Cincinnati-based ice cream and convenience store chain United Dairy Farmers (UDF) has relaunched U-Drive, a legacy loyalty program now built on the Paytronix rewards platform.
U-Drive is available for guests to sign up immediately — customers can pick up a card in-store, or download UDF’s new mobile app for the full digital experience. Since launching the program earlier this year, UDF has already seen increases in both how often customers return and in how much they spend on each visit.
With nearly 200 convenience store and fueling locations across the Midwest, United Dairy Farmers is a family-owned dairy that makes its own ice cream. As UDF expanded, management wanted to better understand its customers in order to engage them with more relevant offers and reward their brand loyalty.
“We needed to modernize UDF’s digital platform to better manage the whole customer experience, and Paytronix was the perfect partner with experience to guide us,” said Denise Jenkins, VP Marketing, Insights, Loyalty, United Dairy Farmers. “Tapping into Paytronix provided a real jump-start to knowing our customers better and being more relevant to our guests.”
UDF’s customer loyalty program, U-Drive, rewards UDF’s most loyal customers with savings on gasoline and select products.
Members just swipe their U-Drive card and earn discounts, starting with three cents of savings at the fuel pump every day, without even purchasing anything inside. Registered U-Drive members earn stackable savings every time they make a purchase, then watch the price roll back right on the pump to apply anytime they fuel up.
People want to earn and use discounts in more ways, and Paytronix helped UDF to implement U-Drive with an open design so UDF can tailor promotions for specific guests, or quickly test and roll out entire marketing campaigns.
The flexible interface allows UDF to customize different offers for people who may not drive, or who use gasoline but would care much more about earning a free ice cream shake than a gas discount.
Customers come into the UDF convenience stores with a set mission, and knowing those guests better allows UDF Loyalty to influence the customer journey in a way that does not intrude, but instead interests the guest. UDF knows its loyalty members now — what motivates them, and how they want to be reached.
“We’re learning a lot from Paytronix now that we have the digital platform and the customer experience data to understand our guests. “We need this to be disruptive — people otherwise have blinders on, and will walk right by giant displays, but digital devices and engagement are proving to be a game changer. We can change customer behavior through loyalty, and improve the guest experience,” said Jenkins.
Once active in the loyalty program, U-Drive members gain additional perks, such as locking in the lowest gas price of the day, and Wednesday Freebies in the store–giveaways funded by UDF’s partners and national consumer product brands. Regular perks, coupons and exciting new offers help transition new customers into the system.
“Restaurant tech is evolving, and UDF offers a refreshing example of customer experience done right by harnessing customer data to understand and use in creating better customer experiences. U-Drive loyalty and rewards make every member feel appreciated,” said Andrew Robbins, CEO of Paytronix. “The value of building that digital relationship with customers is now paying off, as customers visit UDF more often, spend more, and build stronger affiliation for the United Dairy Farmers brand.”
