A loyalty card for the select few

By Zsarlene B. Chua
Reporter

UNLIKE other loyalty cards that reward their most steadfast and best customers via perks and discounts, the Ayala Rewards Circle (ARC) takes it a notch higher as they “go beyond the generic, generalized perks that do nothing to deepen the relationship with high-value customers,” according to a company press release.

ARC is a multi-industry appreciation program for the Ayala group’s most valued customers which started in 2012 after Fernando Zobel de Ayala, COO of the Ayala Corporation mentioned his dream of “starting to look at the company as one brand.”

In other words, a preferred BPI client will be also be a preferred client across the Ayala group of companies and its hand-picked partners.

One of the main features of ARC is a 24-hour concierge service that offers services locally and internationally and can perform basic functions such as reserving restaurants and booking hotels to more complicated requests such as booking a dinner cruise for a family of 25 in order to have a nice view of the New Year’s fireworks in Singapore or book tickets to London Fashion Week or to Wimbledon.

“At Ayala, our customers are our lifeblood. And we want our most valued clients to enjoy amazing rewards not just with one business, but throughout the entire Ayala Group,” said Maria Angelica B. Rapadas, president and general manager of ARC, in a press release.

After being fully implemented in 2014, ARC currently has 100,000 members with an average age of 47. Most of them are entrepreneurs or upper management, said Patricia Y. Manhit, COO of ARC in a press conference held on Oct. 24 at the Ayala Tower One in Makati City.

They are looking to increase membership to 200,000 in two to three years.

Other perks include priority handling at BPI and in select Globe stores, special deals and discounts on Ayala-owned Isuzu, Volkswagen and Honda dealerships, Ayala property promos and special rates at Ayala Hotels and Resorts, privileges from local and international retail, dining and leisure partners and invites to exclusive events.

Requirements for membership eligibility include any of the following: a single P1.25-million purchase at AC Automotive dealerships or an accumulated purchase of P2 million made in the last five years, a purchase worth at least P3 million from Ayala Land brands (Premier, Alveo and Avida) in the last seven years, a private or preferred BPI client account and a Globe Platinum subscription.

(The rewards card is only extended towards individual accounts and not to corporate accounts.)

While a person having one eligible account makes him/her a member, those with accounts in all four businesses are afforded perks such as airport lounge access in select local and international airports.

A membership lasts five years after which the company reassesses if a member is still eligible for the “completely free reward system,” said Ms. Rapadas.

ARC is accessible via its Web site, an app and on Facebook — its visibility on social media sites three years since it was fully implemented is an effort to make ARC more visible and reach more eligible members despite acknowledging that the Ayala Rewards Circle is “trying to be low-radar as it is for a select few,” said Ms. Manhit.

“If you’re an eligible member, the Ayala companies have to invite you but sometimes it’s hard to find these customers — the invitations sometimes gets buried in junk mail,” Ms. Manhit explained adding they are encouraging members who think they’re eligible to call their companies to see if they can be given an ARC membership. “We really want to reach everyone,” she said. Everyone qualified, that is.

For more information about ARC, visit www.ayalarewardscircle.com or facebook.com/ayalarewardscircle.