For decades, customer engagement at Sam’s Club was about stocking up on office supplies, electronics and computers, office furniture - even snacks for the break room, at wholesale prices.
Not anymore. Now, the company has added a new suite of services aimed at helping small businesses save money and time.
Partnering with numerous industry leaders including Aetna, Execupay, and LegalZoom, Sam’s Club has become the first mass retailer in member services to offer a healthcare exchange, payroll assistance, and legal solutions, designed to benefit small business owners and their employees.
“Our new service providers share our commitment to simplifying our members lives, offering affordable, innovative solutions and convenience to critical business operations,” said Rosalind Brewer, president and CEO of Sam’s Club in a release.
Sam’s Club has also made enhancements to their existing services including new products in merchant payment processing from First Data and enhancements to the Sam’s Club Travel.
Sam’s Club Findings: Small Business Owners Need Help in Five Areas
One of Sam’s Club’s core strategies as a membership club is to invest in new services as a way to drive customer loyalty and increase the value of the “business card” that is at the heart of the Sam’s Business membership.
“To a small business owner, value means savings of money, savings of time and easy access to support,” said Carrie Moore, spokesperson for Sam’s Club. “We want services to be a point of distinction at Sam’s Club. We are constantly conducting research into member needs - listening is a critical part of how Sam’s Club anticipates and addresses member needs.
An examination by the insights team at Sam’s Club on why small business owners are strapped for time revealed that they needed help in five critical areas: health care, payroll, legal services, payment processing and travel.
“We realized there was an opportunity to ease the burden of day-to-day operations for small businesses,” said Moore. “By creating a comprehensive suite of affordable services and access to experts who can offer a guided hand in making decisions, we can change the landscape of how small business owners manage their operations.”
Newest Services at Sam’s Club
Aetna Marketplace – Health Care Exchange for Small Businesses
Considering the country’s changing healthcare landscape, it is no wonder small business owners have little time to shop for healthcare options or manage individual plans for their employees.
Aetna Marketplace for Sam’s Club is the first mass retail-supported private health care exchange designed to meet the needs of both the small business owner and their employees. Sam’s Club business members with two or more employees in 18 states have exclusive access to personalized plan options from Aetna.
Services with Aetna Marketplace include enhanced cost control and budget predictability and easy-to-use tools to help employees choose the plan that best meets their needs. Aetna Marketplace also offers a guided retail shopping program that provides more choice than the typical health care purchasing experience.
Seamless Payroll Integration - Execupay
Sam’s Club Payroll, powered by Execupay, saves the employer time by outsourcing their payroll needs to an established industry leader. Sam’s Club members can save up to 40 percent on solutions including online payroll, time and attendance, direct deposit and automated payroll tax filings/payments. The collaboration with Execupay includes guidance from dedicated payroll specialists.
Legal Solutions - LegalZoom
Legal issues can be time consuming – and expensive – for the small business owner to navigate. Exclusively for members, Sam’s Club is teaming up with LegalZoom, the leading online provider of legal solutions, to offer a curated bundle of estate planning products and independent counsel. Members can save up to 25 percent on company formation, get a one-year membership of the LegalZoom legal plan, and access to over 160 downloadable forms.
Enhancements to Sam’s Club Existing Services
Sam’s Club has added products available in merchant payment processing from First Data in addition to providing dedicated local consultants to business members in every market. The Sam’s Club and First Data partnership offers Sam’s Club members cutting-edge payments systems to track inventory, manage employees, analyze customer data, drive loyalty and accept payments with security and ease.
The Sam’s Club travel service was first launched in June and aims at providing members up to 50% savings on travel options for cruises, rental cars, hotels and local attractions. In November, Sam’s Club will launch the mobile app for Android and iPhone users. Travel club members using the app can receive weekly deals through Sam’s Club Travel Insider emails.