How can you create a loyalty program that feels exclusive and prestigious?

We created three different loyalty programs for three distinct client segments in our DMC travel company. Luxury Segment - these clients are willing to pay more for customized and unique travel experiences. FIT Clients - independent travellers who organize their vacations with us. Charter Clients - clients who fly on charter flights with one of our charter partners. For each segment, we have tailored loyalty programs that address the specific needs of that segment. Additionally, these programs are profitable for us from a business perspective.

One thing agencies lose out on in not keeping the plan simple , caveats take a toll on the end user. Due diligence before launching a plan ,synergies within participants to draw tiers ,consistent returns and non intrusive marketing would do the trick.

I find most loyalty programs somewhat disingenuous. You have to apply for the recognition, jump through hoops and remind staff to record your rewards. It doesn’t feel special. My best memories of a recognition from an establishment I frequented was a surprise and personalized . Creating a measurable threshold for your team to recognize your guests would to me be more impactful.

Understand your target audience: ? Know your customers' demographics, preferences, and behavior. Tailor your loyalty program to their specific needs and desires to make it more appealing. Limited membership: ? Limit the number of participants to give the program an exclusive feel. You can use invitation-only or application-based approaches to join, or set certain qualification criteria VIP experiences: ? Create special experiences or events exclusively for loyalty program members. This could include VIP shopping days, behind-the-scenes tours, or access to limited-edition products or services.

Post pandemic travel continues to evolve, rapidly. Travelers are seeking authentic, meaningful experiences that they can live, share and build bonds through. Loyalty programs need to be fluid enough to create frictionless access. These are the loyalty programs that travelers will gravitate towards, IMO.

In our travel company (DMC), we have three different loyalty programs for three distinct client segments. Each loyalty program consists of three different tiers, which we refer to as follows: 1. Comfort 2. Platinum 3. Elite For each client segment, we offer different benefits within these three tiers. For example: - Complimentary transportation - Complimentary excursions - Complimentary photo session - Complimentary private dinners on the beach These programs have proven to be effective in cultivating loyal clients who choose our services when they travel to our destinations.

Design your tiers to match the target customer that you want to capture while incentivizing them to increase their spending with you. After all, the goal of a loyalty program is not only to encourage repeat business and drive CLV, but to be top of mind/top of wallet, or to at least increase the share of wallet. Make this an easy rationale with how you design your loyalty tiers and the tiers' respective benefits.

Tiered Membership Levels: Create multiple membership tiers to reward different levels of loyalty. The higher the tier, the more exclusive the benefits. Offer a clear path for members to progress through the tiers, incentivizing continued loyalty. Unique Benefits: Develop unique and valuable benefits for program members that are not easily accessible to regular guests. This could include room upgrades, access to exclusive facilities, private events, or personalized services. Personalization: Use customer data to tailor experiences. Remember guest preferences, special occasions, and past interactions to provide a highly personalized experience.

Recognition and status are well recognised, intrinsic, higher level needs of humankind. Loyalty program needs to understand the unique customer drivers for each Customer Persona and build the tiers, status & privileges accordingly. A mismatch of the status & privileges with the tiers can not just be fatal for the Loyalty program but could do long term harm to the brand itself, leading to financial losses as well, hence it is important to lay emphasis on this stepstep and be extra diligent in chalking them out. A key smell test while designing the benefits & privileges for the tiers is to check if they are aspirational yet achievable & relevant!

In our travel company, we have various loyalty programs for different client segments. For each segment, we offer different benefits, e.g.: - Complimentary transportation - Complimentary excursions - Complimentary private dinners on the beach - Complimentary VIP arrival and departure services at the airports - Complimentary gifts: a bottle of premium alcohol, coffee, cigars, and more. Since our business operates in a B2B model, we promote these loyalty programs through our business partners. This approach has a dual effect: their clients embrace it as the loyalty program of our partner, and we establish lasting partnerships because, in essence, we provide a free loyalty program for them, ensuring a regular flow of clients.

In my experience, something as simple as fresh baked cookies upon check in is enough to make me look for a DoubleTree hotel whenever I'm in a new city. Loyalty rewards don't have to always be based on something the customer does or earns. If you have a consistent welcome to any customer that comes through your door, odds are that customer will return regardless of signing up for a program.

Limited Access: Limit the number of members to maintain exclusivity. If you have too many members, it may dilute the feeling of exclusivity. VIP Events and Experiences: Host exclusive events or experiences, such as wine tastings, chef's table dinners, or behind-the-scenes tours. These events should be accessible only to loyalty program members. Preferential Treatment: Train your staff to recognize and treat loyalty program members with exceptional care and attention. VIP check-ins, priority services, and personalized welcomes can go a long way. Early Access and Discounts: Offer early access to promotions, sales, or new services, as well as exclusive discounts and packages. Make sure these benefits are genuinely advantageous.

