Horizon 2: Exploring loyalty as an experience
Rethinking loyalty for MGM China
Putting people at the heart of the MGM loyalty experience
Else were asked by MGM China to define the overall experience for their new customer loyalty programme, MLife. Working in collaboration with MGM’s senior management teams based in Macau, the project redefined what MLife could be from an earn-and-burn loyalty scheme to a philosophy that builds loyalty for staff and customers alike.
From earn-and-burn to loyalty as experiences
With its 35-story and 600 rooms, MGM Macau employs more than 800 members of staff and hosts thousands of customers per year. A five-star hotel priding itself on meticulous attention to detail across the décor and right down to the service. It is a sophisticated resort inspired by the arts, with every element of the hotel infused with a sense of considered creativity and style.
With many awards under its belt for its hospitality MGM Macau exists in an environment constantly in flux. MGM Macau must continually adapt to the fast-changing needs of its discerning customers and their evolving lifestyles. Change brings opportunities and challenges. How can MGM keep not one but two steps ahead in order to make the customers’ stay as unique and memorable as possible?
Rather than looking purely at an earn-and-burn rewards system, we wanted to embed a new philosophy for what loyalty meant into the hearts and minds of customers and staff alike. A system that recognised that for a customer to have a great stay, the most important thing is that the service provided by staff is as good as it can be.
New opportunities
We mapped out a future state experience blueprint for both staff and customers, helping to identify new opportunities to engage with each audience overtime.
This lead to key experience concepts being visualised before they were vetted and validated with stakeholders and customers.
For the first time we can understand our business verticals in relation to the overall customer journey.
CEO, MGM China
Driving loyalty through better servicing
The focus for customers is right through the customer experience — from initial attraction – when residing in mainland China, through to initial engagement – the moment they set foot on the property, through to ongoing engagement – designing the experience to bring them back again and again.
Connected & tailored experiences
The customer app was designed around principles of gamification which encouraged customers to unlock achievement levels through participation.
MLife allows MGM Hotel and Casino customers to stay connected with MGM Macau, Cotai and other mainland China properties through a range of tailored content and services. When the guests are within the vicinity of the properties the digital aspects of the app (mobile, web and environmental) serve to enhance the guests stay.
The aim was to increase customer loyalty by delivering a better gaming experience and seducing a customer from first-time use through to itinerary planning, in-game experience and eventually checkout.
The staff experience
In order to offer an exemplary customer experience, it’s essential to create the right conditions for staff to flourish in their role. This starts well before Day 1. Our focus for staff was to create an environment where staff can become masters of their role. A system that gives reason to join and stay at MGM beyond renumeration.
The staff onboarding journey was created alongside the customer experience, to ensure that loyalty is a symbiotic relationship. The principles, framework and concepts were handed over to MGM China for implementation.
Change starts with a conversation