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WELCOME
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Where does time go?
The older we get, the faster the year moves along. The start of summer seems simultaneously fresh in our memory and eons away.
Welcome the Holidays ... again.
As the temperature changes, the stores fill with reminders of gifts to add to lists and your company prepares for the mad rush of the Holiday Shopping Season, remind yourself of a simple fact: you've done this before.
In our last issue, we provided you with tools, ideas and information to help you make the shopping experience as positive as possible for your account holders. So perhaps the news was a bit familiar (In fact, you can read some great Holiday Shopping information HERE).
But keep this in mind: while the fast-approaching Holiday season reminds you of those tasks you can do in your sleep, there is a business contact, vendor, employee or especially consumer who's interaction with you is completely new this Holiday Season and how you prepare for that new experience could mean reward or regret.
So this month we take a look at Traveling during the Holiday season, specifically how to promote and utilize Benefits from cbsi. Some familiar themes presented to your customers can help them make short trips or long excursions as simple and comfortable as sipping cool drinks on a warm island.
Embrace the old while keeping it fresh to help your customers when they hit the road.
Enjoy and have a Wonderful Thanksgiving.
cbsi
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BENEFITS
AAA expects travel to increase during the Holiday Season for yet another year. If the prognostication holds true, that would mean five consecutive years of increased Holiday Travel (Holiday Travel Expected to Increase ...).
For you and your account holders, Holiday Travel could mean boom or bust for your company depending upon the timely messages you deliver beginning today (of course, we are guessing that you want your card products top of wallet for your customers ...).
Chances are that most of your account holders have already booked Holiday Travel airfare and accommodations (The Best Time to Book Holiday Travel). But since you aren't in the Travel Reservation business, this shouldn't affect your message. Now is time to remind your customers of the many Travel Benefits available with their account.
Products such as Lost Luggage Coverage,
Companion Airline Ticket,
Travel Accident Insurance
and Trip Delay Protection are perfect compliments to those travelers flying for ski trips or warmer shores.
But even better, most of your customers will be traveling by car this Holiday Season, not by plane, so universal travel benefits such as Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver, Roadside Dispatch, and Travel and Emergency Assistance can bring comfort to anyone leaving home this Holiday Season.
If you would like t
o learn more about the ways in which cbsi can help you with promoting Holiday Benefit Travel Products so that you can each your business goals, contact us at
[email protected]
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MARKETING
In a recent J.D. Power report, the frequency of using transaction account benefits has increased year over year, with 67% of customers using at least one benefit in the past year, compared with 57% in 2014. Among customers who have used a benefit, satisfaction is 794 vs. 731 when no benefits are used. Customers who use benefits spend an average of $316 more than those who do not use a benefit ($1,107 vs. $791, respectively).
For your customers that may be Traveling during or after the Holiday Season (Spring Skiing, Spring Break, etc.), awareness of several Travel Benefits should be top-of-mind to you and your marketing department.
Three Phase: Before, During and After
Before your customers begin their Travel Plan, make them aware of the Travel Benefits associated with their Transaction account. Purchasing flights, rental cars and other travel-related services will help to protect their trips should something go wrong: Lost Luggage, ARCDW and Trip Cancellation are excellent products to promote during the purchase phase.
During your customer's trips, be sure to arm them with tools that can help when in a bind. Concierge is an excellent service to promote. Your call center contact information is also critical. Often, customers simple need to speak with an agent to understand what benefits are available.
Sometimes a customer may find themselves stuck in some unfortunate situation: a rental car gets a flat, luggage is lost or worse yet, someone gets sick far from home. In these cases your call center and claims department had best be well-versed and prepared to manage these customer issues promptly, effectively and confidently. Social media is changing the definition of what's "fast." According to
Global Web Index, 28% of time spent online is social networking.
This has effectively sped up the time consumers expect it to take a brand (or anyone) to reply to a message. When asking about a product or service, 66% of consumers expect a response to their query on the same day, and
over 40% expect a reply within the hour.
If you need help preparing for the Travel season, be sure to contact us at
[email protected]
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REGULATORY
CFPB MOBILE FINANCIAL SERVICES
The CFPB's Office of Financial Empowerment issued a report on mobile financial services and its use among low-income and economically vulnerable consumers.
The report provides a description of mobile financial services (MFS), discusses the opportunities, risks, and key takeaways from the comments.
Some key findings:
- The rate of growth in smartphone use among underserved individuals and households is growing significantly thus presenting opportunities for expanded use of MFS. For instance, 44 percent of unbanked individuals and 50 percent of adults living in households with an annual income less than $30,000 have smartphones. Increased smartphone use appears to be correlated with increasing use of MFS among the banked as well as the un- and underbanked.
- Comments suggested that financial service providers focus on ensuring that mobile products and services meet consumer demand before focusing on the channel through which the products and services are provided.
To read the entire report, click HERE.
To visit the CFPB website, click
HERE.
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 cbsi CONVERSATIONS
cbsi Vice President, Ken Kraetzer, recently attended events hosted by the DMA. Below are links to articles that may be of interest to you.
Marketing Transformed Positive Economic Forecast at DMA @Then Conference
cbsi Services attended the Direct Marketing Association annual October conference held in Boston - relabeled @Then - to reflect the changes in direct sales provided by the Digital Age. We had a chance to talk with several of the speakers, sponsors and leadership. READ MORE
Talking with DMA General Counsel, Senny Boone, Esq.
The Direct Marketing Association &Then Conference held in Boston in October had a strong digital marketing theme, but concerns about compliance with both American and European regulators was a significant topic. In a conversation with
DMA General Counsel, Senny Boone, cbsi learned how marketers can be proactive in meeting privacy expectations and ad messaging choices. READ MORE
Marketing Technology Start-Ups Put to Test at DMA @Then
Can you imagine speaking from a 360 degree round stage in the busy exhibition hall at a major international marketing conference with just minutes to describe why your start-up company should win a prize that could fuel future growth? That is what five companies did in the final afternoon in at the @Then Conference in Boston. READ MORE
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SURVEY
Each year we make changes to our eNewletter to reflect comments we receive during the year. Timing, content, design and other issues are considered before making any significant - or minor - changes.
So now is the time for a bit of self-reflection as we open ourselves up to your opinions on ... US!
Specifically, please take this brief survey to let us know what works and doesn't work with you eNewletter.
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