Regal Entertainment Group is the Star Attraction at Loyalty360’s CX Awards

Loyalty360 CEO Mark Johnson touted this year’s keen focus on measurability at the outset of the third annual Loyalty360 CX Awards Tuesday at the 6th annual Engagement & Experience Expo presented by Loyalty360.
The Loyalty360 CX Awards recognize the pinnacle in customer-centricity. Using cutting-edge technology and creative strategy, honored brands are leading customers down the path to loyalty.

Regal Entertainment Group, the parent company of Regal Cinemas, successfully relaunched its Crown Club loyalty program in February and walked away with the most coveted honor: The Platinum 360-Degree CX Award. What’s more, Regal Entertainment Group won a Platinum Award in the Return on CX category; a Gold Award in the Customer-Centric Culture category; and a Gold Award in the Brand Messaging category.

With a nod to Academy Award-winning actor Matthew McConaughey, Kelly Hawkins, vice president of loyalty for Regal Entertainment Group, excitedly uttered the following after receiving the Platinum Award in the Return on CX category: “All right, all right, all right.”

Based in Knoxville, TN, Regal Cinemas has more than 25,000 employees, operates one of the largest and most geographically diverse theater circuits in the United States, comprising 7,310 screens in 565 theaters in 42 states, along with Guam, Saipan, American Samoa, and the District of Columbia. The Company operates theaters in 46 of the top 50 U.S. designated market areas.

Hawkins said the Crown Club loyalty program was revamped in February to offer members better rewards and unlimited credits, while also enabling rewards via the mobile app, MyRegal.com, or at the point of sale. Also, there is an online reward store featuring exclusive movie swag like T-shirts and hats, as well as aspirational rewards.

Regal Entertainment Group also partnered with Disney, becoming the first theater circuit to pair loyalty programs with Disney Movie Rewards. This partnership allows loyalty program members to link their Regal Crown Club memberships and their Disney Movie Rewards accounts.

Hawkins paid tribute to the late Walt Disney, borrowing one of his famous quotes:

“Do what you do so well that they will want to see it again and bring their friends,” Hawkins said.

Meanwhile, Wayfair, one of the world's largest online selections of furniture, home furnishings, décor, and goods, including more than seven million products from more than 7,000 suppliers, took home the Platinum Award in the Customer-Centric Culture category.

Liz Graham, vice president of sales and services for Wayfair, said the company is technology-driven.

“It’s an incredibly validating experience,” Graham said, after receiving the award.

Founded in 2002, Wayfair went public in October 2014, and CX metrics are at the core of the company’s operations.

“We’re really trying to crack this personalization at a massive scale,” Graham said.

Wayfair is dedicated to accelerating and facilitating the shift to online shopping by improving the customer experience through superior customer service, expert buying advice, and cutting-edge visualization technology. The company’s entrepreneurial culture allows it to efficiently identify customer needs and immediately implement innovative solutions. Employees are empowered to contribute ideas, make decisions, and take ownership of projects and key initiates to continue improving the e-commerce platform at a fast rate. Each employee knows they have the power to directly impact and improve the customer experience and is encouraged to do so.    

In 2015, a Wayfair employee saw the untapped potential benefits that virtual reality technology could provide customers and, ultimately, enhance the entire online retail space. After pitching the idea to senior leadership, he was asked to spearhead a new research and development team with a heavy focus on AR/VR. The first-party technologies this team is developing will allow customers to visualize how products will fit in their home and allow for a streamlined shopping experience. This is an example of how the company’s start-up-like culture encourages employees to pursue their ideas and move quickly to create the best e-commerce experience possible. 

This attitude is prevalent throughout the organization, touching each department. Customer Service agents are empowered to manage each issue and make decisions to rectify situations rather than relying on escalations and a script. This approach creates a smoother process for customers, who have their issues quickly resolved rather than simply empathized.  Having a team of action-focused problem solvers has helped improve the NPS by 8% YOY from 2014 to 2015 with a first-call resolution improvement rate of 20% YOY from 2014 to 2015.

The company’s expansive product selection, affordable pricing, and superior customer service has created an exceptional customer experience from start to finish, and has driven significant growth among new and repeat customers. In 2015, repeat customers placed five million orders, an increase of 92% from 2014. The ability to grow the repeat customer base at such a fast pace is a testament to the quality of the company’s user experience and customer satisfaction.  

Wayfair’s offering of how-to videos, influencer content, and more has proven extremely popular among shoppers. The inspirational video hub has increased organic views on the company’s YouTube page by over 200% year-over-year and driven subscriber count to a record high of more than 10,300.

After Citi garnered Platinum Award in the Business Transformation category, Brit Simon, the company’s customer experience transformation head, offered some words of advice for attendees.

“Keep evangelizing for your customers,” he said. “Companies will never be successful if we don’t put the customer first.”

Here is a complete list of the award winners:

Customer-Centric Culture
Platinum: Wayfair
Gold: Regal Entertainment Group
Silver: Citi
Bronze: Carlson Wagonlit Travel
 
Experience/Design Innovation
Platinum: U.S. Bank        
Gold: Choice Hotels
Silver: Harlequin
Bronze: Penn State University
 
Customer Insights
Platinum: 1-800 Contacts
Gold: Choice Hotels
Silver: Cargill
Bronze: Barclaycard
 
Brand Messaging
Platinum: Ulta Beauty
Gold: Regal Entertainment Group
Silver: Choice Hotels
Bronze: Barclaycard 
 
Employee Engagement
Platinum: Western & Southern Life
Gold: Citi              
Silver: Barclaycard
Bronze: Sodexo Universities
 
Return on CX:
Platinum: Regal Entertainment Group
Gold: KFC
Silver: Harlequin
Bronze: Barclaycard
 
Business Transformation:
Platinum: Citi
Gold: Penn State University
Silver: U.S. Bank
Bronze: NextGen Healthcare
 
360-Degree CX Award: International
Platinum: KFC
Gold: Hooters
 
360-Degree CX Award:
Platinum: Regal Entertainment Group
Gold: Citi              
Silver: Choice Hotels
Bronze: Barclaycard
 
Marketer’s Choice Award: Ulta Beauty
 
Loyalty360 implemented several measures to enable its esteemed panel of judges to be as objective and unbiased as possible. Entrants were encouraged to submit performance metrics, allowing judges to consider empirical evidence of the effectiveness and success of their strategies. Judges were required to agree to a Code of Conduct, including terms on handling confidential information and non-solicitation of the companies who participated. This rigorous judging process led to the identification of true leaders in customer experience.

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