Mama Fu's Asian House, operator of 16 restaurants in the Southeastern U.S., has selected Punchh to create a customized mobile-based rewards program. Using the new Funatics mobile app, Mama Fu's customers will be able to view menus, order online, track and redeem loyalty rewards automatically and even share those rewards with friends. The Funatics app will be available in January 2014.
"We know from extensive research that our customers are tech savvy and prefer electronic communication," says Randy Murphy, president and CEO of Mama Fu's. "Using technology such as the Punchh mobile app keeps us highly relevant in the fast casual space and greatly simplifies the customer experience for our Funatics. We're convinced that the more enjoyable we make coming to Mama Fu's, the more often those customers will return."
Mama Fu's partnered with Punchh, a Silicon Valley-based mobile platform developer, to build an easy-to-access mobile solution that relieves guests of the burdens of carrying loyalty cards or remembering membership numbers. Once downloaded to customers' smartphones, all purchasing data is automatically tracked and accessible via Punchh's POS-based dashboard. Equipped with customers' actual purchasing history, operators can market directly to them based on established preferences, not guesses.
The Mama Fu's app allows customers to communicate directly to operators through social media channels. It also provides them loyalty point totals in real time and lets them know when they can redeem them for food and drink.
"The program we're currently providing our 25,000 loyalty members is a little cumbersome," Murphy says. To stay apprised of their loyalty point totals, he said Funatics must visit a website or keep printed receipts. "One of the biggest advantages we recognized in Punchh was the way it simplifies the guest experience and gives them more control over their loyalty rewards."
Making loyalty easy for customers and operators is key to both parties using and maximizing its benefits, says Jitendra Gupta, CEO of Punchh.
"Our cloud-based platform does the tracking for everyone, leaving operators able to focus their businesses and guests free to enjoy their dining experiences," says Gupta. "The app's automatic functionality shortens line times in the restaurant, which operators and guests both appreciate. It also allows everyone to engage each other while they're in the restaurant or later through social media. That level of engagement and interaction heightens every aspect of the customer experience and promotes loyalty."
The Mama Fu's mobile app will be available for download on iOS and Android devices from the Apple Store and Google Play Store.
