, car services, flower shops in a residential area.

A fixed and permanent discount on your next purchase is a simple and ineffective type of loyalty program. The client does not know how much money he has accumulated on his card, so he is not motivated to make a purchase. In addition, to get a good discount, you need to buy often and a lot. Usually such a frequency is not needed, as a result the program is forgotten.

A card with a fixed discount percentage is common in stores where purchases are made once every 3-6 months. For example, flower shops, clothing boutiques or car service. The discount does not provide additional motivation. Most often, they simply forget about it due to the widespread use of this loyalty program.

How it works?

When making their first purchase, the client receives a store card with a fixed discount. Bonuses do not expire, are not replenished or cashed out. The discount can only be used upon presentation of the card. The loyalty program no longer influences repeat purchases.

Loyalty program in GAP stores

When purchasing over 1,500 rubles, the client receives a bonus card with a 5% discount. There is no savings system, and an additional discount is given only on your birthday. A client can buy for 5,000 rubles and get his 5%, or for 50,000 rubles and get the same 5% - the discount percentage will not change. During sales periods the bonus card is not valid. The discount does not change, and it cannot be activated during sales.

Such a discount program is ineffective, but will be useful for stores that rent their own premises in residential areas. A convenient location and an additional discount will counteract a trip to the shopping complex. A card with a fixed discount will not motivate purchases in the same place: similar discounts await the client in the opposite boutique with a similar assortment and prices. Therefore, with the same discounts, the client will choose the store that provided better service.

Pros:

• the system is inexpensive and easy to implement;
• the client always knows his discount.

Minuses:

• lack of recognition of the loyalty program. Similar programs everyone has;
• limited action. If bonus points can be given, awarded or taken away, then this will not work with a discount. It is unchanging and constant.

Result:

The discount program is easy to implement, but does not motivate people to make more or more frequent purchases. The company's margins will decrease, but customers will not be interested. It is better not to use the program, but to rely on customer service or product quality.

3. Free promotional items

Where it works: grocery stores, gas stations.

Reward for purchasing N number of products is suitable for retail stores and service providers. The effect of the program is short-term. Competitors will also use this model, so bonuses are devalued. Especially if competitors have similar products on sale.

How it works?

The client buys two promotional items and receives the third for free.

Loyalty program in the Gazpromneft gas station network

The Gazpromneft gas station network has a promotion: when you buy two products, the second one gets a 50% discount. The client saves ¼ or 25% of the total cost. The system increases the average check due to the obvious benefits that can be obtained here and now. If the client has a Gazprom Neft card, then bonuses for purchases are additionally awarded to the club card.

Motivation: bonuses and discounts on purchases. In the future, the client can count on free refueling.

The program works until the client knows the real price of the product. Prices in stores at gas stations are 15-25% higher than in supermarkets. At a gas station, the client will buy 3 packs of chewing gum at the price of 2 for 99 rubles per piece. and will spend 198 rubles. In the store, such chewing gum costs from 57 rubles per pack. For three packages the client will pay 171 rubles.

Loss when purchasing from Gazprom - 27 rubles

Lensmaster optics store chain

The Lensmaster chain of optical stores has the opposite example. Here, bonuses are not awarded immediately, but at a certain stage. When purchasing contact lenses, the client receives a card indicating the number of similar purchases. When he accumulates 10 seals, he receives a gift: the 11th pair of lenses as a gift.

The motivation for shopping at Lensmaster works productively only at first, until the client finds a similar product at a low price in another optician.

At Lensmaster you can buy 1-Day Acuvue Moist for Astigmatism lenses for 1,780 rubles.

The same lenses in Ochkarika cost 990 rubles.

When purchasing 10 lenses, the difference between purchasing identical lenses in Lensmaster and Ochkarik will be 7,900 rubles. With such a difference, a gift in Lensmaster no longer seems like a gift. The client will not return to the store where they are trying to make money on him by deception.

Pros:

• the program is easy to implement and not expensive;
• transparent client reward system;
• It is not necessary to have a loyalty card to participate in the promotion;
• clear and immediate benefits for the client;
• motivation to buy more;
• additional bonuses that can be exchanged for another product.

Minuses:

• inflated prices for goods scare away customers;
• the client feels deceived. The impression of the company is spoiled and a negative perception is created;
• there is no direct interaction with the client;
• the strategy should be thought out at least six months before the launch of the program. The company agrees on the product and price with the supplier, who is ready to provide his product at a low price. Otherwise, the price of the product on sale will be inflated;
• high competition due to the prevalence of the program.

