company called five stars. looks good to me, as I think emailing people is kinda old. but everyone checks their cell phones for texts. the best part is that when people sign up they agree to be contacted via text few times a months and I will not press anybody into signing up. im not planning to text them garbage, but instead things like we open till 9 on storm day or big game special, or to 30-60-90 days lazy customers 1-2 texts max a months even if. program also lets them collect points per dollars spend, refer friends and get free stuff, get smth free for signing up… It looks to my like a must do software to me. am I wrong? have anyone used fivestars or any other loyalty company like that where ppl when placing order type in their cell into tablet and on your tablet you see all there info and able to assign points to them and group your customers into household, office worker etc if you want to … to text them proper info…
Personally, I have never been a fan of text marketing. I’m sure it works, but as a consumer I find it annoying and that’s the last thing I would want to do to my customers. I find email works just fine. To me if they take the time to sign up, then they obviously want the deals and they will go into their email to check them out.
Another thing to consider is does it integrate with your POS system? If not, how will you assign and redeem points/coupons? If you have to do this manually, it may not be worth the time.
I don’t like texting as a consumer so I don’t do it to my customers. I want texts from friends, family and my managers. Not sales pitches. Anyone that texts me a coupon or offer gets blocked. Agree with Mondo, if they sign up for email I use that. Looking at a loyalty program through our POS. I will go that route instead of 3rd party I think.
curious, is there any incentive for a customer to join your text messaging program?
ok… so the incentive is whatever you make it. say free drink right now on the spot for you signing up. all they need to do is type in their cell and name on a tablet that’s facing them. to answer other ppls concerns about "annoying"side of it… its not annoying, because its not a texting marketing program, but a loyalty program that ppl sign up for and nobody is forcing them (I will be forcing them but it will be an honest sales pitch). second - its not annoying because they can always hit “unsign” from any of my texts. third reason why its not annoying is that I ll only text to 30-60-90 days lazy customers , maybe one special a month and occasional text that we open today regardless of snow storm, that’s it, not annoying them with multiple texts. they might be receiving texts with how many points they occumulated but they can opt out of it. as to how they sign up and wheather it can be built in into pos - yes for Microsoft based pos, but even if not heres how it goes - tablet facing you and customer, they before, during or after placing order type in their cell and soon as they do , on your tablet you see their name and point they have so far or any offers you texted them recently; if they just adding more points - on your tablet you just hit “add points manually” hit say 20 points, done. if they have enough points for say small cheese pizza, you hit redeem on tablet and now you need to have a coupon in pos for free small cheese pizza that you need to apply. the beautiful thing about the program is that its a texting marketing that’s cleverly showcased as a loyalty program, and accidently it keeps track of your rewards based on cell phone. I really believe if I don’t text much, I ll have all of my customers happy and not mind sharing their cell. at the same time, I ll have a way to touch base with them for superbowl, their birthday if they choose to share their date and I ll text them incentive if I think I lost them, but im not concerned that much at this point about them replying “stop” to me.
my online oredering company is starting smth like that but they wont have lazy customers blasts which I think is a gold mine, plus it will take years to built up database but im sure that if I have them in front of me, I ll get 80% of them signed up from first try, if they call me I think I ll get at least 30% of them on first call.
the biggest problem is probably that its little time consuming when they call in and that way you have to put their order in pos and then put their cell into tablet to assign points, but its not that horrable giving all the upside I see.