In the increasingly intense and fiercely competitive environment of today’s retail petroleum markets, it is ever more crucial for petroleum retailers to draw more traffic into their stations. Among the bold and strategic initiatives that some petroleum organizations have embarked on is by adopting loyalty program strategies for their customers.
One of the most recognized brands in the local retail petroleum market, Boustead Petroleum Marketing Sdn Bhd (BHPetrol), had themselves wished to create an in-house loyalty program that is innovative and flexible yet robust that will enhance the customer’s experience at BHPetrol.
GHL Systems’ NetTransact PivotPoints Loyalty Solutions was selected as the chosen platform to build the BHPetrol’s loyalty solution infrastructure that provides instant gratification, instant redemptions to the customer while providing the company with valuable information that allows BHPetrol to enhance their customer experience.
Solution customization undertaken closely with BHP operations staff
Operational workflows and procedures improved
Sharing expertise in deployment of infrastructure
Rapid implementation of requested features
Integration of Fraud Detection Modules and Campaigns & Promotions module as key enhancements
The world of petroleum retail is highly competitive. Customers today insist that you anticipate their every need, whim and fancy. Competitors are forcing each other into a high-stakes war – constant advertising and promotional activities, and increased marketing for their new products. It has not taken long for many to realize that in regulated market, price is not the determining factor to the winner. Petroleum retailers today recognize that their customers are the most important stakeholder that determines their very success and justifies their existence. Not only is it vital to win new customers, it is even more important to retain their existing ones.
Back in 1999, BHPetrol wanted to initiate a Loyalty Card Programme of its own where consumers could collect loyalty points while filling up petrol at BHPetrol stations or shopping at their convenience markets. The points could then be redeemed against a variety of attractive premium gifts or rebates. With such an initiative, BHPetrol became one of the pioneers in the Loyalty card systems for the retail petroleum industry.
GHL Systems’ NetTransact PivotPoints was selected by BHPetrol as the loyalty solution that would drive their loyalty programme. In the eight years since its launch, BHPetrol's customers base has grown in strength from year to year and today boasts over half a million active customers enjoying the many benefits of eCard that extend well beyond BHP's 250 petrol stations nationwide to a variety of its business partners – notably the Genting Group, Lim Tyres and The Royale Bintang. To date, there are more than 300 outlets that accept the eCards and it is widely regarded as the country’s leading loyalty programme for retail petroleum.
The eCards Loyalty Program is designed to be a total solution for Loyalty Card management and was especially customized towards retail petroleum operations. The solutions team worked closely with BHPetrol Operations staff to design the system, resulting in a robust, stable, scaleable, flexible system capable of being managed by a team of only ten. Feedback received from the stations also enabled the team to incorporate enhancements especially to the user experience at the petrol stations.
eCard holders have their points credited immediately into their accounts and are able to redeem attractive premiums either from the catalogue or even immediately at the point of purchase. This is achieved by having the points credited or debited online – the same as if it were a credit card transaction using credit cards.
The eCard loyalty system handles around 100,000 transactions per day, coming in from all the petrol stations and in-station convenience stores as well as their partners. Since the system was designed to be flexible, new requirements can be implemented in a relatively short time. The campaigns and promotions module allows BHPetrol’s marketing team to launch new campaigns or deploy special promotions for customers.
BHPetrol is one of the first companies in Malaysia to use GPRS as a method of communications to carry the transactions from the point of origin (the petrol station) to the heart of the communications network located within the BHPetrol headquarters in Menara Maxis. This opened up new vistas of opportunity especially in areas where physical phone lines (last mile) may be scarce. Additionally, BHPetrol was one of the first in the industry to utilize wireless credit card terminals in their forecourt.
PivotPoints Loyalty Solutions is built on GHL Systems’ NetTransact platform, the most cost-effective integration and application platform available for building new, custom applications and integrating existing applications and infrastructure. NetTransact is specifically designed to reduce costs, enable growth, and jumpstart innovation. Over the years, newer or enhanced PivotPoint modules were added upon the existing BHPetrol’s NetTransact platform from time-to-time, allowing BHPetrol to keep up with ever-changing business requirements.
The strong partnership between BHPetrol and GHL Systems succeeded in building the eCard Loyalty System into one of the most successful retail petroleum loyalty cards in Malaysia. GHL Systems continues to support the BHPetrol’s eCard program with occasional enhancements as determined by market forces and operational requirements thereby enabling the BHPetrol to maintain growth and competitiveness in this extremely competitive world.
References in this website to GHL Systems Berhad’s products or services do not imply that GHL Systems Berhad intends to make them available in all countries in which GHL Systems Berhad operates.
This document is based on information provided by BHPetrol Malaysia and illustrates how one organization uses GHL Systems Berhad products. Many factors have contributed to the results and benefits described; GHL Systems Berhad does not guarantee comparable results elsewhere.