Result:

The program is easy to implement, but if you don’t think through pricing, the client will be scared off by inflated prices and will stop trusting the company. The product itself should be interesting and liquid, so that there is no doubt about the need to purchase. The program is suitable for retail and e-commerce, where purchases are instant, and the client makes a decision here and now.

4. Multi-level bonus program

Where it works: supermarkets, car services, hotels.

The client makes the first purchase and receives a bonus, learns about the loyalty program, and can become a member of it. The benefit is clear: rewards for everyday purchases. Bonuses can be accumulated and exchanged for discounts or free goods or services. Next, you need to retain the client by rewarding them with new bonuses and gifts.

How it works?

The client makes his first purchase in the store and issues a loyalty card. Points are awarded to the card for every purchase. You can use the accumulated points to pay for purchases or exchange them for gifts.

Virgin Atlantic Flying Club

Virgin Atlantic has expanded its usual system of accumulating miles for flights and introduced a status system. Upon registration in the program, the participant becomes a member of the Red club. The status gives the right to exchange miles for discounts when renting a car, paying for parking or a hotel, when purchasing tickets for flights on holidays.

The next level is silver. When switching to it, the member is credited with 50% more miles. The status gives the right to check-in for a flight ahead of the queue and priority when boarding.

The highest client level is gold. In addition to the benefits of the previous levels, the client can use the services of exclusive VIP areas at airports.

Pros:

• flexible points accumulation system;
• accumulated points do not expire;
• motivation to shop in one place;
• additional discount for program participants;
• clear system for writing off points;

Minuses:

• complex and expensive implementation system;

Result:

The program will work in the field of reusable purchases and essential goods. Loyalty programs for airlines, hotels, and beauty salons are built using a multi-level reward system.

5. Partnership of companies for exclusive offers

Where it works: in large networks grocery stores, communication shops, clothing stores.

The loyalty program can also be developed through offers from partners. For the program to work, the product must meet the customer’s needs and the purchase process must be convenient. Such a loyalty program with multiple partners can be effective when the audience is growing in a new company or when the customer base is expanding. Interaction with customers and control over the quality of purchases is monitored using CRM systems.

How it works?

The client issues a bonus card, which already contains offers from program partners. For each purchase, the client receives points on the card, which can be used as a discount on purchases or gifts.

Loyalty program "Svyaznoy-Club"

This is one of the largest loyalty programs in Russia. In 2014, it had 19 million participants - 13 times more than Aeroflot. The number of partner companies has exceeded 50.

Customers receive bonuses for purchases. The club card is charged from 1% to 14% of the purchase amount. Bonuses can be spent on purchases or used as a discount.

The CRM system divides all participants according to the nature of joining the loyalty program. You can participate in the program through purchases at offline points of Svyaznoy and partners or through the Svyaznoy online store. Holders of a Svyaznoy Bank bank card automatically become members of the club.

When making purchases, the CRM system takes into account the following data:

• using a mobile application;
• nature and frequency of purchases; participation in bonus programs;
• average check;
• management of bonuses. The client can spend all bonuses at once or use them as a discount on a purchase;
• response to emails and calls.

A complete picture of the client’s behavior helps to formulate the right offer for the client. The CRM system analyzes the data and makes an offer to the client based on previous purchases, taking into account the price segment.

For example, a client purchased a laptop from an online store. When placing an order, the system will offer to immediately buy related products. For a purchase, the client will receive a smart card and 1000 bonuses on the card as a gift, which he can spend on his next purchase or exchange for a gift.

If a client buys a mouse for 190 rubles, he will not receive a gift, and the number of bonuses will be significantly less.

The system encourages the client to make a larger purchase at a time in order to save on points in the future.

Pros:

• participation is free. There is no initial purchase required to enroll in the program;
• wide geography of the program. Partners work throughout Russia;
• competent co-branding. Program partners represent food, entertainment, medical and other service sectors;
• multi-level reward system. The more the client spends, the more and more valuable bonuses he receives;
• individual offers. Each customer receives an offer based on previous purchases.

Minuses:

• the implementation of such a program is very expensive, since you need your own card and partnership at the technical level with many companies;
• complex implementation system;
• constant monitoring of the work of partners.

