In Overland Park Kansas, home to Sprint, a new startup called Front Flip has been trying out a new and fun way of engaging customers and increasing loyalty in Kansas, Chicago, Columbia, Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, Minneapolis, New York, Orlando, Phoenix, Philadelphia, San Antonio, and St. Louis. As we’ve reported with startups like Lokalty and FreebeeCards the loyalty, rewards and engagement space is heating up big time right now. Part of the reason is because local merchants are becoming tired of killing their margins with daily deals sites that only attract a customer one time, and that one time is typically at a loss.
That’s one of the reasons why Front Flip co-founder and CEO Sean Beckner created Front Flip.
“The market is ready for a change. Daily deal programs aren’t building customer engagement or rewarding loyalty — in fact, they have rather the opposite effect,” Beckner said in a release. “Front Flip’s mission is to help businesses engage with their customers in a fun and exciting way both inside and outside the store by increasing understanding and building customer loyalty.”
More after the break
Front Flip is available for both iOS and Android. The user downloads the Front Flip app and registers an account with basic information. When the user enters a participating business they scan a QR code at the establishment which takes them to a virtual scratch off ticket, (like a lottery ticket), wiping the screen back and forth with your finger uncovers the prize or incentive that the customer has won using Front Flip.
The user than has 30 minutes inside the establishment to redeem the reward. The reward ideas are endless it could be a free slice of pizza or a $10 off coupon depending on the way the merchant wants to use the program. In exchange for the perk, discount or prize the merchant gets the customer’s information from their registration. They can then use that information later on to send a push notification to the customer to get them back in the establishment.
Merchants are raving about the program:
“Front Flip has transformed the way we interact with our customers and is the biggest marketing initiative we’ve introduced recently. Every month I’m seeing my sales go up 5% and more” said Laura Hammel, franchise owner at Dickey’s BBQ in Kansas City. “Customers come into our restaurant and are excited to use the Front Flip app to scan and scratch for a chance to win a prize. With the ability to control exactly what prizes we give away and how often a customer wins, we are able to drastically increase the overall customer experience.”
There are already 725 retail locations in the test market cities signed up. Beckner expands huge rapid growth coast to coast. The program itself requires the minimum effort from the end-user or customer and they can just walk into an establishment see the Front Flip sign and scan the QR code with the app.
source: SiliconPrairie
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