How to market a restaurant or a café: enhancing customers’ loyalty

Building high level of customers’ loyalty is a key element in public catering (restaurant, café, snackbar, food truck). So, the core objective of the restaurant and café marketing is to organize special events to attract more regular customers. But how to increase the loyalty using today’s digital technologies?   

CRM-system: what is mean for your business?

The word «CRM-system» makes many business owners clutch their head. Because this software used to create customers database and to manage loyalty has a cost – and it’s not about the money. The current CRMs don’t cost much and they are paid off during the first months after being installed. The biggest challenge, however, lies in the ability to use this software and in the team’s commitment to take their work with customers to the next level.

The major advantage of the CRM consists in providing precise values on the basis of which you will be able to draw the proper conclusions and to plan the marketing strategy for your restaurant or café. For large-scale CRMs, there are some disadvantages, for instance, slow speed rate and professional trainings.

Large scale applications with complicated and confusing interfaces have been obsolete for a long time. Instead high speed mobile solutions with easy-to-use functionalities are becoming more and more popular.  Because they can be easily integrated with various loyalty programs which meet the market’s needs.

As a result, your CRM is working on the laptop, on the tablet or even on the smartphone, and the customers can place their orders, receive news and accumulate bonuses on their smartphones.

How to combine basic marketing principles and mobile CRM?

Use several proven methods:

1.Monitoring guests’ wishes

«Don’t guess but aware» is the major principle of the digital marketing in any establishment. To clearly aware guests’ wishes, you can benefit from:

• Sales data — preferred dishes, beverages, supplements. This information is available in general view and by guest. The primary recording of guests is executed at the stage of order’s creation – table, name. After the payment has been made, you can offer a loyalty card to the guest with quick registration in CRM. There is no need to fill in any form, all you have to do is enter guest’s name, phone number and email address.
• Orders data — they can be different from the information about sold items. For example, the guest has ordered Turkey in Onion sauce but then he returned it and left some negative comments. The automated accounting system provides the possibility to input comments before and after the request has been completed. That’s why all information about returns should be considered very carefully.  It helps to improve dishes quality in future and to custom ingredients for particular guests. 
• Payments methods. The mobile CRM receives this information from the automated cash register where payments are sorted by methods – cash, non-cash, mobile payments, bonuses or credit sale. You will learn what kind of payment methods impact the most on sales volume. Most often these are bonus payments when orders are partially paid by accumulated bonuses.

Besides, do not forget about face-to-face questionings which allow to detail information and to bring back the picture of your customer. Waiters usually remember better the wishes of guests whom they were talking to.  Helping guests to discover the added value of technical novelties, like the electronic menu on the tablet, will make them feel welcome, special and important. Remember that a good customer service will bring your guests time and time again.

When the waiter is taking the order, he can input guest’s wishes and preferences into the card by himself. And here again, there is no need to fill in any forms which might be out of date in a week or two. People change their preferences as frequently as the market does it. That’s why it’s important to regularly talk to guests and to keep records about all changes in their preferences.

2.Testing novelties

New dishes, beverages and services always require close attention of the marketers. Because some people always prefer the familiar dishes while others are keen on trying something new. Someone will like your fresh solution and another doesn’t reorder any more. Here again, the staff might think about comments – they can show how to write a brief review on orders to the guest or input these comments by themselves, according to the guest’s words.

Evaluating new dishes, beverages or services is the best way to test them. It does not require a lot of time, and the guest will feel involved in the quality management of your service. This is very important for visitors and always increases their loyalty. People are eager to be heard. So, the establishment where they leave their emotions, is always more important for them than others.  

3.Popularizing reviews

It’s easy enough to write reviews using mobile solutions. They are usually free. So, no need to pay and no expenses for the establishment. Guests are writing their reviews by themselves using mobile loyalty applications, on the page of the restaurant or café. If you get a negative feedback, try to contact the unsatisfied customer and clarify the situation. When you come to a mutual agreement, write about it on the news page. That way, other guests will know that the establishment’s staff is welcome, attentive to details and always ready to find solution.

4.Choosing loyalty programs

Someone likes using a bonus card, and others prefer personal discounts.  One guest would take advantage of “happy hours” while another wants to get bonuses any time – without cards and other limitations. The latter ones can join with as little as a phone number.

Mobile CRM-systems provide the possibility to choose any loyalty program and then evaluate how it impacts on sales volume. Besides, you will always see the amount of bonuses sold by each waiter. This will also help to evaluate attention to the guests, predict if they come back to the restaurant, and finally determine which loyalty programs are the most efficient.

Personal discounts are assigned to particular categories of guests. For example, corporate orders, VIP persons, regular customers or birthday discounts. Birthday offers stimulate guests to order celebration party in your establishment.

How CRM of new generation looks like?

1. Client database contains guests cards which are available both in the waiter’s mobile terminal and in the marketer’s Administration panel.
2. Loyalty programs – a built-in functionality or integrated applications.
3. Reports are available by bonuses and discounts.
4. Evaluation of dishes, establishment and services.

All applications are running on the popular OS Android or iOS. No need to install expensive servers and pay for services of system administrators. These softwares are stored on the secured cloud servers. Only the establishment’s owner or his/her trustees can get access to business information.

Being designed on the mobile platform, the digital marketing of the restaurant and café provides adaptive and easy-to-use technologies to work with customers’ needs. Try it now and value the results!