A person is wearing a face mask in front of McDonald’s in Union Square during the coronavirus pandemic of April 30, 2020 in New York.
Noam Galai | Getty Images
McDonald’s said Wednesday it had entered the next phase of testing an American loyalty program before it was launched nationwide later this year.
The fast-food giant has successful rewards programs in other countries, such as France, but it is the closest to bringing one to its domestic market. In November, the company began testing in Arizona and Nevada. He added New England restaurants to the test a few weeks ago. As of Wednesday, approximately 900 locations in 14,000 McDonald’s restaurants in the United States are on the test.
Starbucks and Chipotle Mexican Grill are among the restaurant chains that have used reward programs to grow their loyal customer base and encourage more frequent visits. Customer data from these programs can also help the company customize promotions for members and push consumers to stop at restaurants during less busy hours.
Alex Menendez, a Miami franchisee, is a member of the operator’s committee that oversees the loyalty program test.
“It’s no secret that we’ve delayed the game for loyalty, but I think we’ve wanted to reward our loyal customers for many years,” said Menendez.
MyMcDonald’s Rewards members earn 100 points for every dollar they spend and have the opportunity to earn even more points with targeted promotions, such as double points for visiting a month. The program is divided into four levels – 1,500, 3,000, 4,500 and 6,000 points – for various redemption opportunities in 16 menu items.
Members can use the order in cash and mobile and can pay to buy their food and get rewards. When the program launches nationwide, customers will also be able to pay using credit or debit cards.
Alycia Mason, vice president of digital, media and customer relations management at McDonald’s, said the loyalty program changes the customer experience in several ways. McDonald’s employees will greet loyalty members by name as they move through the access lane, and customers will receive a personalized email after they take their orders, which includes future offers tailored to them.
“I found it more special and different than my normal McDonald’s experience this way,” said Mason, who tried the program during a recent trip to Arizona.
But rewards aren’t just for McDonald’s customers. Its workers will also have the opportunity to collect points by completing the training-related loyalty program. Menendez said training employees on digital initiatives has not been a priority in the past, so franchisees have been looking for a way to involve their workers in this.
The loyalty program is part of the company’s new “MyMcDonald’s” platform, which links various technology investments, such as applications and digital menu panels, and makes it easier for customers to order and pay for their food. Like many other restaurant chains, the coronavirus pandemic has led to an increase in McDonald’s digital orders, further accelerating the pre-crisis trend.
McDonald’s shares have fallen 2 percent in the past 12 months, giving it a market value of $ 161 billion. While its US restaurants have recovered relatively quickly from the pandemic, European blockages have reached fourth-quarter sales.