
Peter Rasmussen, founder and CEO of , joins the podcast to share the key components of successful loyalty programs including how to tailor rewards for professional drivers.
Rasmussen and host Amy Toner also explore:
– The role of AI in enhancing the customer experience and driving targeted offers:
– How small operators should tackle loyalty; and
– What to consider when choosing a loyalty provider.
Listen on:
Three More Technology Trends to Watch:
In a previous podcast episode with Rasmussen on What Innovative Retail Technology Should Travel Centers Embrace Now?, he shared on these three technology trends:
- API Integrations.
One of the most exciting trends Rasmussen is seeing is more open API integrations, which is helping retailers take advantage of technology at a lower cost.鈥淚f you’re a big retailer and you have a very large budget, you can customize everything right? For small to midsize retailers having things that are open API is basically plug and play,鈥 he said.He also noted that PDI has developed an open commerce API and operators now have platforms that can connect directly to the back office and bypass the point of sale.
- More Self Checkouts.
The number of self-checkouts at retail locations are increasing and customers are using them.鈥淔rom a customer standpoint, customers want choice. You’ll still have customers who want to engage with your employees, and that’s great. You don’t want to take that away, but you also have people that want to come into the store, they don’t want to talk to anyone and they don’t want to wait in line,鈥 Rasmussen said.Self-checkouts can also empower employees. 鈥淚f you’ve ever rung the register for an eight-hour day, it’s a lot,鈥 he said, adding that with self-checkouts, cashiers can become more like a host or hostess helping customers with the process. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a more empowering position and it is less task oriented.
However, there is an art to the design to successful self-checkouts. 鈥淭he most simple way to describe it鈥s that as customers come up towards the register, you want them to pass impulse items. You want them to have to walk past your self-checkouts until they would finally get to鈥ashier stations,鈥 Rasmussen said.
- Apps and Social Media.
Connecting with customers is becoming easier through apps and social media. New solutions are putting high-quality apps within reach of smaller, independent operators, which is helpful as customer expectations increase. Rasmussen said apps like Uber, McDonald鈥檚 and Dunkin Donuts have set a standard for being easy and intuitive.Rasmussen also urged operators not to be intimidated by taking part in social media or managing their reputation online. 鈥淭here are great platforms out there today. The way that these platforms work is they鈥檒l monitor your online reputation and bring everything into one dashboard for you as a retailer,鈥 he explained. 鈥淥n that dashboard, you have the ability to see what your reviews are on Google. You can see what they are on Facebook and other travel platforms.鈥Operators can respond or utilize an outsourced managed service and start to build their reputation.
During the podcast episode, Rasmussen shared more on building a brand, creating an app and what he sees coming down the pike in the next five years. To listen to the full podcast, visit What Innovative Retail Technology Should Travel Centers Embrace Now?.
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