The key here is to understand the drivers of the Customer Persona that specific tier is designed to address. It could be recognition or benefits/access or status or privileges or exclusivity; the tier must be mapped to one of these and offers must be fit-to-purpose accordingly. For the starting tiers exclusivity might not be the driver however access might be! Few of the prime examples for exclusivity could be Special invites for marquee events (movie premieres, luxury product launches, high-end networking seminars/dinners/roundtables) and complimentary use of luxury facilities (premier golf courses, exclusive business lounge bookings, private concierge, personal butler services) or VIP services (luxury car airport transfers, etc).

Offering something exclusive to members only is a sure way to attract more members. It has to be something that makes the customer or client feel like a cut above the rest.

As our business model is B2B, we share this information monthly with our partner tour operators and their travel agents. For tour operators, it's a great opportunity because they can offer a complimentary loyalty program with zero expenses. For agents, it's also very beneficial as they can earn the loyalty of their clients because the clients receive the loyalty program from the agent. And for us as a DMC, it's a win-win situation because we have happy tour operators, happy travel agents, and happy clients. This is what we need for a successful business!

One thing I've noticed is that postal mail always gets opened. Emails can be deleted or dismissed but postal mail -- especially a post card -- will always be read before being trashed. Sending regular post cards with points updates or new tiers that are close at hand will have a better chance at being heard than an email.

Communicate Exclusivity: Emphasize the exclusivity of the program in your marketing materials and communications. Use language that conveys the sense of privilege and prestige associated with the program.

You nailed it on the head, @Katie Catlow it's all about recognizing repeat guests. You did somthing right before, they are returning to your hotel, now build on it by simply thanking them for returning. If you have a loyalty program in place, it should be very simple for them to join at that point.

For us, it is very important to receive feedback from our clients regarding our service quality and loyalty programs. Client expectations are constantly changing. That's why, it is crucial to always understand their needs and expectations. To achieve this, we are using platforms such as: - JotForm - SurveyMonkey - Our own CRM system's integrated feedback form Once a week, we review all the feedback and make necessary adjustments to our services, and sometimes to our loyalty programs. This approach helps us stay current and align with the real needs and expectations of our valued partners and clients.

I have noticed that most people love to give their opinion and sometimes without being asked. Using polls and surveys to gather information from your customers and clients is extremely valuable input.

Feedback and Improvement: Continuously gather feedback from your loyalty program members and use it to improve the program. Ask for their input on the benefits and experiences they value the most.

Inspect what you expect! The best advice I received from a GM years ago. Is the loyalty program leading to the desired outcome? For example, repeat stays, improved booking conversion, higher ADR, improved Guest satisfaction, etc. If you're not measuring these areas and testing different solutions, the program will not perform at its peak.

The evaluation process is the most interesting part. After receiving feedback and analyzing the results based on that feedback, we are able to determine: - which services were the most popular - which were less requested - what clients expected - what our costs and per pax numbers were. This helps us understand the actual cost of loyalty programs. Following this, we make improvements to our loyalty program offers to make them more attractive for our partners and clients, and more beneficial for our business.

Partner with Luxury Brands: Collaborate with other prestigious brands in your area or related industries to provide additional benefits to your members. Exclusivity in Design: Design a sleek and exclusive logo or card for your loyalty program that members can proudly display. Maintain Transparency: While exclusivity is crucial, it's also important to maintain transparency and fairness in your program's terms and conditions. Members should know what they can expect and how they can earn and redeem rewards.

1. Understand Your Customers. 2. Offer Valuable Rewards. 3. Create a Tiered System. 4. VIP Experiences. 5. Communicate Effectively. 6. Simplicity and Transparency. 7. Surprise and Delight. 8. Continuous Improvement. 9. Exclusivity in Marketing. 10. Measure and Analyze.

Segmentation has to be precise, market study has to be done to target specific audience and team has to be made aware of it.Tailoring the benefits will help in targeting the enrollment of target segments.Encourage enrolled guest for referral programs and benefits/rewards.

Recognition and Acknowledgment: Regularly recognize and acknowledge the loyalty of your program members. Consider sending handwritten thank-you notes, special gifts, or certificates of appreciation. Creating an exclusive and prestigious loyalty program in hospitality management is all about making your guests feel valued, appreciated, and privileged. By providing unique and personalized experiences, you can foster a deep sense of loyalty and long-term relationships with your most valuable customers.

Customer loyalty and brand Loyalty are essential in the services sector, especially the Hospitality space. It has been my experience where loyalty programs and models are many. Application, maintenance, and seamless operations of these programs are afflicted with issues. Such as: - organization-wide awareness (does all levels know the program intimately or well enough to appreciate and apply it? Or does the front line see loyalty customers as spoiled entitled recurring OMG moments?) - application frustration (does it flow smoothly; does it integrate well with other benefits being offered? Hoops, hurdles, and re-routing to get access to the benefit shouldn't be a hassle) Seamless Integration, operation, and modifications are essential