Result:

This loyalty program is attractive due to the huge number of partners involved in it. With the right combination, the buyer will make more purchases, collecting related ones and sometimes not required product. With such a system, it is important to take into account the campaign margin, price threshold and partner recommendations.

6. VIP service fee

Where it works: in stores that justify additional costs with high service service; in B2B enterprises.

In order for a client to buy goods in one store, the company must make shopping as comfortable as possible. If you analyze customer behavior, you can identify factors that prevent you from making a purchase.

For example, when purchasing through an online store, a customer may be confused by additional taxes or expensive delivery, limited product selection, or high price. To eliminate this, the company can introduce paid program loyalty. It consists in the fact that for a certain fee the client receives VIP service. Shopping is more enjoyable if the customer feels that he is being taken care of.

How it works?

The client makes an advance payment and receives privileges in choosing a product, additional services and bonuses upon purchase.

Amazon VIP treatment

For $99 per year, a customer can sign up for Amazon Prime. The subscription provides a bonus in the form of free two-day shipping with no minimum purchase amount, access to premium products and additional discounts. It is more convenient to make purchases with a subscription; the client has additional features Online. Benefits help customers feel valued.

Pros:

• the client pays and receives good service;
• a paid subscription motivates you to make purchases more often and more;
• direct interaction with the client, the ability to select individual offers.

Minuses:

• complex implementation system;
• the program may not pay off, high risk.

Result:

A loyalty program with a paid subscription can work if the difference in benefits is tangible, useful and relevant to the customer. Suitable for companies that build long-term relationships with customers based on repeat purchases. And also for B2B enterprises that regularly supply products for business.

7. Non-profit loyalty program

Where it works: in cosmetics and household chemicals stores, and from packaging manufacturers.

The main task of the loyalty program is to create a pool of regular customers. If the company is trusted, the client will come again. Trust is based not only on the quality of the product and its price. To form long-term relationships, you need to know your client and share their values. In order to constantly sell and expand the network, the company can interest the client in its policies. This creates a positive image of the company and unites the buyer and the manufacturer.

How it works?

When choosing and purchasing a product, the client learns more about the company’s non-profit programs. For example, transferring funds from a purchase to WWF or ecological production goods.

Lush Eco Campaign

One of the most famous British manufacturers of eco-cosmetics attracts its customers with the company's policies. The products use natural ingredients, cosmetics are not tested on animals, production is not harmful environment. To motivate people to buy more and more often, the brand introduced packaging that can be recycled and reused. The client collects the jars and brings them to the store, for which he receives a bonus in the form of a fresh mask or facial scrub.

pros:

• pool of regular customers;
• positive image of the company.

Minuses:

• does not stimulate buying more often;
• It is possible to increase the cost of goods by transferring part of the funds to funds.

Result:

A loyalty program can work if the values ​​are not far-fetched and the benefits from purchases are real. The program is suitable for industries, for example, cosmetic brands, manufacturers of household appliances or households. The more transparent and understandable the production is to the client, the more trust there is in the company.

8. Brand as a leader of loyalty

Where it works: from a manufacturer with a high reputation.

The loyalty program is suitable for unique and high-quality products. The product may not be budget-friendly, not of the best quality and not the most marketable, but it will be in demand thanks to the brand. This is due to the fact that the company is creating a new niche, and the product is creating a new category.

Apple Corporation

The company does not provide discounts on its products even to its most loyal customers. Because they don't exist. The only exception is products for education.

For schoolchildren, students, teachers, tutors and educational institutions The company has developed discount programs. This policy is due to the fact that the corporation does not use advertising in the usual sense. TV, newsletters, advertising banners the company does not use. Apple is educating a new generation of product users through its educational system.

The user gets used to the interface, build quality, and external design and will not refuse in favor of a cheap, but less comfortable replacement.

Professional cosmetics MAC

Another example of a brand that does without discounts and loyalty programs and is a market leader in its segment. The brand offers high quality cosmetics, sells only in branded boutiques and does not provide a franchise. The prices for the goods are high, as is the quality of service. Among the staff in the brand's boutiques, only professional makeup artists work. Consultants talk about the products and can apply makeup at the client’s request.

People without experience will not be hired to work at MAC. But there are special prices for products for staff. Therefore, makeup artists choose high-quality cosmetics that they are used to working with, and even at a discount.

