We are in a mobile phone and application era. This is the time that we live in. I use a windows phone that does anything that I want. I can shop, browse the internet, post on facebook, tweet, play games, watch HD movies...The list of things goes on and on, and I absolutely love it. What guys does not like technology? This mobile payment technology is new and the direction that many industries are going. About half of our population has some kind of web browsing cellular phone. The speed that these applications are hitting the market is incredible. It seems that everyday there is some new app craze.
Wow Bao and it's management decided to open their restaurant to these technologies. It is working, but with all new technology there is work to be done, and just about always refining to do. But to be able to send a coupon out via the app and have over a 20% conversion rate is incredible. As a former business owner I know first hand that print ads and direct mailings only convert about 5 percent. So to get close to five times that is awesome. I know that you are sending a coupon to a previous customer and someone who wants to receive them as opposed to a general all market ad. It is definitely a better investment. This technology is investing in customer's that are loyal and building the brand. The company still has to build and grow customers but this seems like a great tool to have and use.
Monday, January 24, 2011
Mobile Platform Success
Wow Bao, is a restaurant by Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises, that features Asian Cuisine. Steamed Bao is a meat and vegetable filled hot Asian bun. This item is a favorite portable snack throughout Asia. In 2010 Wow Bao added a mobile phone application to it's repertoire.
The underlined and highlighted sentences above are part of the mobile platform. Mocapay was the company that made and installed Wow Bao's mobile platform because of ease of installation and and the fore go of any expensive hardware upgrades. The mobile application allows customers to order and pay for their food with their cellular phones and receive special offers in real time. As you see above you can text into the service to receive special offers. Once you do that you are signed up, and will continue to receive texts from Wow Bao until you text them "stop."
The conversions into sales that the mobile platform has accomplished thus far are very good. 24 percent redemption rate with a $10 average check on their VIP Comp Cards. If we new how many they sent out we'd be able to see how much money it brought in. Still 24 percent is many many times higher than any print ad or direct mailing.
Its hard to ignore the era in which we are going into, the mobile era. Developing mobile apps and platforms has transformed how conduct business. By 2014 142.1 million consumer's, 53.9% of the population will be accessing the internet through mobile browsers.
As added tib bit Starbucks just added Starbucks Card Mobile App for mobile phone payments after a successful 1000 store trial. 6800 Starbucks and 1000 Target operated Starbucks will be adding mobile payments on iPhone, iTouch, and Blackberry.
For all of you Starbucks fans Visit Starbucks Mobile App
By Geoff Alexander, Managing Partner, Wow Bao
January 18, 2011
http://wowbao.com/
Download, follow and text, see what's new at Wow Bao!
- Download our iPhone App
- Follow us on Facebook and Twitter
- Text “buns” to 466622 to receive special offers and "wows"
Copyright © 2011 Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises. All rights reserved.
The underlined and highlighted sentences above are part of the mobile platform. Mocapay was the company that made and installed Wow Bao's mobile platform because of ease of installation and and the fore go of any expensive hardware upgrades. The mobile application allows customers to order and pay for their food with their cellular phones and receive special offers in real time. As you see above you can text into the service to receive special offers. Once you do that you are signed up, and will continue to receive texts from Wow Bao until you text them "stop."
The conversions into sales that the mobile platform has accomplished thus far are very good. 24 percent redemption rate with a $10 average check on their VIP Comp Cards. If we new how many they sent out we'd be able to see how much money it brought in. Still 24 percent is many many times higher than any print ad or direct mailing.
Its hard to ignore the era in which we are going into, the mobile era. Developing mobile apps and platforms has transformed how conduct business. By 2014 142.1 million consumer's, 53.9% of the population will be accessing the internet through mobile browsers.
As added tib bit Starbucks just added Starbucks Card Mobile App for mobile phone payments after a successful 1000 store trial. 6800 Starbucks and 1000 Target operated Starbucks will be adding mobile payments on iPhone, iTouch, and Blackberry.
For all of you Starbucks fans Visit Starbucks Mobile App
By Geoff Alexander, Managing Partner, Wow Bao
January 18, 2011
http://wowbao.com/
Monday, January 10, 2011
Reflection Undercover Boss
Wanna watch a reality show where you just may learn something? Then watch an episode of Undercover Boss. I really enjoy watching Undercover Boss. I have seen a few episodes and they have all been pretty good. One of the better episodes is where the CEO of Hooter's Coby Brook's went undercover. He revealed some serious issues with treatment of employees, discrimination etc. Major example of Hotel and Restaurant Management issues!
