Mrs. Souad's café in Maadi: getting customers to come back without random discounts

Mrs. Souad has run Al-Warda Café in Maadi for three years, and for a long time she's felt that some customers come every week, yet nothing set them apart from someone who visits once and never returns. She considered making a paper "discount card," but felt it would get lost and forgotten quickly.

The problem: every customer gets the same treatment

The customer who comes every day and the one who came once pay the same price and get exactly the same treatment. Nothing makes the regular feel "special" or that their loyalty counts for anything.

Loyalty points straight from the cashier

Mrs. Souad turned on the loyalty points system from the cashier screen. Every purchase earns the customer points at a set rate (for example, one point per currency unit), and these accumulate in the customer's account. Once they reach a certain number of points, they can redeem them for a discount on a future bill.

A welcome bonus for every new customer

The moment a new customer registers their details (name and phone number), they automatically receive welcome bonus points — a small touch that creates a positive first impression and encourages customers to register instead of staying an anonymous "guest."

A birthday surprise

The system also awards bonus points on the customer's birthday once a year, automatically, without Mrs. Souad needing to track birthdates herself or remember them. The customer feels genuinely remembered, not just sold a coffee.

The numbers, honestly

Instead of every customer getting the same undifferentiated treatment, there's now a real reward for the one who comes back. Instead of Mrs. Souad handing out random discounts that eat into her margin unaccounted for, points are calculated at a rate she set herself from the dashboard.

Want to see how to turn on loyalty in your own store? Read Dr. Mona's pharmacy story, who used the same system with her customers.