Pros:

• formation of a pool of regular customers;
• brand recognition;
• no need to carry out additional shares and discounts;
• The product on the market is unique because it forms its own category.

Minuses:

• the program must be developed in detail at the time the brand is launched.

Bottom line:

This loyalty program is one of the most difficult to implement, but also successful. The program will work if the concept of the entire brand is thought out before the company enters the market. The absence of discount programs will be compensated by the high quality of unique products and service. With such a program, the company forms several generations of users. And this eliminates the need for advertising campaigns, sales and bonus programs.

Let's summarize:

Bonuses for each purchase are suitable for stores with quick and short-term purchases. If the program is not clogged with unnecessary information, it can give good results;

The discount card program for each client is easy to implement, but does not provide more profit;

A promotion with free goods is suitable for retail stores: the client will buy more than needed;

A multi-level bonus program is used by airlines, hotels, and large retail chains. Motivates to buy more when the product is liquid and the prices are reasonable;

It is difficult to implement an affiliate program, but due to it you can significantly expand your customer base and increase brand awareness;

A loyalty program with paid participation is suitable for online stores, banks and companies that provide VIP services or VIP services. A risky step, but you begin to appreciate what you pay for more;

A non-profit loyalty program is suitable for brands that produce unique products. The client will more often pay attention to the history of the company and its values ​​when choosing a product.

In order for the product itself to be desirable and necessary, you need to create a new category for it. Such a campaign will be long-term and ongoing. Resources will be spent on maintaining product quality, and not on creating a new bonus program.

Increasing sales to existing customers is increasingly becoming the number one topic in company management meetings. The departments responsible for working with clients are required to increase the volume of business, decrease in outflow, minimizing maintenance costs.

The shift in focus is not surprising. Most B2B markets have reached their maturity; the potential for exponential growth by attracting new clients has exhausted itself. And even in monopolistic and oligopolistic markets, this issue is extremely relevant in the light of increasing business efficiency. Look at the statistics and you will understand why.

• The cost of attracting B2B clients is 5 times higher than the cost of expanding business with existing clients.
• The profitability of existing customers is 30-40% higher.
• Reducing churn by 5% increases profits by 25% or more.

The numbers are impressive, but not everything is so simple. The increase in repeat sales is the result of comprehensive work to build relationships with customers. And here companies are faced with the need to change business processes, develop competencies and introduce new tools.

Specifics of working with corporate clients

When working with corporate clients, there are two types of relationships - formal and informal. On the one hand, you have to work with the organization as a system where there are processes, regulations, criteria, KPIs, and contractual relations. On the other hand, at the operational level there is interaction with specific employees with different needs and tasks. They change the scope of work or go to maternity leave, make mistakes, forget about agreements and may be in different moods.

Dual nature B 2 B -clients are potential opportunities and problems at the same time. Formal and informal relationships are two sides of the same coin, so each of these areas requires a well-thought-out work strategy. Problems are sure to arise if you do not pay due attention to managing relationships with clients and their employees.

What is important to consider when working with corporate clients and their employees? Let's consider three characteristics- the cornerstones on which sales of even the best products and services can break.

Integrated Decision Making Model

Depending on the industry and the specifics of the client, a different number of employees are involved in the decision-making process. Lack of support from at least one of them may cause the deal to fail or the relationship to break down. At the same time, the position of the contact person does not always reflect the level of his influence on the transaction. The decision maker usually does not have the time to dive into the details. Therefore, his opinion is based on the conclusions of his subordinates. According to Google research, the final decision on choosing a supplier in 64% of cases is made by top management and in 24% of cases by ordinary employees. 81% of non-top level employees influence the decision to choose a supplier.

Typically, the main efforts of sales managers and account managers are aimed at working with decision makers. At the same time, work with ordinary employees is carried out much less actively, although the effect of investments in this direction can be significant.

Multiple levels of influence

Even if your company has contact with only one client employee, in terms of building a long-term relationship with that organization, it is important to establish contacts with a much wider range of employees who could potentially influence business with your company. Based on the intensity and frequency of interaction, these employees can be divided into three circles.

• First round: Directly representatives of customer departments, decision makers.
• Second round: Employees who interact with your company in support functions. For example, accounting employees.
• Third circle: Individuals who influence decisions, such as security representatives, or client employees, who are potentially of interest to your company for future business development.

Salespeople and customer service employees usually work with the first and second circles. The third circle, as a rule, remains uncovered.

