Facebook-Based Loyalty Program to be Tested by Major Chains

Taco Bell, Dunkin’ Donuts, Quiznos, and Red Robin want to see if consumers’ love of social gaming can be converted into commerce at their stores nationwide.
They’ve penned deals with Plink, a loyalty marketing start-up that’s set to announce its quick-serve brand test partners on Thursday. It’s pretty simple: the more Plink users spend at the restaurants, the more Facebook Credits they’ll earn to play games like FarmVille, CityVille, and The Sims.

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Mobile app replaces loyalty cards via QR codes

It’s a testament to the sheer number of loyalty cards out there that we’ve seen the emergence of sites such as Perkler to help consumers manage them all. Now, bringing such efforts into the mobile world, there’s Perx, a smartphone app from Singapore-based Maiplay Pte. that’s designed to replace all the cards in a consumer’s wallet with a single, easy way to get loyalty rewards.

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Global Hotels, Broken Down By Social Media Rewards [INFOGRAPHIC]

A new year is just around the corner, which means one thing — a new batch of vacation days! But where will you go? And, more importantly, where will you stay? Lucky for you, savvy traveler, the infographic below can help you figure that out. There are deals to be had, upgrades to be enjoyed and virtual tours to be taken, should you capitalize on the resources available on social media sites.
See what the biggest names in hospitality are doing on Twitter, Facebook, Foursquare and YouTube — and who’s dominating on each platform. Based on their activity on social channels, it looks like Wyndham, Marriott, Hyatt and Starwood have come out on top, but they have some competition, which we expect to increase as social travel really takes off.

Infographic

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Indifferent customer care helplines are sending helpless customers over the edge, as they weigh their options.

EVER took leave from work to wait for the TV repair guy to appear or sat in queues at the bank or mobile showrooms waiting for your turn? Or simply called up the customer care helplines to encounter different agents each time you placed a call, asking you to explain your problem from scratch? Finally, some people simply give up and a few others keep the fight going and also their stress levels.

How to Get Better Customer Service

There are few things more aggravating than trying to get some decent customer service. From navigating through an automated maze of numbers and pound signs to being put on hold while reluctantly listen to Enya’s entire first album, just reaching a living, breathing human can be a task of epic proportions. Next time you’re in need of customer service, follow these helpful guidelines to maximize the chance of talking to a live representative and to get the most out of your conversation.

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How Small Businesses Can Use Social Media for Customer Service

Customer relationship management isn’t just the domain of big brands, and these days, more and more companies are offering free online tools to make it easier for SMBs to keep track of and reach out to their customers.

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Twitter reveals quarter of online shoppers are 'frustrated' with customer service - Marketing News

A company that specialises in monitoring customer experience has claimed that nearly a quarter of shoppers are frustrated when shopping online.
Using online analysis tools to monitor Twitter conversations, US company Tealeaf found that on Black Friday and Cyber Monday – the two busiest online shopping days of the year, 24% of customers “cursed and complained” their way through the process of buying online as they wrestled with website errors and other customer struggles.

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