Small Issues, Big Impacts: Addressing Loyalty Program Blind Spots

Recently, I was setting up a pop-up canopy and ran into a bit of a challenge. One of the latches refused to snap into place. After double-checking my work and practically exerting all my energy, I took a step back and looked at it from a different angle. That is when I spotted the little gremlin. While taking down the canopy at a previous event, a small piece of lime green painter’s tape had gotten wedged ever so snugly between the clasp and the frame preventing the clasp from snapping into place. It lingered there for months in a humidly warm garage awaiting the perfect opportunity to thwart my future efforts of proper canopy setup. 

This experience got me thinking about blind spots. Those little gremlins can wreak havoc not just in everyday tasks, but in loyalty programs as well. Modern technology in vehicles helps us avoid cars in our blind spots on the road, but how do we uncover and remove the risk of blind spots in our loyalty programs? 

In loyalty programs, we often believe we’ve followed all the right steps:  created compelling offers, built and targeted the perfect audiences, and executed campaigns flawlessly. Then, when we see engagement lags or the customer response is not what we expected, we are left wondering what went wrong. It’s usually because of those “blind spots” we didn’t see. 

Some examples of those blind spots are:

• A previous experience impacting a future event
• An uncovered point of friction in the member experience
• Incorrect assumptions about customer behavior
• Lack of training or communication with customer-facing team members

Much like that painter’s tape, these blind spots can be critical blockers to success until we find them. Often, identifying them requires the collaboration of a cross-functional team. Just as another person might have spotted the tape before I did, diverse perspectives from team members, customers, or analytics can help us uncover what we have missed.

Sometimes, as in my case with the tape, we just need to change our vantage point. In loyalty analytics, this may mean revisiting customer feedback through a survey, taking a deeper dive into transactional or engagement data, or re-evaluating KPIs. It is important to continuously iterate based on data-driven insights to pro-actively uncover these blind spots. 

While a proactive approach to uncovering those blind spots before executing a campaign or relaunching a loyalty program is critical, there are times when one is missed. How you handle a missed blind spot is just as critical and can be the deciding factor if a customer will do future business with your brand.

Consider the following steps when addressing a blind spot:

1. Acknowledge and apologize for the issue as quickly as possible.
2. Identify how it is being resolved.
3. Communicate how it will be prevented in the future. 
4. Ensure your customer service teams are clear on how to support any customers who contact them due to being impacted by the issue.

As an example, if you receive a negative response to a feedback survey, reach out to the customer with an apology and what you are doing to address the issue. 

Or perhaps a little gremlin created a challenge in the offer redemption process on a targeted campaign. Resolve the issue as quickly as possible and consider an extension of the offer redemption period. If an extension is not possible, partner with your customer service team to address any customer complaints. In addition, rather than waiting for customers to contact your brand about the now-known issue, take a proactive approach to the situation.

Partner with your analytics team to pull the audience who received the offer. If any of them transacted or visited the site during the period of the issue, send them an offer for their next purchase or credit them where applicable. Send a communication to the audience apologizing for the issue, how the issue was addressed, and how you will prevent a similar issue in the future. 

Whether setting up a canopy, driving a car, or managing a loyalty program, blind spots may come up.  How we uncover and handle them is critical to success. Continue to seek collaboration, be open to shifting your perspective, and take the right steps when little gremlins appear.

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Amber Meakin, originally from Dallas, Texas, is the Vice President of Client Success at Capillary Technologies, where she excels in account management and leadership. Her career is marked by diverse roles within organizations focused on enhancing customer loyalty through innovative technology solutions. Amber's cross-functional expertise spans marketing, operations, and technology, allowing her to provide valuable insights and effective problem-solving. Outside of work, Amber enjoys the outdoors, hiking, and spending time on the beach. She is also a dedicated volunteer, fostering animals for a rescue organization since 2017. Amber's blend of professional acumen and personal passions makes her a dynamic individual in and out of the workplace.