Motivating client employees

The interests of clients' employees do not always coincide with the interests of their employer. Even if you offer the best commercial terms, this does not mean that your company will be chosen as a supplier. Yes, there are formal procurement procedures if we're talking about O major transactions. However, even in this case, the role of relationships with decision makers is key. Sometimes customer representatives do not have the proper motivation or simply forgot about your company when they need to complete the next purchase.

The nature of corporate customer loyalty

Customer loyalty in the mass market is expressed in the willingness to buy the company's products and recommend them to friends and relatives. Loyalty of B2B clients fits 100% into this definition with a number of amendments.

Inertia of cooperation

Long-term relationships with a client do not always indicate his loyalty. Possible reasons such stability is the difficulty of changing a supplier due to the integration of its solutions into the infrastructure, the reluctance on the part of the customer’s employees to initiate procurement procedures related to the selection of a new supplier, etc. The period between the emergence of discontent and its manifestation can be quite long, up to several years.

Conducting surveys and collecting feedback from customer employees is the most common way to diagnose customer satisfaction. According to research by Loyalty360.org, 26% of surveyed clients use it.

It should be borne in mind that clients do not always speak directly about their complaints or dissatisfaction, even in the case of anonymous surveys. When implementing projects aimed at retaining corporate clients, we primarily look at financial indicators(sales dynamics, number of additional and cross-sales, share of purchases from the supplier from the total volume of purchases of these products (share of wallet)), as well as the level of outflow and a number of other indirect signs.

Please note one thing. Readiness on the part of the customer constructively discussing existing problems already indicates his loyalty. This means that the relationship between the company and its employees is at a fairly high level, and there is mutual trust.

Reasons for B2B customer loyalty

In an environment where manufacturers use similar production processes and technologies, there are fewer and fewer differences between competitors' products and price offers. High quality does not guarantee customer loyalty in the long term, given the many aspects that influence the decision-making process. IN similar situation important role factors that are not directly related to the characteristics of the purchased products play a role.

Over the years, research has been conducted on what are the key sources of corporate customer loyalty. Their results boil down to 4 main reasons:

• Quality products and services, level of customer service.
• Perceived value products/services. The real and perceived value of a product are two very different things. Russian manufacturing companies with rare exceptions, they practically do not invest in creating the correct perception of their products among client employees, but in vain.
• Brand reputation. Brand awareness and reputation increases the value of products. There is also psychological aspect. It is much safer for a decision maker to work with a large brand than with a no-name company. There will be fewer questions from management and inspection departments about why this supplier was chosen.
• Confidence - the quality of the relationship between a company and its employees, especially at the purchasing decision level. Often this factor outweighs all others, including cost and product quality.

Product quality is still the main condition for customer loyalty. However, the other three factors depend on the subjective perception of the company's image and the level of relations between employees. These factors can be successfully influenced. One of the tools for engaging customer employees is the B2B loyalty program.

B2B loyalty program

B2B loyalty programs are a relatively new tool for working with corporate clients. The impetus for the development of such programs was a change in the decision-making model in B2B markets due to digital transformation of business.

1.Companies have the opportunity to compare suppliers and their offers. According to Google research, 90% of B2B clients actively use the Internet to analyze suppliers and their proposals before announcing procurement procedures and deciding to extend contractual relations.

2. It has become much easier for companies to change suppliers. The emergence of new technologies for product delivery (cloud services) and simplification of procurement procedures ( electronic trading, B2B marketplaces) have radically changed the rules of the game.

The company's products and services themselves are no longer a sufficient condition for customer loyalty. B2B loyalty programs allow you to more actively engage customers and build long-term relationships with them.

A distinctive feature of loyalty programs for corporate clients is the emphasis on non-material motivation and the use of indirect financial incentives. Therefore, they combine elements of a staff motivation system, a B2C loyalty program and best practices in the field of corporate training.

The key mistake made when implementing B2B loyalty programs is blindly copying the loyalty program model for individuals, trying to try it on corporate clients and their employees. This leads to negative reactions from client management and even severance of relationships. More detailed information about the key problems of implementing programs for legal entities in our article " 4 Fatal Mistakes When Launching a B2B Loyalty Program ".

With the right approach, investments in motivational programs for B2B clients begin to pay off from the moment of launch. As a rule, each program is unique and poorly scalable for implementation in other companies. This is due high level its integration into the company's business processes.

