The PF Chang’s Warrior Rewards program has been around awhile and the company just announced some upcoming ‘exciting changes.’ From my perspective it’s been a sleepy program. I joined about a year ago and have probably visited a dozen or more times to dine-in or carry out. So I commend their intentions to change the program and look forward to seeing the details. The announcement, sent July 18, 2013 via e-mail to current Warrior Rewards members, disclosed no details. It simply disclosed the recognition that the program needs some work and that they plan to make changes and keep members informed. Following is a copy of the e-mail content:
E-MAIL TO WARRIOR REWARDS MEMBERS FROM CEO – Rick Federico
Dear Warrior Rewards Member,
We understand that our Warrior® Rewards program was not as simple and rewarding as it could have been, and we are committed to making the necessary changes in an effort to win you back.
As you know, the spirit of Warrior® Rewards was about thanking you for choosing P.F. Chang’s and providing you with rewards that surprise and delight. We know we can do better. Therefore, as we strive to deliver a better, more compelling experience, we will be making some exciting updates to our rewards program. We promise to keep you up to date on all the exciting new changes to come.
Starbucks has been very successful with My Starbucks Rewards. The integration of loyalty, prepaid and mobile is a powerful combination. Here is an excerpt from an article at FastCasual.com, quoting Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz:
Overall, the Starbucks gift card accounts for 25 percent of U.S. tender, Schultz said. He noted that the Starbucks gift card was likely the most popular gift item of the 2012 holiday season. More than $1 billion was loaded onto Starbucks gift cards in the quarter (a 25 percent increase over the same period last year), and one in 10 adults in the U.S. received one as a gift.
What’s more, 20 percent of card transactions at Starbucks locations were conducted using the mobile app, Shultz said. Over 7 million customers now use one of our mobile payment apps, translating into 2.1 million mobile payment transactions each week, with hundreds of thousands of additional Starbucks mobile app downloads each week.
It wasn’t just about payments either. The integration of the Starbucks loyalty card with the payment app meant that the company added 1.4 million members in Q1 of 2013. That’s an increase of 86 percent over last year’s 778,000 new members for the same quarter, Schultz said.
Clearly, loyalty plays a strategic role at Starbucks. They ‘get it’ – loyalty is a strategic game changer.
Here’s a little more about My Starbucks Rewards, from the website:
MY STARBUCKS REWARDS FEATURES/BENEFITS
“Earn 1 Star every time you pay with your registered Starbucks Card or Starbucks mobile app at a participating Starbucks or our online store. As you collect Stars, you move up to bigger benefits. Get started by registering a Starbucks Card.
Use your card once, earn your first reward. Sweet!
Something to Drink or Eat On Your Birthday. Get a little extra birthday love with a free drink or food reward on your big day.
Five Stars puts you at Green. Besides your free birthday drink or food reward, you also earn:
Free Refills in the Store. We want you to feel at home when you’re at Starbucks. Paying with your registered Starbucks Card gets you brewed and iced coffee and tea refills at no charge during your visit at a participating store.
Collect 30 Stars within 12 months and you’re Gold. Once you reach Gold, keep those benefits for another 12 months by earning another 30 Stars. With Gold, you get all the Welcome and Green benefits plus:
Free Drink or Food Reward Every 12 Stars. Use your Starbucks Card 12 times and the next one’s on us.
Personalized Gold Card. Your barista will know you’re somebody special when you place an order.”
