Ecrebo marks its move into hospitality by selecting TISSL as its first EPoS technology partner

This article is brought to you by Retail Technology Review: Ecrebo marks its move into hospitality by selecting TISSL as its first EPoS technology partner.

EPoS solutions provider, TISSL Ltd., whose client base includes fine dining, casual dining, bars, cafes and members clubs, has announced a new partnership with Ecrebo, a software author specialising in personalised customer loyalty.

Ecrebo powers customer engagement for some of the UK's largest retailers, with a client list including M&S and Shell. Ecrebo has processed over 2 billion transactions and powered delivery of over 300 million personalised customer engagements at till. The company now has the credentials and experience to turn its attention to hospitality.

Observes Ecrebo's Head of Marketing, Tom Holt: "Hospitality represents a fantastic opportunity. Our solution helps operators unlock the power of their POS, delivering a real-time customer communication channel to help drive sales uplift and visit frequency. We can also leverage customer mobile devices to drive loyalty without any of the costs normally associated with loyalty programmes. Partnering with TISSL is perfect for meeting our ambitions in hospitality. Having integrated with TISSL, clients can simply 'switch-on' our solution and quickly establish a business case."

"Due to business size, many hospitality operators have been unwilling to invest in loyalty applications. The beauty of the TISSL link is that their clients can test our solution without any upfront cost or requirement to purchase additional software or hardware. Integration also gives TISSL a nice advantage, adding value for existing clients and new ones."

Adds Kevin Coetzee, founder and Managing Director of TISSL: "Our clients often question whether loyalty is really working for them. Promotions may give a 'feel good' factor but the hard truth is they don't always give bottom-line returns. Campaigns are often not properly measured and can result in more business generated from the same people without really growing the customer base."

He continues: "The beauty of Ecrebo is the way it targets and attracts return trade in ways that are highly-specific and cost-effective. Ecrebo also exploits smart devices such as mobile phones and tablets, which are ideal channels to carry targeted offers and keep brands front-of-mind in our increasingly crowded lives."
TISSL clients opting to have the Ecrebo integration switched on will get immediate access to four functions, enabling them to engage with customers and uplift business.

Coupon at Till – this 'no sign-up' system targets customers and generates precisely the business uplift operators want based on sales of certain products at certain times; the antithesis of giving points indiscriminately based on customer patronage. No new print hardware is needed and unique coupon codes eliminate fraud. Real-time analytics mean success can be immediately measured. Coupon redemption rates of 20% are commonly achieved;

Mobile Stamp Card – this modern take on paper stamp cards utilises existing transaction receipts and personal mobile devices to drive loyalty. Again, no cards or sign-up are required, and operators can use the channel drive specific changes in customer behaviour.

Customer Feedback – operators can request feedback via smart devices based on specific customer behaviour. Because transaction context is already known (location, time & date products purchased, name of serving staff) customer questioning is minimised, focusing on capturing qualitative data on the visit experience and the service provided. Individual responses can then be responded to, to thank and/or rescue at-risk customers.

Digital Receipts – Not only can digital receipts add value for your customers, they open another channel for personal customer communication. Customer details are quickly captured via POS, Following which a digital receipt is emailed along with personal customer offers.

Tom Holt stresses how easy it is for operators to manage and measure campaigns: "Our secure web-based interface is available from anywhere and requires no native software. Multichannel campaigns can be created and taken live in minutes based on specific triggers such as product, time, date and location. Just as easily, they can be revised, paused or stopped, as operators see how they're performing. It's immediately clear which offers are working work best for which customers, how they're performing by venue, even by staff member. "

"Going forward, TISSL clients will get much more out of their promotional campaigns, and their customers will benefit too. Ecrebo is a refreshing and clever approach to managing loyalty and one that clearly works for all parties," concludes Kevin Coetzee.