5 Step Guide to Implementing a Doggie Daycare Rewards Program

As a dog daycare or kennel owner, you know how important it is to build a strong relationship with your customers and their furry companions. A well-designed rewards program can be a powerful tool to help you achieve this goal, providing a range of benefits to both you and your customers. Many small business owners are averse to using a rewards program, because they think that they'll actually lose money. However, most rewards programs actually increase revenue, instead of decrease it.

Let's dive right in. Here are five steps to help you implement a successful rewards program at your doggie daycare:

Define Your Goals

Before you start building your rewards program, it's important to determine what you want to achieve. Do you want to increase customer loyalty, boost referrals, or reward repeat business? The goals you set will help guide the design of your rewards program, so be sure to consider your specific needs and objectives. If you start the process of implementing a rewards program, but you don't have any set goals, it's going to be harder to track the success of your program. Set some easy-to-track goals so that you can easily analyze the results to see if your rewards program is worth the investment.

Determine Your Target Audience

Who will be participating in your rewards program? Will it be limited to customers with specific membership levels, or will it be open to all customers? Understanding your target audience will help you design a program that is both appealing and relevant to your customers. Personally, I believe it makes sense to offer the rewards program to your most active clients. If you're instantly offering the rewards program to every client, it might make it look like you're scraping for business. However, if you personally invite your most active clients to join your program, or just start using your program, you'll be showing them that you appreciate their business so much that you're willing to give back to them. Once you know the program is working as expected, you can start a slow rollout to the rest of your clients (if you decide to).

Choose the Right Rewards

Once you know your goals and target audience, it's time to choose the rewards that will be part of your program. Consider the interests and preferences of your customers, as well as the value they place on different types of rewards. Some popular options include discounts on services, free grooming sessions, and special offers and promotions. The easiest way to get started is to offer a free service after a client refers a certain number of new clients, or after they hit a certain milestone. Let's say you offer a free night of boarding for every 10 nights of boarding that a client purchases. You'll need to keep track of how many nights they have boarded, but then you can easily notify them when they hit the milestone. You could also do the same with grooming, etc.

Create a Simple and Easy-to-Use System

Your rewards program should be easy to use and understand. Consider using a digital system, such as a mobile app, that makes it easy for customers to track their rewards and redeem them. You can also consider providing regular updates to customers, such as monthly emails or notifications, to keep them informed about their progress and the rewards they have earned. Your rewards program doesn't need to be too complex. If can honestly be an old fashion printed card that you had out. Put a little stamp in the box for every boarding and then, when they have a full card, you add a free night of boarding to their account. Simple!

Promote Your Rewards Program

Finally, it's time to promote your rewards program and let your customers know about the benefits of participating. Consider using email marketing, in-store signage, and social media to spread the word. You can also offer special bonuses for new members, or for customers who refer their friends and family to your daycare. Using the printable rewards card above, you can start handing them out immediately. Get a cute little pet face stamp and then stamp everyone's card when they pick up their pets that day. If your client is one night away from a free boarding, they might book a simple weekend trip to get the reward and you just got an extra day of boarding revenue. Nice!

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