The “Frequently Asked Questions” section is an often overlooked aspect of a loyalty program, even though it’s your first line of defense in terms of customer service. Think about it like this: presenting customers with a well-crafted, extensive loyalty program FAQ that answers all of their questions would prevent them from bombarding you with messages.
But that’s not all. An FAQ doubles as a rulebook, saving you from overexplaining the program on the main membership page. Lastly, you can subtly promote your most exciting features by crafting questions around them.
Did I manage to pique your interest? If so, let’s jump into the exciting world of loyalty program FAQs.
Tip 1: The Essentials
Writing a Frequently Asked Questions section is more than just compiling a bunch of questions. It’s a journey, guiding visitors through various segments of your loyalty program. For this reason, you should consider the perspective of total newcomers, people who are new to the concept of loyalty programs.
Typical questions to include:
- What Is the Loyalty Program about? – This isn’t a question people would post themselves, yet it’s a great opportunity to educate visitors pre-emptively about the benefits of your loyalty program. Treat the answer here as a brief summary of the program and mention the core values.
- Who is eligible to join? – If your loyalty program is free, here you can emphasize it, reminding customers that they can only win by enrolling. If the program is subscription-based or poses some form of limitation (such as only US-based citizens can join), then you should absolutely let readers know about the conditions here.
- How do I join the Loyalty Program? – Remember, the answer should go beyond simply explaining the steps of online enrollment. If you’re offering mobile passes that come with the welcome email, or allow in-store registration, then go through step-by-step each of them in bullet-point format.
Tip 2: Rules and Know-How
The second part of a loyalty program FAQ should revolve around the core mechanics, such as earning and redeeming points, increasing levels, and the timeframe of using benefits and receiving points (in case you’re introducing a delay to avoid fraudulent actions), etc.
Typical questions to include:
- How can I start collecting points? – The answer might seem obvious at first, but this is an important question nonetheless. Why? Because many next-gen loyalty programs reward non-transactional interactions, such as friend referrals, newsletter subscriptions, and so on. You have to bring these up in order to entice people to use them.
- When do my points expire? – On the flip side, you also have to explain the expiration rules for points or the downgrade period, if you have tiers. This is a must-have title on the list: if you don’t call attention to it and people lose their progress, they’ll no doubt abandon the loyalty program altogether.
- How can I change my personal details?– Here you can tell customers where they can find the profile section on the membership page. If you’re collecting a large amount of customer data, from the delivery address to sizing information to brand preferences, it’s highly likely customers will wish to change them over time.
Tip 3: Rewards & Redemption
Rewards are the bread and butter of any loyalty program, so it’s imperative to explain all there is to know about them. In case you’ve designed a more sophisticated program, it’s suggested to dedicate multiple questions to explaining details involving redemption, shipping, returns, and so on.
Typical questions to include:
- What are the membership benefits?– Even though most of the incentives are probably displayed on the membership page, you can repeat the most attractive reward, benefits, and service in the loyalty program FAQ as well. This also provides an opportunity to summarize the most important talking points in one place.
- How can I redeem my rewards?-You should make sure members understand the ‘where, how, and why’ of reward redemption. Without knowing the ins and outs, customers would sit on their points instead of engaging with the loyalty program, which ultimately lessens the experience.
- What’s the difference between spendable and level points? – If you’re offering tiers based on points, you should definitely bring up this topic. To put it simply, customers might confuse the two, believing that redeeming their points to claim a reward will diminish their overall tier level.
Tip 4: Promoting a Feature
Best practices for this category aren’t set in stone. Basically, if you offer unique perks or services that need some context, you can elaborate on them in the loyalty program FAQ in a natural manner, without using an actual sales pitch.
Typical questions to include:
- How can I enter the VIP Club?– Special interest groups with exclusive benefits are either invite-only or require an entry fee, usually paid in loyalty points. Clarifying this is also a great opportunity to bring up some of the perks associated with the VIP club membership.
- When do I unlock Early Access?– Allowing members to buy new products ahead of the wider public is an awesome privilege for customers while costing nothing for you. It’s highly recommended to shine a spotlight on this benefit, reminding people that it’s a high-tier reward.
- How can I get into community events?– Organizing store launch parties, “meet the influencer” events or anniversary treasure hunts in the store are all excellent networking opportunities people would love to be a part of, you just have to lay out step-by-step how members can sign up for them.
Tip 5: Tying Up the Loose Ends
At the end of the loyalty program FAQ, don’t forget to tackle a couple of sensitive topics, such as how a member can delete their profile, or how you handle their data. Be upfront with your answers and put their mind at ease.
Typical questions to include:
- How can I opt out?– Telling members how to leave isn’t a bad thing. If they wish to opt out, they’ll find a way to do it. However, dedicating a question to explaining the process shows a level of confidence. Not to mention you should definitely inform customers about the consequences of their actions, such as losing their progress forever.
- Is the program GDPR compliant?– In truth, very few customers are versed in the ins and outs of GDPR; most of them usually expect a confirmation on your part, so they can rest easy, knowing their data is in good hands. For this reason, your answer should aim to comfort the reader instead of going into the details.
- Is my personal information secured?– Again, your answer should revolve around reassuring the reader by listing some of the protective measures and certificates you or your loyalty program provider boasts.
How Much Is Too Much?
With the most important topics covered, you might be asking, do I really have to include all of these — or even more — questions in my own FAQ? Well, the answer depends on your goals. Would you like to provide a guide for unaware customers, explaining each aspect of your loyalty program? In this case, don’t be afraid to go all out. However, if you mention most of the information at other sections of the membership page and don’t wish to repeat yourself, then feel free to roll with a shorter version, only highlighting the most exciting aspects.
Finding Answers To Your Questions
Hopefully, you now have a strong grip on how to start writing your loyalty program’s FAQ section. Still, this should be the finishing touch, because you need to design the program first in order to know which features require a spot in the FAQ.
If you wish to learn more about the process of building a successful loyalty program, we offer both an in-depth guide and a comprehensive ebook. And of course, feel free to contact us to strike up a conversation if you have any questions yourself about loyalty programs, FAQs, customer retention, or pure-play technologies.
