Website 2024

The challenge

When a customer purchases or reloads a Traveller’s Cheque Card (TCC) for $700 or more, that customer becomes eligible for a free $25 Gift Card. Customer’s use a mail in rebate to obtain the free Gift Card, and may only do so once during the promotion.

This promotion presented some special challenges that needed to be overcome. A PAF code was assigned to every eligible $700 TCC. We needed to design a website to verify the PAF or TCC number provided on the redemption form was valid. The number was compared against the list of eligible numbers provided by American Express.

The solution

Our solution ran an automated verification at the time the entry was submitted. This eliminated the need for any batch processes to be run. The key to this process running smoothly was to have the most up to date list of eligible numbers. If the PAF or TCC number were invalid it placed the entry into a rejected queue.

If the entry was rejected then we mailed a rejection letter to the customer with the reason for the rejection and our call center number.

In addition, each redemption form had to be audited against the existing database to verify that only one gift card was issued per person. We had the logic written into the program to overcome this challenge in an automated fashion. We also had each entry go thru an automated address standardization process. This help to minimize the cost of address corrections and package reships.

Each redemption form had to be audited to verify the purchase date and the amount, fell within the parameters of the promotion. The promotion ran from 11/1/05 – 12/31/05 and all redemption forms had to be received by 1/15/06. In addition, we automatically verified the amount of the purchase/reload was over $700. If the entry form information failed to meet the guidelines then the system rejected the entry form. A rejection letter was generated and mailed to the customer.

We set up a call center to handle all of the customer service functions related to the promotion. Our commitment was to fulfill all the orders within 2-3 weeks of submitting the redemption form. The customers would call for a variety of reasons from asking to have a rejection over turned to simply inquire on the status of their gift card. We had set up various queues for review based on the nature of the call. Our call center operated under the American Express mantra of “one call resolution.” When this could not be achieved the call was placed in one of the queues set up for further review by an Amercian Express Risk Operations Manager. The Risk Ops Manager would either decide to approve, decline or reissue a card. The entry would transfer to one of the eight remaining queues.

Once the order was approved each order would be assigned a specific TC Gift card number that would be associated with a specific customer. We would print the orders, pull the necessary cards from the safe and match them with the proper order and shipping label. Obviously inventory management was critical. The program called for shipping 20,000 of the $25 TC Gift Cards. After shipment our systems would automatically transfer the shipping and tracking information back to the Order Management system. This enabled the Call Center personnel to have up to date tracking information.

Our systems automatically logged the call center employee, date and time for every customer contact.

The result

In 2004, All Points executed American Express's Traveler’s Cheque Card (TCC) promotion with remarkable efficiency and precision. The promotion offered a $25 Gift Card for customers purchasing or reloading a TCC with $700 or more. All Points developed a sophisticated website to verify each transaction's eligibility, seamlessly rejecting invalid entries. They meticulously audited each redemption form to ensure adherence to the promotion's rules, including verifying purchase amounts and enforcing the one-gift-card-per-customer limit.

The call center, managed by All Points, provided exemplary customer service, resolving inquiries efficiently and escalating complex cases to a Risk Operations Manager for decisive action. The fulfillment process was handled flawlessly, with All Points managing the inventory of 20,000 TC Gift Cards, ensuring accurate matching with orders and shipping labels. All Points' systematic approach to logging customer interactions further enhanced the campaign's effectiveness and customer satisfaction. Their flawless execution of this complex promotion highlighted their expertise in managing large-scale promotional campaigns.