It’s inevitable. Every loyalty program will have its occasional hiccup—a missing reward, a promotion that didn’t apply, or a customer who’s frustrated and unsure about exactly what went wrong. 

In those moments, you’re not just solving a problem. You’re building a relationship. 

At PDI, we believe that the way you handle loyalty issues is just as important as how you structure your loyalty program. In fact, those moments of friction are often the biggest opportunities to win deeper loyalty when your team is empowered, trained, and equipped with the right tools. 

Here are three key steps you can take to turn loyalty issues into relationship wins. 

1. Turn problems into opportunities 

When mistakes happen, resolution moments become the hidden turning points in the customer experience. 

One study by PwC found that 32% of customers will walk away from a brand after just one bad experience—but 86% of customers say they’re more loyal to brands that offer great customer support. The difference? It’s not the mistake. It’s the response. 

When your frontline employees—whether store associates or support agents—have the tools, knowledge, and authority to resolve issues quickly and with empathy, they can turn what could be a churn risk into a loyalty moment. 

Even though managing customer issues can be stressful, there’s a silver lining. Feedback from customers is a gift. Great operators use it to identify trends or recurring problems, and they adapt with strategies to improve the ongoing customer experience. Be sure to communicate regularly with your employees and customers to acknowledge that you’re listening and responding. 

2. Empower your staff to act like loyalty leaders 

In the PDI Loyalty Playbook, we explain how to create a culture of loyalty where your entire organization understands that loyalty is more than a program. It’s a mindset and one of your most valuable business assets. 

That means: 

• Training store employees to confidently handle loyalty questions, card issues, and reward redemptions
• Giving customer service agents visibility into purchase history, points balances, and offer activity
• Equipping managers with dashboards that flag recurring issues or trends across locations
• Rewarding employees for “saving” loyalty moments or delivering exceptional customer service
• Empowering your team to go “above and beyond” by not just fixing a problem but also compensating customers for their trouble, encouraging them to give your brand another chance 

With this approach, every customer-facing role becomes a brand ambassador—with the power to turn a simple resolution into a memorable positive experience. 

3. Anticipate issues before they escalate 

What’s the best way to solve problems? Prevent them from happening in the first place. With PDI Loyalty, your team has access to: 

• Real-time data to validate redemptions and points
• Promotion timelines synced across the POS and the pump
• Member history to spot fraud, disputes, or trends 
• Intuitive campaign tools to reduce setup errors 

And, with integrated support features in PDI Experience Designer, your team can send “make-good” offers or apology perks instantly—turning any misstep into a positive memory. 

Real-world example: Starbucks as the gold standard 

The Starbucks loyalty program is a well-known benchmark, not just for its mobile-first design but for its world-class member support. 

If a customer reports a missed star or reward, they often receive a personalized message and compensation within hours. The brand’s support team is trained to reinforce the value of the program and the relationship. The result? 

• Over 31 million active US loyalty members 
• An average 15% higher spend by loyalty members compared to non-members 
• Over 50% of in-store transactions driven by rewards members 

That’s the power of building and maintaining a brand-wide loyalty culture. 

PDI perspective: loyalty is a people strategy 

Like most things today, technology is critical for a successful loyalty program. But it’s your people who make loyalty real. 

That’s why PDI doesn’t just provide platforms. We provide partnerships. We coach our clients on how to build scalable support processes, train frontline teams, and use every loyalty issue as a chance to drive retention. 

From loyalty troubleshooting guides to store-level dashboards and CPG-funded goodwill offers, we give you the tools to win the moments that matter. 

Final thought 

Imagine a customer calling you because they didn’t get their points. They leave the call not just satisfied—but more loyal than before. That’s the goal. 

In loyalty, problems are not necessarily disruptions—they’re invitations to show up. To fix it fast. And to prove why your brand is worth coming back to. 

Ready to build a loyalty culture that turns every challenge into a customer win?

Want to hear more from Mindy?

Mindy will be one of our many PDI industry experts on hand at Connections Live 2025 in Denver, August 24-27. 

Register Now

Want more loyalty content from PDI?

Check out C-Store Loyalty Insider for the latest in convenience loyalty—at PDI and across the industry.

Sources: PDI Technologies Loyalty Playbook, and PwC Experience is everything: Here’s how to get it right 

We asked Chris Berry, PDI CTO and General Manager of Security, to provide her thoughts on key cybersecurity trends for 2023. Read on to get the latest updates on the evolving threat landscape and how retailers can reduce risk to better protect their customers and business assets.

Q: Let’s start with a fundamental cybersecurity question. Will we ever get ahead of the bad guys?

CB: History would tell us “no.” As much as some of us consider security to be a full-time job protecting our data and systems, cybercriminals are also working full time to exploit those systems through ransomware and other cyberattacks. So, we’ll always face that pressure to keep up and play defense. And now that we’ve seen a bit of the nation-state sponsored hacking that has become more lucrative, our job has gotten even harder.

