81% of Businesses Collect Data on Their Customers. Here’s How They Do It

Yes: 81%

• We have an in-store customer rewards program. We require only the customer name, phone and email to sign up. — Johnna Devereaux, Fetch RI, Richmond, RI
• I collect only data needed to provide them with good service and to do my job well for them. Also in case of an emergency info and vet info is needed. — Julie Husa, D Best Pet Sitting, Dallas, TX
• We have an in-store loyalty program which we ask our customers to join. Joining allows us to keep track of their purchases, which many times helps them should they forget which type of food they last purchased. We provide a generous $5 in store credit for every $100 in purchases. We require only standard contact info…name, phone, email…and we strictly keep al of this info in-house. — Kimberly Barnes, New England Dog Biscuit, Salem, MA
• Our POS tracks it, we ask everyone at checkout, you need to give email and phone to be part of our loyalty (4 percent cash back), our Shopify website collects and moves to Mail Chimp, we started by using sign up sheets and tons of people took advantage of it to get deals. We send out weekly emails through Mail Chimp with deals, and return is good. — Jennifer Larsen, Firehouse Pet Shop, Wenatchee, WA
• We ask at checkout. The customer gets a discount for signing up. We track their purchases so they don’t need a receipt to return their purchase, and if they forgot what they bought in the past, we can tell them. And they now get our monthly email loaded with savings. — Doug Staley, Pet Palace of New City, New City, NY
• We sign customers up in our POS system. We offer a rewards program for every dollar they spend they earn one point. Once they reach 500 points they receive an automatic $10 coupon. We ask for name-address-phone number. We rarely have anyone deny giving their info. — Jan A. Hopper, Living Pawsitively, Lafayette, NJ
• We try. We ask at checkout, but many do not like to give out email addresses. Things like raffles, sign up sheets don’t work very well because people write so fast and sloppy it is hard to read. — Connie Roller, The Feed Bag Pet Supply, Grafton, WI
• We are all about a personal touch, so we ask, “How did you hear about us?” It’s always interesting to hear the way a cousin dog, a veterinarian, a billboard we had ages ago, or a Google search that led a consumer to us. — Angela Pantalone, Wag Central, Stratford, CT
• We set them up in as part of our rewards program through Five Stars. If they want to be part of the rewards program, they are always willing to give you the information, name, street address and email. They automatically receive a coupon for 20 percent off any toy or treat to use within the first two weeks of becoming a member. — Michelle Nelson, The Pet Authority, Albert Lea, MN
• We use Astro for frequent-buyer and monthly emails, so we collect addresses for anyone who wants to receive those, but nothing else. — Shane Somerville, Paddywack, Mill Creek, WA
• We collect email addresses, phone numbers and info about their dog. We do this the old fashioned way — by hand! We have a loyalty program that involves no work on the part of the customer. Customers interested in the program fill out a 3-by-5 card with their information. The card is divided into six sections. Each time the customer makes a purchase they say “I have a card in the drawer.” We enter the purchase in one of the six sections. When all six sections are full, we add up their purchases and give them a gift certificate for 10 percent of their total sales. And, so they don’t lose it or forget to bring it back in, we simply attach it to their card until their next visit. Some folks actually save up their certificates when they want to purchase a high-ticket item or wait for the holiday season … simple, effective, fun! — Sue Hepner, Cool Dog Gear, Roslyn, PA
• Our interested applicants for a German Shepherd puppy or dog requires a client questionnaire completed and sent from our website. We look at demographics, type of dog experience they have and to what levels, if any. However, we do not share our customer data with anyone, including the AKC, because our clients may wish to remain anonymous for personal and professional security reasons, government clearances, fragile and/or endangered situations. — Steve La Flamme, Cross Keys K9, Williamstown, NJ

No: 19%

• I probably should, but I know that I wouldn’t write a newsletter well, and I wouldn’t be timely. Sending out coupons is something that I should do via email, but I just don’t want to be people’s junk email. — Lisa Keppers, Sauk Centre Country Store, Sauk Centre, MN