221. Restaurant Technology Guys Podcast Ep. 221 – Revolutionizing Restaurant Loyalty Programs with Hang: A Deep-Dive into Customized Customer Engagement

Introduction

Navigating the world of restaurant loyalty programs can often feel repetitive and uniform, leaving both customers and brands wanting more. Many programs operate based on a similar, one-size-fits-all model, leaving personalization and engagement, key facets to customer retention, unexplored. However, Hang, a next-generation loyalty software, is revolutionizing this model. Operating on a user-friendly and hyper-personalized basis, Hang aims to enhance customer experience and create long-lasting relationships between brands and their customers.

Understanding the ‘Hang’

With Matt Smolin, co-founder and CEO, at the helm, Hang offers personalized rewards instead of generic points, making each engagement with a brand a unique experience for the customer. It goes beyond the traditional cookie-cutter approach seen across the loyalty market and focuses on customizing consumer interactions and experiences.

Hang isn’t just for restaurants, but it particularly shines in this space. The software effortlessly connects with POS systems and attributes awards across multiple consumer touchpoints, including social media, in-person visits, online purchases, and third-party deliveries.

Individualized Rewards: Building Solid Relationships

One of Hang’s intrinsic identity elements is its personalization tactics, notably suiting the fast-paced, technologically advancing world where customers want to be seen and heard. Smolin believes in rewarding customers in a way that resonates with them personally and helps businesses increase customer lifetime value.

For example, Hang could offer a regular diner preferred seating as a reward, making them feel appreciated rather than just offering a standardized 10% discount. This approach not only helps retain customers but also enhances their brand experiences.

Transactional Spending: Creating Incremental Returns

Hang works by adding value to each customer’s visit or purchase. The typical points-based system is replaced with rewarding boxes or “mystery gifts”, providing an immediate reward with each transaction. This “mystery gift” could range from discounts to a call with a CEO, making the earning process a delightful surprise.

Hang isn’t just about creating an engaging loyalty experience but also ensuring proving its value for the brand. By driving incremental returns, loyalty changes from a cost center to a profit center. For the consumers, these incremental benefits encourage repeat visits and make the experience more personal, resulting in a whopping average increase in user spend on a per-user basis by 70 percent!

Success Stories: Building a Loyal Customer Base

A compelling example of Hang’s success in revolutionizing loyalty programs can be seen with Boba Guys, a fast-growing burger brand. By integrating Hang into their services, they could offer a range of rewards, from discount codes to newly launched product samples. This unique approach resulted in a fascinating case study, where a consumer tried a new product through a reward system and continued to order that new item over consecutive visits.

Besides, Hang’s API compatibility enables easy integration with brand’s existing tech stack and Point of Sales (POS) system. This integration offers native notifications, capturing user attention and ensuring customer retention and engagement, apart from the regular reward-based approach.

Conclusion

While many restaurant loyalty programs remain transactional and one-dimensional, Hang is redefining how brands interact with their customers. By creating a highly personalized, exciting, and interactive platform, Hang is cultivating rewarding and enduring relationships between customers and their beloved brands.