Meineke stands as one of the leading players in the car care industry. It currently oversees more than 900 independent franchise locations across numerous countries. But even beyond the wide range of quality services it offers, Meineke strives to reach a new customer engagement paradigm that brings an even higher degree of personalization and relevance to drivers everywhere.
Meineke, which is among the brands that will deliver a session at Loyalty360’s upcoming Engagement & Experience Expo in Dallas, Texas, this fall, took time to speak with Loyalty360 about its approach to customer experience. Artemio Garza, Meineke’s Chief Marketing Officer, also detailed how Clutch, a strategic loyalty and consumer management technology firm, helps drive customer engagement success for the brand.
What does the term customer experience mean to Meineke?
Garza: Customer experience is about building a long lasting relationship with customers. It is not about getting them in for a single transaction. It is about making sure that they keep coming back throughout the years. To do that, we think it is important to know our customers, understand what their needs are, and employ the right tools to provide accurate, timely information about their cars.
That is what we are trying to do. The whole objective is to make it easier for consumers to do business with us. Because we understand that getting your oil changed or getting your brakes fixed is not the most exciting activity, we try to at least make it very convenient.
How is customer experience prioritized across Meineke?
Garza: We know that today’s consumer is very savvy. They know that all the information is out there. More and more, they are expecting real-time and personalized information on their purchases. So that is how we prioritize customer experience. We think about what exactly to tell consumers, when to tell them, how to best use the data that we have, and, most importantly, how can we integrate all that information into a palatable format for their knowledge.
In the past, we used basic data like car maintenance and make & model to try to personalize things, but there is more that we can tie into that. We look at the customer’s online experience, what they click, what they purchase, what day they come get their oil changed, and so on. This information helps personalize offers that make sense for their routine and to their habits. So, it is not just understanding the hard data on the car. It is also understanding the habits of our consumers, to make sure that we are communicating something useful to them. That is the priority.
Are there any specific metrics that you use to measure customer experience?
Garza: We have a scorecard for each location, and there are a lot of variables that go into that report. One, for example, is called our customer satisfaction index. That is mostly based on online surveys. We also pay close attention to customer feedback, whether compliments or complaints. Lastly, we pay close attention to engagement from our current customer base. Are they responding to current offers? Are they reading our emails? If they are not, then maybe we are not sending out the correct information. That is also something Clutch is helping us track and evaluate.
And how is Clutch doing that? There is so much data right now, which is causing a growing complexity. How is Clutch simplifying that process?
Garza: Clutch gets access to all of our data fields and they handle our consumer communications. So they have three sources of data–POS, customer communications, and online. The beauty of their tool is that they can synthesize the data so we can draw insights. We can see people who click on certain website offers, and we know how to customize the mailer that we send. We know when the last time a customer came into Meineke and what services they got. So it is all about having the right technology in place, which Clutch has. We can analyze that information and act accordingly on a timely basis. Because it is not just about communicating with consumers about what they want to know, it is also about doing it at the right time.
With such a wide array of customers and disparate segments, how do you understand what the customer’s expectations are?
Garza: There are a couple of different ways. One is playing close attention to the feedback that we get through our call centers and surveys. That gives us an idea, especially of what is not working. The second one is research. We have ongoing studies, focus groups, and quantitative testing where we track our brand health. The third way is by listening to our franchisees, all independent business owners that are just as dedicated, if not more, to the customer experience as we are. They interact with consumers every single day. So we make sure that we listen to their feedback, and run plans through them. Finally, we are also not afraid to make mistakes and to try new things. We are constantly testing and learning.
Has the culture of Meineke stayed the same? Or, as you have evolved, has your customer experience strategy also shifted?
Garza: I think it has shifted. I think that Meineke has fully embraced consumer engagement technology over the last 3 to 5 years. It has been a radical change in how we have been doing marketing and advertising. And not just from a CX or loyalty perspective, but also with digital marketing. There has been a big shift for the better.
About the Author: Mark Johnson
Mark is CEO & CMO of Loyalty360. He has significant experience in selling, designing and administering prepaid, loyalty/CRM programs, as well as data-driven marketing communication programs.