Making a change isn’t easy. It takes a thorough knowledge, planning, preparation, and execution to drive a desirable change. When it comes to technology, people get comfortable quickly and generally avoid an upgrade unless absolutely necessary. Especially when it comes to businesses, updating Loyalty Program Software is considered a risk as customers might not respond positively to a change in the interface. However, with a bit of planning and caution, businesses can make the transition to new loyalty management software easy and hassle-free. Here are a few things to keep in mind:
Map out the Changes
In order to ace the transition to your new Loyalty Program Software, you need to first take a hard look at exactly what all is about to change. Make a note of how processes are changing for your customers and your own self. Try to retain the essence and character of the customer loyalty program as much as possible and the best way to implement the change.
Implement the Transition in Phases
Break down the switch to a new loyalty solution in different steps. Backend, frontend, emailing, customer database integration, so on and so forth – implement these transitions step-by-step. Overhauling the entire system together will create technical and operations issues and also prove to be challenging for the management. However, ensure that customers have to undergo minimal changes in their ways.
Communicate
Make sure you notify your employees and customers regarding the impending changes in advance. Send frequent reminders to customers to migrate to the new system and incentivize them to do so. Conduct a dedicated session with your employees to take them through the new Loyalty Program Software and dispel any doubts. Furthermore, market the changes as you go along. Do not inform customers about the changes in features that aren’t ready yet. Send out crisp and clear information to your customers to help them transition ably.
Be Patient
Give yourself, your employees, and your customers enough time to get accustomed to the new software. It is natural for customers to consider your requests only when they get time and for your employees to struggle initially. Do not expect engagement and enrolment levels to pick up where they left off. Be patient and do not pronounce a judgment on the upgrade’s success or failure prematurely. Employees and customers will eventually start appreciating the benefits of the new loyalty solution once they get used to it.
Conclusion
You can deploy other strategies to ensure that the transition to new loyalty management software doesn’t adversely impact the efficacy of your customer loyalty program. It is natural for a few hiccups to derail the most well-laid out plans, but considerate planning and execution can help you mitigate the loss of customers. Furthermore, the higher the number of members enrolled in the loyalty program, the more difficult it will be to predict their behavior. Thus, you need to go in with a plan, stick to it as much as possible, be receptive to customer feedback, and be patient.
Have you ever switched to a new software solution? How did you navigate through the change? Let us know!