Articles: loyalty

Loyalty schemes bring to mind apps and points, but in a small business something simpler usually works better. All it takes is an item the customer has to hand at the moment the need appears. The articles here show it through a car workshop, a mail order shop and a service business.

What actually stays with the customer

Not every piece survives longer than a day. These come back most often.

• A discount card the size of a business card - it fits in a wallet, so it is there when it is needed.
• A tear-off coupon - the customer decides whether to keep the part with the offer.
• A parcel insert - it reaches the hand at a good moment, right after the box is opened.
• A reminder of the next service - a card with the date of the next check written in works for months.
• A gift voucher - it works twice over, because it reaches somebody who does not know you yet.

A reason to come back

The item alone is not enough. It has to say clearly what the customer gets and until when, and claiming it should be simple - no sign-up, no forms. Appearance matters too, because a card that looks worth something is thrown away less often. If you use a QR code, test it on a few phones and make sure it leads straight to the right page rather than to your home page.

Start with one tool and count how many people used it. Only then add another - the texts on coupons and vouchers explain how to design them and what to put on the back.