In Johannesburg’s car-wash industry, growing customer relationships is increasingly important in the face of stiff competition from the formal and informal sector.
Clifford Regenbaum, owner of CarSpa in Illovo, wanted to make his business stand out and grow by at least 15% in a year. To do this, he initiated Flow Communications’ development of TriggerMessage, an innovative mobile-friendly platform that uses advanced artificial intelligence (AI) technology to understand and connect with customers, increase customer loyalty and market share. (It’s called “TriggerMessage” because it triggers messages two ways – to customers and to the business.)
Through TriggerMessage, customers scan a QR code to opt into one of two loyalty programmes – a free version that gives them their 10th car wash on the house, or a paid version through which R300 a month gives them unlimited car washes.
The app detects their number plates, using number plate recognition algorithms. This triggers an automated message to be sent to the customer in real time via WhatsApp, with personalised offers and discounts.
The data gleaned is used to build customer engagement and loyalty.