Loyalty today looks very different from what it did even a decade ago. Customers aren’t impressed by punch cards or generic discounts anymore. What they want is to feel understood: that the brands they interact with actually know who they are, what they like, and when they need it. Delivering on that expectation, across thousands, or even millions, of customers, is where artificial intelligence is quietly rewriting the rules of engagement.
From transactions to relationships
For years, most engagement strategies were built around the purchase itself. Buy something, get a thank-you email or a loyalty point, and maybe you’ll come back. The trouble is, this doesn’t feel like loyalty, it feels like a transaction.
AI allows brands to move beyond that. By analyzing patterns in purchase history, digital behavior, and even timing, AI can anticipate needs before customers voice them. Think about the difference between sending the same “20% off” coupon to your entire database versus nudging a regular commuter with their favorite coffee just before they head to work. One feels like marketing; the other feels like recognition.
Personalization at scale
Personalization isn’t a “nice to have” anymore – it’s expected. Studies consistently show that most customers want tailored interactions, and they lose patience when brands don’t deliver. The challenge is that personalization at scale has traditionally been impossible without huge manual effort.
AI changes that. Instead of broad, blunt customer groups like “frequent buyers” or “occasional shoppers,” AI can create nuanced, micro-segments that reflect actual behavior. A restaurant might uncover a segment of weekday solo diners who rarely show up on weekends. A retailer might notice a customer shifting their spending from home décor into baby products. These are moments where engagement becomes meaningful, because it’s grounded in real life changes.
One of the most powerful ways Como helps brands engage customers is through intelligent member filtering and predictive outreach. Using RFM analysis – looking at how recently, how often, and how much a customer spends – our AI identifies high-value patrons, lapsed customers, and those with untapped potential. From there, brands can target the right people with the right message at the right time. Como’s AI also crafts personalized push notifications and SMS messages that feel human and relevant, not generic. Whether it’s reminding a regular diner of their favorite dish, sending a special offer to a customer who hasn’t visited in a while, or highlighting new products to a loyal shopper, AI-driven messaging ensures every interaction strengthens the relationship and keeps engagement high.
Proof it works
This isn’t just theory. Businesses already applying AI to engagement are seeing tangible results. Brands are using AI to identify customers who are quietly slipping away – catching them with a timely, thoughtful message before they churn. Even in ecommerce, AI is changing the tone of communication. Instead of a bland “you left something in your cart,” some retailers now send reminders that highlight the exact product left behind, why it’s popular, and even a complementary suggestion. It feels less like a system nudge and more like an attentive salesperson.
Does AI take the human out?
One concern that comes up often is whether AI makes customer engagement less human. The opposite is true. When technology handles the heavy lifting – analyzing data, predicting preferences, automating workflows – it gives teams the freedom to focus on creativity and relationship-building.
Customers, meanwhile, experience interactions that feel surprisingly human: a recommendation that actually makes sense, an email that lands at the right moment, or a gentle reminder that shows the brand is paying attention.
What comes next
With all of this potential, trust and transparency matter more than ever. Customers want to know why their data is being used and how it benefits them. Forward-thinking companies are leaning into this by explaining the value clearly: “We use AI to make sure you never miss your favorite dish when it’s back on the menu” is a simple, powerful way to turn data use into customer benefit.
Why leaders should pay attention
AI in engagement isn’t about futuristic gimmicks. It’s about meeting the very real expectations of today’s customers, expectations that only keep getting higher. Brands that embrace it will be able to deepen relationships in ways that competitors can’t easily replicate. Those that don’t risk falling back into transactional interactions that customers tune out.
Final thought
At Como, we understand that every sale, every visit, every browse is more than just revenue, it’s an opportunity to deepen connection. For restaurants and retailers, we help turn those opportunities into relationships. Our platform stitches together data from every touchpoint – point of sale, online orders, mobile app, WiFi, social channels – so you get a single, rich view of who your customers are, what they like, and how they behave. With that insight, you can deliver messages and offers that actually matter: not generic coupons, but precisely timed incentives, personalized suggestions, even rewards based on what each customer values. Our AI-driven tools (like Comillia AI) learn from past behavior to automatically launch campaigns that drive repeat visits, higher spend, and better engagement, all without your team spending hours setting everything up. Whether it’s re-engaging someone who hasn’t visited in a while, nudging busy loyal customers with something special, or giving your most vocal customers status and surprises that feel earned – you get to build loyalty not through transactions, but by making people feel known. All of this works across online and offline, and with integrations into 80-plus POS systems globally, we make it seamless. If you want to move beyond “just getting people through the door” to “making your customers your strongest advocates,” that’s where Como shines.
The brands winning loyalty today aren’t the ones shouting the loudest. They’re the ones making every customer feel like the only customer. AI doesn’t replace the human touch – it scales it. And that shift is what will define the next era of customer engagement.