Do you have questions about managing B2B customer loyalty? Our experts will help. Contact us! An hour-long consultation is free.

Everyone views marketing as attracting customers. Something like an advertisement. Marketing = advertising. They attracted customers and they bought.

Everyone is happy: the head of the company, the clients themselves. The only thing is that it has long been proven that selling to a regular customer is 5 times cheaper than selling to a new one. And this is the problem with most managers.

They don’t think about how to retain a client, although there are simple and unobtrusive marketing tools for this. For example, a customer loyalty program.

Marketing and discounts

Although no, I'm wrong. Managers and marketers think like . But usually, the most they can come up with is discounts.

Those same banal discounts and, moreover, the larger the discount in their opinion, the higher the likelihood of retaining the client.

There is definitely truth in this. But they forget what discounts mean in business and how much it impacts their margins. And all this, as a result, is very far from a working customer retention system.

And how to keep it here...

As an example, let's imagine a classic situation in any business, when a client asks you to give a discount and at the same time subtly hints that if you do not give, the consequences may be irreversible.

Bad option:

- Will you give me a discount?
- We don't have discounts.
– Then I’ll go buy from competitors!
– Okay, I’ll give you my personal discount of 5%, but don’t tell anyone about it.

A good option :

- Will you give me a discount?
– Yes, when purchasing over 10,000 rubles you receive a 5% discount.
- Okay, then I'll buy it.

The best option :

- Will you give me a discount?
- Certainly. Moreover, the more you buy from us, the greater the discount you get. For a purchase of 10,000 rubles you will receive a 5% discount, and for a purchase of 20,000 rubles you will receive a 10% discount.

- Well, okay, then give me this coat for 22,000, then it turns out it will cost me 19,800.
- Yes that's right.

I think you have now learned the model of a customer loyalty program, according to which more than half of small businesses in Russia operate. And now is the time to change your business and stop being like 99% of your competitors.

If you don’t have a customer loyalty program, it’s time to break the system and start one immediately after reading the article, especially since you will learn the tricks and life hacks that work in modern realities in Russia.

And even more so, if yours is exactly as I described in the examples, fix it urgently!

And if you are lucky and this is not the case, I congratulate you, but I still strongly recommend reading the article to understand what to add/improve to your loyalty system.

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Three tasks - one road

So. What is a customer loyalty program? Briefly, this is a way to motivate your clients with three main tasks that most managers forget about when developing it:

1. To retain customers (Will you go to buy from organization B if you have the maximum discount from organization A?!);
2. To increase sales (Will you buy just 2,000 more rubles to get an 8% discount?);
3. To (Remember before everyone went to Letual or Ile De Beaute with someone else's cards in order to buy at the maximum discount?).

And in fact, all customer loyalty programs revolve around two simple actions (I would even say arithmetic operations) - write off or accrue, that is, plus or minus, that is, a discount or savings program.

It is these that we will now look at and get to the point “What is better – a discount or bonuses?” If you don’t want to read the rest of the article, watch the video:

In general, there are more than 4 loyalty programs, but today we will study only these 4. And yet, get ready that while reading the article you will have thoughts of changing the old one that works well/badly for a new one, which you will learn literally within 3 minutes.

Discount loyalty program

As I wrote earlier, this is the most widespread of loyalty programs, not only in Russia, but also in the world in general.

Expressed either as a one-time or cumulative discount. As a rule, this is a discount card that gives a certain percentage discount on a purchase. Why a certain one?

Because discount cards come with either a fixed or cumulative discount.

The cumulative discount is due to the following function - when purchasing at certain price thresholds, the client receives an increase in percentage as a reward for loyalty to the company.

Some are sophisticated and come up with conditions that if the client does not appear with them, for example, once a month, then it goes down one step and so on until he comes to his senses and comes again.

Pros :

• Customers love discounts. Especially in Russia. It’s very special under the conditions of this time.
• Such a program is simple and straightforward, so it is easy to organize and control.

Minuses :

• Nowadays, any person usually has at least 2-3 discount cards from companies in the same field.

  And usually the discount amount is the same everywhere. Therefore, in competitive areas, one might say, “loyalty” is more like a word than a really working tool;

• As soon as the client stops growing in the process of winning the maximum discount, his interest in progressing in purchases also begins to fade;
• The main disadvantage of discounts is that they are given from net profit (example below).