Steve Joyce is the President and CEO of Choice Hotels, a franchise hotel company. The larger hotels under Choice are Econo Lodge, Quality Inn, Clarion, Rodeway etc. Steve goes undercover to find out the issues and problems within his company. To his surprise he finds that there aren't any major issues. He realizes how hard his employees work. Everything that was pointed out I feel are easy fixes. Hotel maintenance and upkeep are things that can be easily fixed unlike the Hooter's episode where restaurant manager's where acting inappropriate and opening the company for severe liability. Some of the issues within Hooter's were borderline sexual harassment. This is a serious issue!
I think Steve realized how fortunate he is to have great people working under him, and showed the world how nice and hospitable his hotels are. They are a great bang for the buck!
Undercover Boss - Steve Joyce, CEO, Choice Hotels; CBS 9/26/2010
http://www.cbs.com/primetime/undercover_boss/video/?pid=A_4bEGsyuzefCu0nku4U_dJgxpVS1joZ&vs=homepage&play=true
Steve Joyce is the President and CEO of Choice Hotels, a franchise hotel company. The larger hotels under Choice are Econo Lodge, Quality Inn, Clarion, Rodeway etc. Steve goes undercover to find out the issues and problems within his company. To his surprise he finds that there aren't any major issues. He realizes how hard his employees work. Everything that was pointed out I feel are easy fixes. Hotel maintenance and upkeep are things that can be easily fixed unlike the Hooter's episode where restaurant manager's where acting inappropriate and opening the company for severe liability. Some of the issues within Hooter's were borderline sexual harassment. This is a serious issue!
I think Steve realized how fortunate he is to have great people working under him, and showed the world how nice and hospitable his hotels are. They are a great bang for the buck!
Undercover Boss - Steve Joyce, CEO, Choice Hotels; CBS 9/26/2010
http://www.cbs.com/primetime/undercover_boss/video/?pid=A_4bEGsyuzefCu0nku4U_dJgxpVS1joZ&vs=homepage&play=true
Undercover Boss - Steve Joyce
Undercover Boss is a very popular show on CBS where President's and CEO's of very successful companies go undercover to work within their companies. The Boss' goes undercover to see how the logistics of the company are functioning, and diagnose any problems, if any.
Steve Joyce is the President and CEO of Choice Hotels which has several brands under them such as Econo Lodge, Comfort Inn, and Quality Inn etc. http://www.choicehotels.com/
Steve goes undercover to the world's largest Econo Lodge in Orlando, Florida to work beside Ricardo. Ricardo is technically a maintenance man but turns out he really is a jack of all trades. Ricardo is a very hard worker who works two jobs seven days a week in order to put his son through College and Med school. The Econo Lodge is in need of serious repairs which Ricardo can not do because he does not have the resources. Steve addresses the General Manager of the hotel to bring this hotel above standard.
Steve goes undercover and tries to tackle the task of being a housekeeper. He did not realize the amount of hard work that goes into maintaining a hotel room, and the speed that is required when cleaning a room. In the end Steve realized that he needs to get in shape.
Steve was able to do the tasks required with hotel sales and working the front desk with more ease. During his different jobs he met some incredible people that work for him. Overall he was happy with the people that he met during his week. There were a few issues that he did not like, and addressed with his staff during the reveal. And in the end he made several people very happy with some promotions, and rewards for hard work and loyal service.
Undercover Boss - Steve Joyce, CEO, Choice Hotels; CBS 9/26/2010
http://www.cbs.com/primetime/undercover_boss/video/?pid=A_4bEGsyuzefCu0nku4U_dJgxpVS1joZ&vs=homepage&play=true
Steve Joyce is the President and CEO of Choice Hotels which has several brands under them such as Econo Lodge, Comfort Inn, and Quality Inn etc. http://www.choicehotels.com/
Steve goes undercover to the world's largest Econo Lodge in Orlando, Florida to work beside Ricardo. Ricardo is technically a maintenance man but turns out he really is a jack of all trades. Ricardo is a very hard worker who works two jobs seven days a week in order to put his son through College and Med school. The Econo Lodge is in need of serious repairs which Ricardo can not do because he does not have the resources. Steve addresses the General Manager of the hotel to bring this hotel above standard.
Steve goes undercover and tries to tackle the task of being a housekeeper. He did not realize the amount of hard work that goes into maintaining a hotel room, and the speed that is required when cleaning a room. In the end Steve realized that he needs to get in shape.
Steve was able to do the tasks required with hotel sales and working the front desk with more ease. During his different jobs he met some incredible people that work for him. Overall he was happy with the people that he met during his week. There were a few issues that he did not like, and addressed with his staff during the reveal. And in the end he made several people very happy with some promotions, and rewards for hard work and loyal service.
Undercover Boss - Steve Joyce, CEO, Choice Hotels; CBS 9/26/2010
http://www.cbs.com/primetime/undercover_boss/video/?pid=A_4bEGsyuzefCu0nku4U_dJgxpVS1joZ&vs=homepage&play=true
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)