In a world where customers can buy virtually anything online, the role of in-store employees has never been more crucial. When a customer chooses to step into a physical store, they expect something beyond what they can get from a screen. In person shopping increasingly requires an experience, a personal touch, and a reason to keep coming back. At the heart of this experience lies the store employees, the living, breathing extension of a brand’s loyalty program.
Despite the prevalence of advanced technologies and enticing rewards, a loyalty program’s success hinges not just on its design but on its execution, particularly at the store level. Employees on the front lines serve as educators, advocates, and brand ambassadors, influencing customer decisions in real-time. To uncover the best practices for optimizing store-level execution in loyalty programs, we spoke with industry leaders who operate at the intersection of customer loyalty and employee engagement.
The Power of Personal Connection
Kristin Cardona, Sr. Director of Strategy at Ansira, emphasizes the pivotal role of in-store employees in bringing loyalty programs to life. “In-store employees are vital to the success of any loyalty program,” she explains. “They are the front-line personal connection between the brand and the customer, and they have a unique opportunity to bring the program to life. Their direct interaction allows them to tailor the message, build excitement, and address customer questions in real-time, making the program more tangible and appealing.”
In today’s retail landscape, where AI-driven automation is increasingly prominent, the human connection has become even more valuable. Carrie Bradley, VP of Human Experience Design at Bond Brand Loyalty, notes that meaningful in-person interactions allow employees to move beyond assumptions and truly understand customer needs. “Meaningful human interactions allow in-store employees to go beyond assumptions and get to know the unique human needs of their customers. This allows them to personalize their efforts to educate,” she explains.
Ellen Green, VP of Loyalty Strategy at Bounteous, sums it up succinctly: “Store employees make or break experiences for customers. Brands that do it well empower store employees to make customers feel special, making them the hero in a customer’s day.”
The Key to Employee Buy-In: Making Loyalty Personal
A loyalty program is only as strong as the enthusiasm of those promoting it. If employees don’t believe in it, they won’t advocate for it. Some brands refer to team members as their “internal customers” because how they perceive the program directly influences how they present it to actual customers.
Leanne Cordes, SVP of Strategic Services at The Lacek Group, highlights a common mistake brands make: “Excluding employees from a loyalty program—and thus experiencing its value firsthand—is a common mistake. When store employees genuinely believe in the loyalty program, they become its most effective advocates.” She suggests engaging employees through friendly competition between stores, rewarding top performers, and encouraging team collaboration to drive employee engagement.
Ed Wogan, Chief Merchant Officer at Valuedynamx, agrees, advocating for treating employees as the brand’s most valuable loyalty program customers. “Incentivize them to join the program by offering up a reward that you might provide to a premium member of your program,” he advises. “When employees personally benefit from and love using the program, it’s easy to bring it up in customer conversations.”
Breaking Down Barriers to Employee Engagement
Despite their crucial role, employees often face challenges in effectively promoting loyalty programs. Time constraints, competing priorities, and lack of training can all get in the way. Finding ways to educate and engage a workforce that often includes part-time employees can be tough. Brands that do it well focus on simplifying the process, providing clear understanding, and arming their teams with easy ways to start the loyalty conversation.
Ellen Green identifies three key struggles brands face: prioritization, lack of understanding, and inconsistency. “Making loyalty a priority starts from the top with leadership buy-in and support,” she says. “Allowing employees to participate (while monitoring fraud) or developing an employee-specific program that’s an iteration of the customer version is a great way to boost engagement.”
Carrie Bradley emphasizes the importance of communication: “It’s imperative for senior leadership and frontline leaders to engage employees on why the loyalty program makes a difference for the business, their customers, and themselves.” She stresses that communication alone isn’t enough. Employees need proper training and tools to effectively promote the program.
Meanwhile, Wogan highlights the practical realities of the retail environment: “Store employees already juggle a lot of responsibilities, so promoting a loyalty program needs to be effortless.” He suggests integrating loyalty seamlessly into the checkout process, such as asking for a phone number or using a quick QR code scan to apply rewards with minimal effort.
The Art of Seamlessly Integrating Loyalty into Conversations
Rather than treating loyalty program sign-ups as a forced sales pitch, employees should incorporate them naturally into conversations. As Bradley explains, “Stronger emotional ties are created when customers see their values reflected in a brand, particularly through human personification of a brand.” Employees who share their own experiences with the program help create a sense of belonging and trust between the brand and the customer.
Green provides an example of this in action: “It’s all about creating ‘moments of value and delight’ within the experience. Employees can highlight instant savings the customer will receive, such as getting a discount on a product they are buying with a membership.”
Leanne Cordes underscores the power of personalization. “If the customer redeems points for a discount, celebrate it: ‘You saved $40 today thanks to your membership!’” Small moments like this reinforce the program’s value and encourage repeat engagement.
Striking the Balance Between Efficiency and Personalization
Retail success hinges on balancing operational efficiency with personalized customer experiences. While technology can enhance efficiency, the human element remains indispensable.
Cardona underscores the importance of this balance: “Brands must find the right balance between efficiency and personalization by integrating technology with human interactions.” Similarly, Bradley asserts, “Brands that prioritize automation while maintaining human-centric experiences will see greater success.”
Leveraging AI-driven recommendations, mobile apps, and real-time customer data can empower employees to provide personalized service without slowing down operations.
Measuring Store-Level Impact on Loyalty Programs
A well-executed loyalty program isn’t just about sign-ups; it’s about long-term engagement and customer retention. Measuring store-level impact is essential to continuous improvement.
Cardona outlines key performance indicators (KPI): “Brands should track a combination of KPIs, including loyalty program enrollment rates driven by in-store efforts, active participation rates of in-store enrolled members, and redemption rates of rewards earned through in-store purchases.”
Green suggests tracking an “enrollment opportunity ratio” and monitoring growth in VIP members. “Success goes beyond just participation,” she says. “Tracking an employee emotional loyalty metric that measures employee satisfaction and brand love will complete the full measurement picture.”
Wogan points to transaction tracking as a critical metric. “Many merchants set lofty goals of greater than 90 percent utility rate of purchases that include loyalty program participation,” he says. “Ensuring that store associates are evangelizing and advocating the value of a program is key to long-term success.”
A Culture of Loyalty Begins with Employees
Loyalty programs are not just about technology, points, or discounts. At their core, they are about people—both customers and employees. As our industry experts emphasize, frontline employees are not just facilitators of loyalty programs; they are ambassadors who shape the customer experience and influence long-term engagement.
By investing in employee buy-in, training, and incentives, brands can empower their teams to authentically promote loyalty programs. Overcoming challenges such as time constraints and competing priorities requires a strategic approach—integrating seamless digital tools, simplifying sign-ups, and ensuring loyalty conversations feel organic rather than forced.
Ultimately, a well-executed loyalty program doesn’t just reward customers; it fosters a culture of loyalty within the organization itself. When employees feel valued and engaged, they pass that enthusiasm on to customers, creating a ripple effect that strengthens brand loyalty at every touchpoint.