Make Surprise & Delight part of Loyalty
by Joshua Tretakoff | VP, Client Services
Interesting article over at 37 Signals on 5 Business Lessons from Costco. One “lesson” in particular sparked my interest:
5. Use surprise to create excitement.
Mr. Sinegal, who is 69 but looks a decade younger, also delights in not tilting Costco too far into cheap merchandise, even at his warehouse stores. He loves the idea of the “treasure hunt” – occasional, temporary specials on exotic cheeses, Coach bags, plasma screen televisions, Waterford crystal, French wine and $5,000 necklaces – scattered among staples like toilet paper by the case and institutional-size jars of mayonnaise.
The treasure hunts, Mr. Sinegal says, create a sense of excitement and customer loyalty.
It’s remarkable how the day to day simple understanding of human nature always catches your attention. At Loyalty Lab, we focus on working with clients to help them understand that their loyalty program is not always about points or the accumulation of rewards, but about the most important motivators: fun and excitement. In many cases, it’s far more interesting to see what’s in store for you when you don’t know what to expect (keep those massive jars of smoked almonds away from me!), than how many points you’ve earned. The combo is the key.
Go have fun, and take your customers with you!
