From One-Timers To Regulars: How Empire Tea and Coffee Transformed Customer Loyalty with Per Diem

TLDR

These days, customers' preferences are changing rapidly—some seek new experiences, enjoy capturing moments for Instagram, prefer pour-over coffee, and want both quality and convenience. To stay at the forefront of these changing trends,  Empire Tea and Coffee switched to Per Diem, where they can keep their app synced with Square POS, staff happy, aesthetics updated, and customers satisfied by providing what they demand. 

Overview of Empire Tea and Coffee

Empire Tea and Coffee is a specialty coffee shop with multiple locations in Rhode Island that serves premium coffees, teas, and bubble teas. To meet the demands of today’s customers they needed an update. Therefore, Empire partnered with Per Diem to offer their customers a user-friendly mobile ordering app experience to foster loyalty and increase sales. 

To stay competitive in today’s market, Barone knew he needed to re-engage customers and deliver an experience that would encourage repeat visits, recognizing that people seek more than just a caffeine fix. Empire Tea and Coffee chose Per Diem for its intuitive design, seamless user experience, and VIP perks like subscriptions – everything people crave from their favorite coffee shop

The app offers features like:

• A premium app experience over a basic website for a modern feel
• Consistently beautiful and minimalistic design for an enjoyable user experience
• Easy navigation and ordering process to place and pay for orders quickly
• Loyalty perks and power to offer unlimited discounts to make customers feel like VIPs

Empire Tea and Coffee app analytics showed a substantial boost in new app downloads, daily active users, and repeat customers. The convenience of logging in with Apple, accessing premium app benefits, and an overall improved experience drove higher customer satisfaction and brand loyalty.

Why Empire Tea and Coffee Chose Per Diem

If you own an independent coffee shop, enhancing customer loyalty should be a top priority. For Empire Tea and Coffee, the key to strengthening loyalty was providing their customers with an ordering experience that would not let them go for another option. 

Effortless Ordering with an Intuitive App

The app simplifies the ordering process, allowing Empire's customers to discover their favorite drinks and snacks with just a few taps. The uncluttered interface makes navigation a breeze, enabling users to explore the menu or swiftly reorder past favorites. For added convenience, Per Diem's "Log in with Apple" feature eliminates the need to repeatedly enter payment info and addresses. 

Premium Experience for Lasting Connections

Cultivating an inclusive user experience is key to any coffee shop's or restaurant's success. The app provides benefits over a basic website, keeping customers engaged. The consistent, visually appealing design creates a premium feel that keeps people coming back. Per Diem also offers features like saved payment methods, order histories, and rewards programs to build lasting relationships with cust

Increased Conversions and Lifelong Customers

Since launching Per Diem, Empire Tea and Coffee witnessed a notable uptick in app users and revenue within weeks. The numbers speak volumes, with the conversion rate surging to over 47%, and the app downloads reaching over 200 in a month. By prioritizing user experience, Empire Tea and Coffee not only gained lifelong customers but also showcased the impact of intuitive design on customer retention. 

Key Features For Driving Customer Loyalty 

The app’s intuitive design and user-friendly features were instrumental in boosting Empire Tea and Coffee’s customer loyalty. The app’s seamless navigation made it simple for customers to set up an account, earn rewards, and redeem perks.

Logging in with Apple ID provided a convenient alternative to manually entering account info and passwords. This premium feature gave customers an upgraded experience that stood out from typical website orders or interactions.

The app’s consistent, esthetically pleasing interface elevated each digital touchpoint. Its polished design conveyed Empire Tea and Coffee's quality and commitment to customer satisfaction.

Integrating the Per Diem app with Square allowed Empire Tea and Coffee to operate the loyalty program and process payments in one place. This streamlined solution reduced operational effort while enabling them to provide bonus “stars” and freebies that compete with larger chains.

These well-designed features and convenient functionality were crucial for attracting and retaining Empire Tea and Coffee’s customers.

Future Opportunities to Further Enhance Customer Experience

The adoption of Per Diem has opened up several avenues for Empire Tea and Coffee to boost customer loyalty even further.

Enhanced Personalization

Per Diem’s intuitive interface makes it easy for customers to specify preferences for their orders. Empire Tea and Coffee can leverage this data to craft more personalized experiences. For instance, they can send targeted promotions for customers’ favorite drinks or recommend new items based on previous purchases. Personalized interactions make people feel valued, which strengthens their connection to a brand.

Seamless Omnichannel Experience

With Per Diem, Empire Tea and Coffee can provide a consistent experience across channels. Customers can place an order on the app and pick it up in-store or schedlue if for another time. An omnichannel approach also gives more opportunities to engage customers. For example, Empire Tea and Coffee could send an email with an offer to complete a stalled online order or invite app users to exclusive in-store events.

Loyalty Programs

Per Diem’s features lend themselves well to implementing a points-based loyalty program. Empire Tea and Coffee could award points for actions like downloading the app, leaving a review, or making a purchase. Customers can then redeem points for free items, discounts or other perks. A well-designed loyalty program gives people an incentive to choose Empire Tea and Coffee over competitors.

Social Media Integration

Per Diem seamlessly integrates social media, allowing coffee shops like Empire to showcase their offerings, reviews, and stunning photos directly on the app. It's an easy way to enhance your social presence and attract more followers. It's a simple way for Empire Tea and Coffee to leverage customer advocacy and spread brand awareness.

Final Thoughts

Empire Tea and Coffee is setting the standard for customer engagement in the specialty beverage industry. Their five-star mobile app proves that when you give customers more value than they expect, your business will thrive. The key is finding ways to make customers' lives easier and enhancing the experience of enjoying your products. When you get that right, your customers will become your greatest ambassadors.