Let's give an example about the loss of money from net profit due to discounts. Let's say you sell some product for 9,000 rubles. Your markup is 30% Discount is 5% or 450 rubles. It seems like a little, BUT!

You have the cost of a product/service that you will not spend anywhere, and accordingly you give a discount from your net profit.

Thus, you actually lose 450 rubles not from turnover, but from your net profit, which, for example, is 2,700. It turns out that at the end, taking into account the discount, you earn 2,250.

The total amount of the discount (if converted to pure money) is not 5% at all, but as much as 17.5%. And this, you see, is significant. Of course, this will not be so noticeable if your markup is 100-200 percent, but what if the discount is greater?

Bonus loyalty program

In this program, the client no longer receives discounts. They magically turn into bonuses. But the principle is the same.

When you make a purchase for a certain amount, you receive a certain percentage of bonuses from the transaction amount on your account/card, which you can spend when making your next purchase (even exchange for a free product).

The bonuses themselves can be in any form: points, stickers, rubles. Yes, at least the fictitious currency of the store (not the worst option, by the way).

Pros :

• If you mean repeat purchases, then the system can work for quite a long time and successfully without unnecessary problems;
• To accumulate a decent number of bonuses, the buyer must buy constantly or in large amounts, which is extremely beneficial for the business owner;
• Bonuses may tend to expire, which means this will be an additional incentive to come to you as soon as possible and spend them;
• Not all clients come to spend bonuses, so, one might say, you keep this money in your company and end up selling it without a discount at all.

Minuses :

• If the purchase is one-time or very expensive/rare, then such a loyalty program will not be suitable. The client simply has no interest in participating in it, since he will not come to you again;
• If you make tricky/complicated rules for a loyalty program, customers may get confused or not understand it at all, which will completely destroy the whole idea behind its creation;
• More difficult to control than discounts, so you may even need special software.

What's the second fastest way to increase profits in any company? Have you thought about the first one? Don't think - this is a price increase. The second is to switch from discounts to bonuses.

Remember our example about a product costing 9,000 rubles and a 5% discount? Let's apply it to bonuses. All the same.

You credited the client with 5% on his bonus card on his first purchase, which he can use on his next purchase. We count.

1st purchase – 9,000 rubles
2nd purchase (also) – 9,000 rubles
Bonus from the first purchase (located on his card) – 5% or 450 rubles.

Thus, 2700 (first purchase) + 2700 (second purchase) – 450 (bonuses written off from the first purchase) = 4,950 (your net profit minus the bonus discount). The total discount on your profit was 8.5% versus 17.5% in the first case.

Particularly attentive people should have noticed that from the second purchase the guest will still receive another 450 rubles into the account and it turns out that as a result we will give out the same 17.5 percent. And they will be right.

Only if we return to the advantages of this system, we must remember that half of the people will not come, half of the bonuses will be burned and these bonuses will stimulate the client to come again.

And also immediately answering your question: “What will happen if we cancel discounts and introduce bonuses, will all the clients run away?” Nothing will happen! Yes, some part will leave, but its departure will be compensated by an increase in your profit.

Oh, calm, just calm

In general, it is not dangerous. We checked repeatedly. And by the way, the part that will leave are the most unreliable and few clients who are ready to go to the other end of the city if they find a product/service 10 rubles cheaper. There is no need to focus on such people.

Although, of course, so as not to be to blame later for the fact that your company has ceased to make a profit, I will still make an amendment.

And I have a favor to ask of you. There is no need to ask customers: “What would you choose: discounts or bonuses?” The client will always respond with a discount.

This is how our psychology works – “Good now, bad later.” Therefore, take yourself for... willpower, cancel discounts (if any) and introduce bonuses.

Lifehack. If you want to get a ready-made loyalty program, I recommend ““. Very cool functionality and flexible settings. And with the promo code “INSCALE” you get a 10% discount.

Multi-tier loyalty programs

This is a fairly simple and at the same time complex system. How more people spends money in your company, especially interesting group he gets clients and the more interesting bonuses he receives.

For example, it could be some additional free services(free shipping, extended warranty, etc.).

That is, by spending more money, the client increases his status. Often such loyalty programs are used in banking, insurance or airlines.

Pros :

• Such a program is built on pride, since the more a person spends, the more interesting the group he will be in, which has a positive effect on the client’s desire to spend more;
• Ideal for the VIP and Double-VIP segment of people.