I’ve been in the IT world for 30 years, and I’m still surprised every day at some of the stories coming from our security team. I can’t imagine how any business person without a security background could be expected to stay on top of the growing threat landscape.

You simply can’t be an expert at all things or do everything yourself—and that goes double for security, because there’s simply too much at stake for your business. I think that’s why leveraging managed security services is so important for many businesses.

Q: What’s the primary value of managed security services for retailers?

CB: The more innovations and technologies that retailers implement, the more effective they become. But adding technologies and devices can also create more risk as the threat landscape grows more complex. The Internet of Things is the shining example of that. All those devices add value for businesses and customers alike, but they must be secure.

If any devices connect to your point of sale or back-office systems, that’s one more point of vulnerability. If you’re trying to manage all of this security on your own, it can be extremely difficult. You can have the greatest cybersecurity tools in the world, but if you don’t have the human expertise and a broad perspective, you’re still at a disadvantage to cybercriminals and threat actors.

Working with a managed security services provider, or MSSP, gives you access to the latest tools, experts who know how to use them, and all the lessons learned from the broader market. Having a partner that’s solely focused on security lets your IT team focus on keeping your point of sale up and running—which should be your priority—because that’s how you make money.

Q: What are some of the bigger threats businesses should worry about in 2023?

CB: First of all, technology has gotten better, especially with AI, advanced machine learning, and automated tools. But as we look at cybersecurity trends in 2023, the core threat remains human error. It’s people not being diligent on the basics like clicking on phishing emails or not patching software systems against known issues.

Humans are still the number one reason we see data breaches. We all have to deal with information overload and more distractions by the day. Think of all the messaging platforms, email accounts, and personal devices you use every day. As we get more comfortable with technology, there’s a natural human tendency toward complacency. It’s natural to think that, if you’ve done something and nothing bad has happened, why would you start worrying about it now?

The human element is why businesses need strong security solutions, processes, and training as well as a commitment from the leadership team. For instance, we have a robust phishing training program at PDI, but we still see people click on things they shouldn’t. You always have to prioritize employee education and training, because it’s a constant uphill battle to overcome the human element when it comes to cyberthreat prevention.

Q: If a business has cyber insurance, do they still need to use security services?

CB: I’ll start off by saying that cyber insurance is not a cure-all for any type of business. With the growing number of ransomware payouts, the insurance companies are scrutinizing everything at a new level. It’s increasingly difficult to find insurance, it’s very expensive, and you have to jump through more hoops to get it. In most cases, you must verify that you have verified security tools and processes just to be eligible for it.

If you do get insurance and experience a breach, they might cover the initial cost of the damages or the ransom payout. But they’re not going to repair your brand’s reputation. And what about lost sales or all the extra resources you’ll need to recover data from backups and get your business running again?

There are a lot of financial impacts that aren’t covered by insurance. In some ways, cyber insurance should be a last resort. Another way of looking at it is, if you put all the money you’d spend on cyber insurance into cyberthreat prevention and securing your systems, you’d likely be much better off in the long run.

Learn more

To learn more about additional 2023 trends, be sure to visit our Trends page.

You can thrive in today’s digital economy. Contact us today to learn how we can help you transform your business.

Executive Overview

Industry: Convenience Retail

Size: 78 Stores

Solution: PDI Hosting Services

Business Challenges

• Had to find an easier way to keep up with necessary hardware upgrades
• Needed a provider that could adapt to a hybrid model that included on-premise and cloud-based solutions
• Wanted to reduce the cost associated with internally refreshing and maintaining hardware and software

Solution Overview – PDI Hosting Services

Reliable data access is critical to daily operations, so let our team provide and manage your hardware, backups, and software upgrades. PDI Hosting Services provides you with business continuity to protect your operations and ensures you get the most out of your ERP software investment.

Read more about PDI Hosting Services

Customer Results

• Regained resources being used in their data centers, which increased the life of their physical servers
• Gained access to PDI’s 24/7 technical services team to handle all software upgrades and help resolve any issues that may arise
• Reduced the need for multiple on-staff, dedicated server maintenance and software experts
• Reduced Rutter’s hardware and storage needs in its own environment

Executive Overview

HQ: Texarkana, TX, founded in 1970

Industry: Convenience Retail

Size: 286 Stores

Solution: PDI Pricebook Services

Business Challenges

• Pricebook process needed to be consolidated across pricebook staff, IT staff and category managers
• Needed to tighten up audit processes at a store level
• Wanted to be able to inventory by item rather than by a total dollar figure

Solution Overview – PDI Pricebook Services

If you’re looking for results, PDI Pricebook Services can deliver. Our team of experts has helped retailers across the country streamline their pricebook procedures and create the best possible customer experience.

