When speaking with brands on loyalty program strategy, it’s clear companies know they should be gaining consumer insight and personalizing the user experience, but there is often a barrier of hesitation to openly treat customers differently. This hesitancy is rooted in the fear of ostracizing a portion of their consumers who are deemed “less valuable”. Why can’t we simply strive to provide every customer the same high-end treatment that they deserve? Well, because they don’t deserve it.

The lack of understanding that brands have in terms of the human mind, and how it applies to their ongoing loyalty efforts, is concerning in today’s market.

I have a confession to make. I’m a point hoarder. You know, when I earn points, hotel nights, or miles in a loyalty program or my employee engagement program at Maritz Motivation, I like to accumulate a lot so I can use them to get something meaningful. For example, when one of my best friends invited me to join her on an incentive trip to Maui earlier this year, I treated us to a fabulous spa at the Fairmont on Wailea Beach. Our massages at the luxury resort were rather pricey, but you know what they cost me? Nothing. I used my points that I earned at work.

Consumers have opinions on just about everything. So, what if a company’s loyalty program rewarded customers for the opinions that matter most to the business?