Minuses :

• He is both a minus and a plus. Such a system is ideal only for expensive goods and services;
• We need very strong bonuses when reaching a certain level;
• Quite difficult to implement and track. Again, special software is needed.

Paid loyalty program

Or receiving some bonuses/privileges/perks for subscribing. That is, the client pays money (usually a fixed subscription fee) and as a result receives privileges.

This may be an increased service, Additional services, access to some closed resources and the like.

Pros :

• Very easy to organize;
• Ideal for products that are purchased frequently;
• Clients buy access to such a loyalty program, but often do not use it (that is, “free money”);
• You can work out the cost of bonuses so that they are as profitable as possible for you in terms of money.

Minuses :

• If the value (perception) of a paid subscription is lower than the price, then the entire program may fail.

Let's just say this is the coolest and strongest loyalty program. The one you get paid for, but let's be realistic.

For this to happen, you need to be a very popular company in your sales territory.

How to choose a customer loyalty program?

This is a very important point. Since a manager or marketer always perceives his business in a special way, so to speak, “in pink glasses” (this is a fact that is also relevant about us), then it is very difficult for them to understand what their client wants.

Yes, implement everything as in the popular proverb - “You can’t eat a fish without washing the frying pan.” So what should we do?

1. It's corny, but you have to put yourself in the buyer's shoes. Let's imagine that you have a wholesale organization.

   What do you think your favorite (for you) client wants? Accumulate bonuses to exchange them for something free? Or does he want (and is used to) to receive discounts here and now?

   Therefore, you take the side of the buyers, analyze your range of goods/services and find the answer to these questions.

2. Ask customers who are already buying something from you what they want (but remember the stop question: discounts or bonuses?). You can post the survey on your website, social networks, or in your office.

   As a rule, the answers will be from the “lower prices, higher discounts” series. But sometimes you will come across adequate people who can give advice interesting ideas, this is the essence of this action.

3. Do a competitor analysis and determine one of two strategies:

   3.1 Go the other way. If the client gives a progressive discount, up to the maximum, then perhaps it is better to give up discounts altogether and switch to a bonus program, just with very interesting prizes.

   3.2 Model it and improve it. Just remember that things can be ambiguous.

   After all, maybe a competitor miscalculated, introduced a discount loyalty program, now earns nothing at all and grieves about it at night, but you didn’t analyze it and decided to copy it.

4. And the last step, when you have thought about everything except yourself, ask the same question as in the first point, only to yourself: “What do I want?” or “What benefits me?”

   Sometimes it is better to make a system with discounts, and sometimes with bonuses. As I wrote above, there is always a factor in the market that can change everything.

   Therefore, calculate under what scheme your company will grow in profit (or in your case, it may make sense to grow in turnover to capture market share now).

And finally, a few life hacks that will make your customer loyalty program even more interesting:

1. If you decide to switch to a discount loyalty program, then make it progressive.

   If you buy 10,000 rubles, you get a 5% discount, if you buy 20,000 rubles, you get a 7% discount, if you buy 50,000 rubles, you get a 10% discount.

   The more a customer buys, the greater the discount he receives. The only thing is that discounts should not be just crazy on an ongoing basis (from 20%), this can play a cruel joke and scare away buyers.

2. If you have a catering service or a store, and you count bonuses manually, then rather switch to ready-made solutions that do not cost a lot of money.

   For example, such as Plazius (for catering) or Bazaronline (for retail stores). They already have everything you need. You just need to connect them, calculate the amount of bonuses based on your margin, and put them into action.

Briefly about the main thing

Finally, a video showing how stupid the picture as a whole can look when you complicate it too much and stop understanding yourself :)

And a short summary of the article: if you just want to create a customer loyalty program because you need to quickly increase your profits, then... No, it won’t help you and you don’t need it.

A customer loyalty program is just one of the marketing tools that can get your customer (forgive the tautology) more often and more, but in the long term.

And one more parting word – don’t complicate things. I remember with one client in public catering we decided to introduce a bonus loyalty program.

We probably calculated it for about a month. Well, for a very, very long time. He constantly called me and offered me new mechanics. Confusing me, myself, and future guests of my establishment.

As a result, I gave up and introduced the following conditions: 20 percent of each check was accumulated for the next visit. Once guests have become accustomed to new system, we began to gradually complicate it.