Nectar, Tesco Clubcard, Shell Drivers’ Club – and those are just the loyalty cards in my wallet! There are dozens more in existence and you may soon be getting another one… this time launched by your local car dealer.
I accept this isn’t everyone’s idea of fun, but last Thursday I spent the day in the company of about 150 car salesmen. Thankfully they weren’t trying to flog me anything. In fact, it was a dealer conference and they were listening to expert speakers talking about encouraging best practice in the industry. One of the presentations was from the marketing director of a dealer group which has set up its own loyalty card. It’s not hard to work out the appeal; you reward customers for doing business with you, encouraging them to come back to earn more points. Ford is already part of Nectar for that very reason.
This dealer’s stand-alone scheme has been integrated with his website, so cardholders log in to find details of special offers. That could be discounts on used car purchases for family members, or cut-price deals on servicing, parts and accessories. Up to four free valets a year and ‘introduce a friend’ incentives are also included. The dealership’s computer system even sends texts out to customers reminding them of their appointment the next day – and telling them not to forget to bring their card.
From where I was sitting, I could see lots of dealers nodding with enthusiasm and frantically scribbling notes about the scheme. Give it a few years, every dealer will have one!
Breakdown Cover from 
