When the PickMe app first landed on our phones, it changed how we got from Point A to Point B. All it took was a few taps to share your location and get the nearest cab. No more lengthy calls giving directions to drivers who could’ve been anywhere. Over the past year, the app has evolved considerably. Behind the scenes, the company invested in its infrastructure.
With its technological prowess, the company set out to tackle several problems. Many of which, Mithila Somasiri – CTO of PickMe, described to ReadMe as problems that looked complex but were transportation problems. Thus, over the past year, we’ve seen PickMe launch several new services ranging from food delivery to package delivery to trucks for logistics. Now the company continues to evolve, it aims to recognize and reward its loyal customers with the launch of PickMe Rewards.
What is PickMe Rewards? Recognizing & rewarding you
This is PickMe’s loyalty programme. “We want to recognize our loyal customers and reward them with a series of deals and other benefits,” said Jeewaka Keerthisinghe – Customer Development Specialist at PickMe. How does it work? It all begins from the very moment you log into the app. There’s no fancy optional sign-up process. To make things simple, the moment you log into the app, you start at the very first tier, which is the Blue Category.
At the time of writing, there are 5 tiers in the programme: Blue, Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Platinum. With every Rs. 100 you spend on the PickMe app, you collect 1 star. As you collect stars, rising through the ranks and enter new tiers, you unlock more deals and benefits.
These range from discounts on rides and food orders to benefits such as being a priority for customer support. Furthermore, PickMe will also recognize when you rise through the ranks. For example, when you go from Bronze to Silver, you’ll get a new set of rewards exclusive to those in the Silver tier. In addition to this, PickMe will also give you another set of rewards in recognition for reaching a new tier.
Speaking to ReadMe, Isira Perera – COO of PickMe described the vision of PickMe rewards saying, “We want to recognize our customers and for their contribution in trusting us and riding with us. Hence, we aim to fairly recognize them for this and have them grow with us as well. To that end, we’re working towards growing the PickMe community to include several other merchants. So it’s not going to be just benefits from PickMe but it’ll be a complete reward mechanism and loyalty scheme.”
Today, many of the rewards PickMe has are in the form of discounts for its services. Soon, you can expect these rewards to expand beyond the app. They’ll encompass offers from a host of merchants in different industries. Isira went onto say, “We want to better understand the needs of our customers. Transportation is a lifestyle need and through it, we want to now extend our offerings into other lifestyle needs as well.”
PickMe hasn’t forgotten its drivers
Over the past year, PickMe’s fleet has evolved considerably. It has expanded its services by launching bikes, food delivery, trucks, and package delivery. Isira shared with ReadMe that the company also caters to the transportation needs of several corporations and SMEs. Commenting on this expansion, he said, “We aim to cater to all the mobility needs of the nation. Through mobility, we aim to make lives better.”
So, while PickMe is recognizing and rewarding its customers, the company is also doing the same for its driver-partners. This is in the form of a loyalty programme for its drivers. It too has different tiers offering a set of rewards based on the performance of the drivers. These rewards range from discounted batteries and tires up to an insurance scheme offering coverage for the drivers as well as their families.
Alongside this, PickMe also has an incentive scheme for drivers. Isira explained that it offers the drivers the chance to earn more based on different factors such as the number of rides they take and the ratings they receive. Further, the company also organizes events across districts to recognize and reward its top drivers.
The largest of these is the Nena Pahana initiative. Organized annually, this is an event where PickMe recognizes its top drivers and rewards their families. These drivers are recognized not merely based on their monetary performance. Rather it’s based on their number of complaints, ratings & repute etc. Last year, the company spent Rs 4.5 million to gift school supplies to the children of its top 1000 driver-partners as part of the Nena Pahana initiative.
What’s next for PickMe?
As the company looks towards the future, Isira shared with ReadMe that it aims to expand the reach of all its services to be available islandwide. To that end, they recently made it possible for anyone to register as a driver by simply downloading the PickMe driver app. In doing so, expanding its ride-hailing services to every corner of the island. Admirably, it hasn’t forgotten to recognize these drivers.
Yet, for a glimpse into the future, PickMe Rewards serves as an indicator for how the app may evolve down the line. While recognizing and rewarding it’s loyal patrons today, it also aims to understand the needs of its customers. In turn, solving the wider mobility needs of society to improve the lifestyles of everyone.
Arteculate