In my capacity as a Consultant for LoyaltyOne, one of my favorite things to do is get out in the field with the frontline employees – the store employees and call center reps that actually interact with those customers we value so much. I recently spent a few weeks helping to train frontline employees and despite the burdens of a hectic travel schedule I came away energized. Not only do I typically leave these sessions with some fresh ideas, but I also feel much more in-the-know about where the loyalty program stands.
Sharing a new or revamped loyalty initiative with frontline employees is typically a humbling experience. They won’t hold back their opinions on your value proposition, will correctly anticipate the top customer complaints and are guaranteed to find a loophole in your terms and conditions faster than you can say “conference call with the legal department.” Dazzling PowerPoint presentations and gaudy business card titles are lost on them – they’re straight shooters and you’re in their crosshairs. They anticipate the customer reactions because, well, they’re the ones at the business-end of that reaction.
I would encourage those of you in charge of a program to look for opportunities to use your frontline employees to improve your program – both early in the development process as well as to provide that last “sniff test” as the launch date approaches. They truly are your ear to the ground with customers. Better to take that shot to the gut before the launch date, not after.
