In the wake of a network outage that Kwik Trip says was likely caused by a cybersecurity attack, the c-store retailer has reached out to loyalty members to make up for missed rewards card swipes.
For customers in Wisconsin, those remedies include a free beer.
On Oct. 23, Kwik Trip sent a message to loyalty members outlining steps it would be taking to make up for the more than a week during which the rewards program was down. Anyone who swiped their card in the store should get proper credit. But because many people were unable to swipe their cards or their card was not accepted, the company also said it would award all members bonus visits — the in-program currency for Kwik Rewards — based on their average weekly visits before the event, as well as award double visits for every purchase through Nov. 5.
However, it had one more award up its sleeve.
During the outage, a post on a Wisconsin fan group for Kwik Trip noted they would love to have a “sorry the rewards app was down” coupon for a free beer. On Friday, Kwik Trip posted “Say no more” on social media, along with a screenshot showing a coupon for one free 16-24 ounce Miller Lite, Coors Lite or Coors Banquet beer, available in the app for Wisconsin members only. The coupon is good through Nov. 1.
“The free beer response to Kwik Trip’s outage is brilliant,” said Matt Sargent, director of strategy analytics for Sargent Up North and a former director of loyalty analytics for CPG consultancy Big Chalk. He noted that the decision didn’t ignore the disruption the outage caused its customers, responded in a genuine way to its Midwestern base and might even make some non-loyalty members wonder what they’re missing.
He also pointed out that time-gating the offer was a good decision, adding urgency.
“I bet their response will actually lead to incremental traffic,” he said.
The outage impacted the company’s loyalty program, payroll systems, website, mobile app and more. The incident also impacted the company’s supply chain.
La Crosse, Wisconsin-based Kwik Trip is one of the largest c-store operators in the U.S. with over 800 locations in its network.
