Welcome Real-time, today announced the availability of Welcome XLS 7.1, the latest version of its innovative loyalty software.
The new release incorporates: enhanced campaign management capabilities for both banks and merchants; real-time reporting and analytics allowing instant feedback on the impact of a campaign; and the ability to communicate with customers in real-time not only at the point of sale, but through personalised SMS text messages.
Welcome XLS 7.1 offers sophisticated campaign management tools not only for banks - allowing them to reward customers for every interaction across the bank's entire range of products and services - but also for partnering merchants. Earlier versions of Welcome XLS allowed retailers to reward customers according to the total value of the transaction. Welcome XLS 7.1 goes further, also allowing retailers to run item-based campaigns whereby they reward cardholders for specific items they have purchased, including promotions such as 'buy one get one free', a free drink with a meal, or discounts related to specific brands in store. As a result, banks using Welcome XLS 7.1 to power their loyalty programme can offer retailers maximum flexibility and an added incentive to sign up to their scheme.
The new real-time reporting and analysis functionality incorporated in Welcome XLS 7.1, allows campaign managers to view, analyse and evaluate the progress and health of their loyalty programmes immediately. It allows them, for example, to quickly identify the busiest periods within a campaign, to understand which loyalty promotions work best, and to compare the performances of different merchants, devices, cards and campaigns. The depth of business intelligence available will help managers make more informed decisions, taking corrective actions where necessary to re-launch or refine a campaign or to offer more training to specific merchants. Similarly, by understanding which promotions resonate best with customers, they can maximise uptake of specific offers and improve customer satisfaction.
The integration of multiple channels is also an important element in Welcome XLS 7.1. as customers can now receive reward balance updates and promotions by SMS on their mobile phone as well as at the point-of-sale (POS) device. This means that customers can be sent balance updates in near real-time for all transactions they undertake, including those executed online or via other channels.
Sebastien Slim, VP Global Pre-sales and Product Marketing at Welcome Real-time said: "The latest version of Welcome XLS - encompassing improved campaign management and business intelligence - offers a huge step forward in allowing banks and retailers to optimise the effectiveness of their loyalty campaigns and to positively influence customer behaviour. Furthermore, the integration of new communication channels such as SMS, provides scope to engage more frequently with customers regarding their loyalty status or to highlight relevant promotions that are likely to interest them."