Read more about PDI Pricebook Services

Customer Results

• Centralized, electronic control of retail pricing & vendor costs
• Improved audit accuracy at a store level
• Facilitated the ability to conduct inventory audits by item
• Optimized human resources and improved scheduling

Executive Overview

HQ: Sioux Falls, SD; first opened in Summit, SD in 1981

Industry: Convenience Retail

Solution: PDI Hosting Services, PDI Pricebook Services, PDI Accounting Services

Business Challenges

• Only about 60% of store merchandise was in the pricebook, which complicated the audit process
• Heavy reliance on price stickers, many of which were allocated to general merchandise, resulted in inaccurate pricing
• Needed a stable, third-party hosting solution, complete with reliable technical support and server redundancy
• Limited resources to support company growth

Solution Overview – PDI Managed Services

Reimagining your enterprise means focusing on the things that drive business growth and finding ways to work smarter, not harder. Hundreds of companies just like yours are doing exactly that by taking advantage of our Managed Services. Perhaps you’re looking to reposition your staff away from labor intensive tasks, or maybe you require a highly specialized skillset to run specific parts of your business. From hosting complex technology infrastructures in the private cloud to performing daily pricebook maintenance, we have you covered.

Read more about PDI Managed Services

Customer Results

• Managed services have enabled industry growth
• Pricebook centralization facilitated immediate cost change delivery to the market
• Accounting solutions met the needs of a growing company
• Reliable tech support & resources provided needed redundancy

Executive Overview

Size: 345 stores and fleet of 46 trucks

Industry: Convenience Retail and Logistics

Solution: PDI Enterprise, PDI Logistics and PDI Managed Services

Business Challenges

• Needed to improve dispatch, order forecasting, cost reconciliations and analytics for fuel delivery operation
• Difficulty integrating back office solution with POS system
• Manual and inefficient financial, ordering and daily paperwork processes
• Lacked a fully hosted and managed solution for enterprise-level software

Solution Overview – PDI Enterprise, PDI Managed Services, PDI Logistics

From financials to pricing, convenience retailers and petroleum marketers get centralized control and one version of the truth.

Our hosting, pricebook and accounting experts help manage the day-to-day operations, so you can focus on driving business growth.

Fleets of all sizes maximize efficiency, growth, productivity and profits with our end-to-end logistics solutions.

Read more about PDI Enterprise, PDI Managed Services, and PDI Logistics.

Customer Results

• Cost-effective hosting solution with reliable technical support and server redundancy
• Increased speed and accuracy across operation by automating manual processes
• Improved fleet and store-level inventory management with robust order forecasting tools
• Seamlessly integrated back-office software with third-party POS systems
• Improved fleet productivity with centralized dispatching capabilities
• Gained reliable analytics and insights to make better business decisions

Executive Overview

Industry: Convenience Retail

Size: 17 convenience stores

Business Challenges

• Lacked a holistic back office solution to help control multi-site operation
• Struggled with manual daily paperwork processes, which left room for error
• Needed centralized control over vendor payment and store-level pricing
• Lacked the necessary staff to effectively run a feature-rich back office solution

Solution Overview – PDI Enterprise and PDI Managed Services

From financials to pricing, PDI Enterprise has everything convenience retailers and petroleum marketers need to unify and control their businesses. Its centralized database delivers one version of the truth across the entire organization.

Hundreds of companies rely on PDI Managed Services to drive business growth and find ways to work smarter, not harder. Whether that means repositioning staff away from labor intensive tasks or gaining new, highly skilled resources to run specific parts of the business, PDI has you covered.

Read more about PDI Enterprise and PDI Managed Services

Customer Results

• Improved operational control and efficiency with a robust back office solution and automation capabilities
• Standardized pricing across sites with a centralized pricebook that is maintained by the experienced PDI Pricebook Services team
• Reduced manual accounting practices across the organization, including vendor payments, bank reconciliations and period close reporting
• Helped identify and reduce shrink at stores, particularly in the lottery category

Executive Overview

Size: 12 stores

Industry: Convenience Retail

Solution: PDI Managed Services Portfolio

Business Challenges

• Lack of resources to handle accounting, fuel, payroll and pricing issues
• Limited reporting capabilities
• Delayed paperwork review and reconciliation process
• Inefficient accounting and payroll processes

Solution Overview – PDI Managed Services

We can help you find ways to work smarter, not harder and focus on the things that drive business growth. From hosting complex technology infrastructures in the private cloud to performing daily pricebook maintenance, PDI has you covered.

Read more about PDI Managed Services

Customer Results

• Renewed focus on growing revenue and reducing costs
• Paperwork reviewed and reconciled daily
• Accurate profit margin reporting by item and department
• Improved accounting and payroll process efficiency