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Guide · 4 min

What to do when a customer loses their phone

Their progress is on their account, not their phone, so nothing is lost. They sign in on any device and everything is there. The only real friction is if they cannot remember which sign-in method they used, which is worth training staff to ask about.

This is the objection people raise about digital loyalty, and it is worth having a clear answer because the answer is good.

The progress is not on the phone

It is on their account. The phone is a viewer. A new phone, a borrowed phone or a laptop all show the same thing once they sign in.

Compare that with paper, where the card genuinely was the record, and losing it genuinely did end the relationship.

The actual friction

Not the loss. The sign-in. Somebody who signed up with Google eight months ago and is now typing an email address into a password form will conclude the system lost their stamps.

Train staff to ask two questions: which email address, and did you use Google, Apple or a password. That resolves nearly all of it.

Serving them right now

They do not need to solve it at the counter with a queue behind them. Staff can look a customer up and confirm identity, so the visit still counts.

Do not create a second account

The most damaging outcome is a customer creating a new account, because their history stays on the old one and now there are two. If somebody says their stamps are gone, ask about sign-in before anyone suggests signing up again.

Common questions

What if they cannot remember how they signed up?

Ask which email they would have used, then which of Google, Apple or a password they normally use. Between those two questions most people get there.

Can I look them up without their phone?

In Fidella, staff can search by member ID or display name and must confirm the right person before acting. That covers serving them today while they sort the phone out.

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