Three top executives from companies that earned various honors during the 2015 Loyalty360 Awards ceremony came together Tuesday to discuss some of their organization’s winning customer loyalty attributes.
Loyalty360 CEO and CMO Mark Johnson led the fascinating discussion during a session titled, “From Culture of Customers to Confident Cultures, a Roundtable Discussion with Customer-Focused Executives,” during the 8th annual Loyalty Expo presented by Loyalty360 – The Loyalty Marketers’ Association.
Glen MacDonell, Managing Director, Loyalty & Partnership Marketing, Best Western International; Jim Engel, COO at Bavarian Inn Lodge; and Hiren Patel, Director of Financial Services, Sam’s Club.
“It’s all about the customer and developing that emotional connection with the customer,” MacDonell said.
Engel echoed those sentiments.
“We love to have exceptional customer service,” he said. “It’s critical to engage with our customers. The loyalty and passion is very deep.”
Patel said Sam’s Club went through a major overhaul 12 months ago that culminated with assuming a market-leading position from a loyalty perspective.
“We definitely increased our (loyalty) investment substantially,” he said.
Best Western International walked away with the prestigious Platinum Award in the 360-Degree category for North America. Besides taking home the 360-Degree Award for North America, Best Western snared a Platinum Award in the Best Customer Insight in Loyalty Marketing category, along with a pair of Gold Awards in the Best Technology & Trends in Loyalty Marketing and Best Creative Campaign categories.
The Sam’s Club MasterCard 5-3-1 Cash Back program secured three awards at Monday’s 2015 Loyalty360 Awards ceremony. The program earned a Silver Award in the Best Customer Experience & Engagement category; a Bronze Award in the Best Creative Campaign in Loyalty Marketing; and a Silver Award in the prestigious 360-Degree Loyalty, North America category.
Bavarian Inn Lodge earned a Silver Award in the Best Loyalty or Rewards Program category.
Engel said Bavarian Lodge officials drill into customer data to strengthen their customer relationships.
“We’re trying to engage with folks about joining (its Bavarian Perks Club),” he said.
MacDonell said at Best Western there is always a focus on doing things better.
“We expanded our portfolio of partnerships in recent years and made these as attractive as possible to many travelers,” MacDonell explained. “Analytics is a continual game-changer. We have structured relationships with OTAs. We have to fish where the fish are.”
For Patel and Sam’s Club, it comes down to one word that sums up its customer loyalty message and mission: Simplicity.
“Multichannel engagement is our biggest opportunity,” Patel said. “And how do we react when our competition raises the stakes. It’s very important to match what your customers want.”
Engel said Bavarian Inn is focusing on the soft customer loyalty benefits.
“Our staff wears badges that say ‘Ask Me About Our Perks Club,’’’ he explained. “It’s part of our cultural effort combined with our customer service.”
Patel said Sam’s Club and its parent company, Walmart, have a “paranoid” focus on the customer.
“At Walmart and Sam’s Club, it’s all about price and nothing else,” he said. “Our culture is focused on price and making sure you win on price. The loyalty piece is icing on the cake.”
Some metrics Best Western focuses on include new member growth, activation rates, elite guest growth, and tracking customer service complaints in an effort to reduce them, MacDonell said.
For Engel, it’s about engaging the guests at every level and keeping it simple.
Simplicity reigned supreme as the key term attached to loyalty marketing at Best Western, Bavarian Lodge, and Sam’s Club.
“Say what we mean and mean what we say,” MacDonell said. “You want the guest to use the points and it fulfills the promise that they will engage with you again.”