Voice-Enabled Reminders Reach Jiffy Lube Customers Where It Matters Most
HOUSTON--Feb. 9, 2001--Your cell phone rings. "Good morning Cindy Rollins. It's time for your Jiffy Lube oil change," says a friendly voice on the other end of the phone. And it just so happens that you are in your car and a few blocks away from your favorite Jiffy Lube service center. Why not drive in? After all, you've got an extra 15 minutes and a special offer that was just delivered to you by phone.
This scenario will now become a reality thanks to a partnership between Jiffy Lube, the leader in fast oil change and convenient car care, and ShopTalk Networks(SM), the pioneer in voice-enabled applications for customer relationship management (CRM).
"This is a great time-saving service," says Rollins, a Jiffy Lube customer for 10 years. "Not only do I get to pick when and how I want to be reminded, but I also get the reminder where it matters most -- when I'm driving in my car. To be quite honest, that's about the only time I ever think about changing my oil."
And that's the response Jiffy Lube is banking on with the rollout of it's first voice-enabled auto service reminder, part of the company's multi-tiered communication migration from traditional "push"-type reminder services to permission marketing.
The new m-Commerce (mobile commerce) initiative utilizes Tellme Networks' industry-leading voice application network to add speech recognition and an automated opt-in alert feature to Jiffy Lube's reminders. The "My Jiffy Lube Reminder" program will be tested in Jiffy Lube's 49 company-owned stores in the Houston area beginning Feb. 16, before becoming available nationwide.
The program creates several unique opportunities for Jiffy Lube. "We know that our customers are spending more time in their cars than ever before," says Anne Tawney, senior vice president of marketing for Jiffy Lube International, "We want to be proactive in reaching them, and potential customers, but do so in a non-intrusive way. Let them tell us how they would like to be reminded. Our relationship with Shoptalk allows us to reach consumers while they have the best opportunity and mindset to make a decision about car maintenance. And best of all, if they want a two-way communication, we are right there at the touch of a button."
Further, the ShopTalk application will deliver immediate marketing and promotional campaign results, allowing Jiffy Lube to test market in any geography, at any time, to any demographic and gain insight from customer responses immediately before launching a larger marketing campaign.
"Together, the phone and voice recognition are a highly interactive channel that enhances our customer service," said Tawney. "Plus, this tool opens the door to increased revenue generation and gives us a competitive edge for increasing loyalty and sales."
Voice application technology is quickly gaining recognition as a next generation customer relationship tool. An International Data Corporation report estimates the market for voice applications that enhance customer relationship efforts to grow to $16 billion by 2004.
"ShopTalk is clearly a leader in provider voice-based CRM and m-commerce solutions to businesses that capitalize on the convergence of voice and Internet technologies," said Mike McCue, CEO and co-founder of Tellme Networks. "ShopTalk's voice applications, such as the ShopTalk Marketplace and the `My Jiffy Lube Reminder' are among the most powerful and exciting programs we've seen utilize Tellme's voice application network."
"The impact of the wireless and voice industry on businesses is only beginning to be realized," said Eric Linn, CEO and co-founder, ShopTalk Networks. "It is creating new marketing opportunities, greater response rates, immediate tracking, dramatic savings in call center operations and increased revenue streams. ShopTalk Networks is pleased to help Jiffy Lube build a unique CRM solution that takes advantage of those opportunities while helping to strengthen their customer relationships."
The ShopTalk/Jiffy Lube relationship is an outgrowth of ShopTalk's successful operation of its own voice-enabled shopping portal service, the ShopTalk Marketplace that has attracted 40 branded corporate partners and 500,000 users conducting more than 20 million transactions last year alone. As much as 93% of ShopTalk's subscribers are female, a vital segmentation component for Jiffy Lube which services vehicles for more than 15 million female visitors every year.