27.05.2010
The newly implemented Apparel Group Loyalty Program “Club Apparel” provides several key advantages over its more traditional counterparts. Most importantly, the system makes it extremely easy for customers to enroll and participate in the program.
Thanks to the innovative and globally patented Margento technology used as the loyalty program’s backbone, local as well as international shoppers benefit from using their personal mobile phones to identify themselves at affiliated points of sale. Collecting points is done through a simple phone call. Additionally, all transactions are quick and take very little effort, while still guaranteeing a high degree of security.
How it works
Club Apparel works by allowing a pre-established fraction of the value of each purchase to be added onto the customer’s Club Apparel account as points, allowing shoppers to instantly redeem the acquired balance at any of the group’s 275 retail outlets in the UAE.
The account becomes operational just moments after being set up, allowing the customer to start collecting points in seconds, including those earned by the transaction at hand.
“People don’t need to carry any more cards,” says Nilesh Ved, the chairman of Apparel Group. “I’m fed up with getting my statements from the bank on paper, so we’re trying to go paperless and no cards. So your cell phone is your loyalty card. You can get your points at Nine West, walk out of the shop, into Tommy Hilfiger, and use it instantly. And you can use 87 points or 63 points: usually it’s always in certain denominations.”
Points can be interchangeably earned and redeemed across a wide and diverse chain of international brands including Nine West, Tommy Hilfiger, Promod, Kenneth Cole, Bench, Basler, Inglot, Jeanswest, Bally, Aldo, Sketchers, Venezia, Dune Booksplus and Cold Stone, among many others.
Simple & Quick Enrollment
For a customer to enroll into the program, the only technical requirement present is a functioning mobile phone. In fact, no mobile phone upgrades of any sort are necessary, and no limits are put forth by the mobile handset’s generation and/or manufacturer.
When a customer account is to be set up, the shopper is instructed to call a toll-free 800777 number and tap his mobile onto the point of sale terminal. The system will then, after establishing for a fact that the mobile phone number has not been previously registered with the system, automatically print out a special enrollment form.
To complete the CLUB APPAREL account registration process, the enrollment form is filled in and signed by the customer, allowing him or her to conveniently experience from then on all the numerous Program benefits. Among these, as shown before, convenience and user-friendliness rank highest.
Alternatively, customers can join by replying to the welcome SMS message instructions without the hassle of filling out a printed form.
Convenient Day-to-Day Usage
The mobile phone acts, owing to the innovative technology employed, as a fully functioning mobile wallet. Every time a purchase is made the points are added onto the customer’s account, identified each time with a quick dial&tap. Points can, at any time, be redeemed in exactly the same manner.
All transactions are extremely convenient, as identification is accomplished through the use of a mobile phone transactions are simplified even further by the fact that the same toll-free number is always dialed, regardless of the location and exact affiliated venue at hand.
Additionally, all transactions are quick, meaning very little extra time is spent at the cashier’s, both in collecting and redeeming points.
“With the UAE being a global shopping destination, We are looking to bring convenience, efficiency and world class solutions to the tourists, residents and locals.” said Dani Alyamour, the GM of Imovation. “Migrating card loyalty to the mobile is just the beginning. Cardboard gift vouchers having fixed denominations will soon be replaced with a more interactive flexible mobile gifting experience. Tedious repeated filling of ballets when entering prize draws and promotions will be replaced with a simple call to take care of identifying your participation. Ultimately our goal is for the UAE to enter the era of mobile payment.”
Security
Points redeeming transactions are secured through the use of a customer-specific PIN code, with each customer specifying his or her PIN code as a part of the account registration process. Obviously, owing to the system using PIN codes, lost or stolen mobile phones can not be used to redeem points.
Finally, the same PIN number can be used, along with the mobile phone number, to log into a self-care web portal, allowing the customer to monitor and overlook their personal account. Details on all the relevant transactions are provided here, giving a solid basis to better manage redeeming of points.
www.imovation.com