Personal investment in customer relationships creates an exceptional loyalty program onboarding experience.
The difference between a loyalty program that merely launches and one that truly thrives often comes down to the personal care invested in each customer relationship. At Liquid Barcodes, project manager Elena Hermana has spent over three years perfecting the art of customer care, transforming complex technical implementations into collaborative partnerships that drive lasting success.
Elena’s approach goes beyond traditional project management—she becomes genuinely invested in each customer’s journey. Her first project at Liquid Barcodes was Circle K U.S., and she holds a great deal of affection for them.
“I’m holding a lot of care for Circle K US because my very first project on the company when I entered three years ago was to optimize the app.”
Elena Hermana, Project Manager, Liquid Barcodes
Elena has guided customers through everything from ground-up implementations to complex platform migrations. Her insights reveal how personal care and attention to detail separate successful launches from missed opportunities.
The Foundation of Customer Care
Elena’s methodology centers on understanding each customer’s unique needs and circumstances. Rather than applying one-size-fits-all solutions, she invests time in learning about their business, testing their applications, and experiencing their challenges firsthand.
This hands-on approach was evident in her work with Circle K U.S., where Elena personally tested the car wash app extensively. “I remember the last time I went to the U.S. two years ago, I tested and I washed my car like 20 times,” she joked.
This dedication to understanding the customer experience from the ground up enables her to identify issues and opportunities. “It was so interesting to see how an app works in that moment because I was a beginner and it was a complex project,” she reflected.
Her commitment extends beyond initial implementations. Elena has continued supporting Circle K U.S. through multiple projects, including a recent platform migration, demonstrating the long-term relationships that result from genuine customer care.
Nisqually Markets: Building from Scratch With Creative Partnership
Elena’s work with Nisqually Markets exemplifies her approach to customer care when building something entirely new. The project required creating a complete loyalty program from scratch, which Elena describes as “a creative way of taking a program to life.”
The success of this implementation stemmed from the collaborative relationship Elena fostered with the client. This partnership approach created an environment where creative solutions could flourish.
Elena worked closely with Nisqually Markets to develop a comprehensive program including subscriptions, coupons, stamp cards, and games. The process involved careful consideration of visual elements and user communication strategies. “We worked on the images. We worked on how we speak to the users,” she notes, demonstrating her attention to every detail that impacts the customer experience.
What made this project particularly rewarding was the client’s responsiveness and engagement. “Every time I needed something from them, they were there,” Elena recalls. This mutual investment created a smooth implementation process that made her feel “so proud of onboarding them and getting them to know the product.”
Learn more about the Nisqually Markets loyalty program launch in this inviting video with Sam Roark, director of retail operations for Nisqually Markets.
R-Kioski Finland: Managing Complexity Through Strategic Care
Elena’s work with R-Kioski in Finland, one of Liquid Barcodes’ biggest European customers, demonstrates how customer care principles apply to complex platform migrations. The project required moving an established convenience store chain with extensive promotional offerings to a new app platform, a process that Elena describes as more complex than it initially appeared.
“The complexity of a migration is not as simple as it may seem,” Elena explains. “Creating an app requires real-time changes that may affect the users.” This understanding of the customer’s perspective and the potential impact on their end users drove Elena’s approach to risk management and communication throughout the project.
The success of this migration required Elena to develop new capabilities in risk analysis and decision-making while maintaining the responsive communication that characterizes her customer care approach.
Elena’s pride in the final result reflects her personal investment in customer success: “The new app is much, much better, and it’s looking so nice. So, I’m so proud of that project. I believe that they are proud too, and I hope that they are doing great.”
Read more about R-Kioski Finland’s customer loyalty app.
The Customer Care Difference
Elena’s approach to customer care creates a ripple effect that extends far beyond individual projects. Her genuine investment in customer relationships, attention to detail, and commitment to understanding each client’s unique needs transforms technical implementations into collaborative partnerships.
This methodology proves particularly powerful in the loyalty program space, where success depends not just on technical functionality but on user engagement and long-term adoption.
Elena’s willingness to personally test applications, travel for implementations, and maintain ongoing relationships ensures that customers receive solutions that truly meet their needs.
Her approach offers a blueprint for success: find partners who genuinely care about success, invest in understanding their unique needs, and maintain collaborative relationships throughout the implementation process.
About Liquid Barcodes
Liquid Barcodes is the leading loyalty platform for convenience retailers. Unlike other solutions, ours has been designed from the ground up to retain member engagement and activity. Every aspect, from the fundamental system architecture to the small details that make our loyalty apps such a joy to use, is crafted to ensure a highly personalized, gamified experience.
Our loyalty programs are so engaging and visually appealing that members remain active over time, making us better than any other solution at retaining your members’ attention. Increased attention translates into increased impact. Ultimately, these differences will make your loyalty program a more powerful and effective tool when you work on increasing basket size and visit frequency.
Learn more about Liquid Barcodes at liquidbarcodes.com.
About the Author
Carolyn Schnare, Chief Content Officer, Liquid Barcodes
Carolyn Schnare has been involved with the convenience retailing industry for two decades with extensive knowledge of customer engagement and marketing, sustainability, and community outreach. Before Liquid Barcodes, Schnare worked at NACS (National Association of Convenience Stores) in a variety of roles from event production to membership and most recently as Director of Strategic Initiatives and host and producer of the popular industry podcast, Convenience Matters. Schnare currently anchors the popular Future of Convenience podcast, produced by Global Convenience Store Focus media group.
