T.G.I. Friday’s is rolling out a new program that rewards frequent customers with free food and unique perks to enhance the chain’s guest experience.
The “Give Me More Stripes” program offers new members a free appetizer upon sign-up. Customers also receive $8 of free food for every $100 they spend, and a one-time pass to skip to the front of the line for in-restaurant dining.
People must be 21 to join. Members can choose from five different customized cards upon sign-up to show off their drink preference or style: the classic, the brew, the Margarita, the Long Island, or the Mojito. Customers show their card to earn “stripes” (one stripe for every dollar spent), and can earn their rewards instantly via e-mail.
The program officially rolls out July 14, but customers are already signing up. Since the soft launch in April, some 300,000 people have registered for the offering, Andrew Jordan, senior vice president of marketing for T.G.I. Friday’s USA, said. The company hyped up the program through e-mails to generate buzz to prospective members.
“Consumers are really seeking value more today than ever,” Jordan said. “Sometimes people define it as dollar value, or special treatment, or recognition. [For us], that means offering to sneak preview new food, or surprising people at restaurants, or giving them over the top thank yous because they are a guest.”
The guest recognition program replaces Friday’s previous loyalty offering, which was part of the larger Gold Points Network. That program, which started in 1999, ended in January to make room for the Give Me More Stripes rollout. Its first loyalty effort, called Frequent Friday’s, begin in 1996, and worked like a punch card for visits.
Friday’s is using the latest program, in part, to drive sales and the frequent of its guests. But the biggest driver is all about branding and enhancing the overall customer experience.
“This is all about the brand,” Jordan said. “It really is about the personal experience and making sure something happens that is special and different, and that only Friday’s can do.”
Beyond the initial freebies, Friday’s will also give Stripes members the chance to test new menu items, receive beverage upgrades and even earn preferred seating and parking privileges. Special offers will be available likely every other month.
“Stripes give us the opportunity to treat members a little bit like an insider,” Jordan said. “This is not about some savings account that may or may not ever get redeemed. This is about giving customers some special treatment.”
To help promote the program, the chain is giving members a “welcome amenity” during their dining service. Customers with Stripes cards will be treated to items off the menu packaged in red and white bags, as well as Chinese boxes through early August, or while supplies last. The effort is designed to thank members for their loyalty, as well as spark interest among other patrons in the program, Jordan said. Servers will also talk up the program to guest and in-store P-OP and signage will also promote the program.
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