Customer retention is crucial for running a successful restaurant. It has been noted that regular diners tend to order and spend more, and even recommend their favorite restaurant to their friends, which is good for the business. Repeat patrons also increase profits exponentially, through word of mouth. Though attracting new diners can be good move, it should never be done at the cost of loyal customers. Here’s how you can improve customer retention rate in your restaurant.
One of the sure-shot ways to keep patrons coming back is by offering an exceptional service. Although good ambiance and great food can be a crowd puller, hospitality is what seals the deal for an excellent and complete dining experience. Ensure that every visit of the diner is consistence of good experience and the service provided is the best of your efforts and remarkable.
Personal touch is also an essential factor to retain loyal customers. Patrons tend to visit restaurants where they receive special treatment that may make them feel at home. Train your staff to greet the guests and be hospitable. Familiar waiting staff also generates higher customer engagement and retention. Welcoming them and remembering their names, special days or even a favorite dish is known to make diners feel homy.
When it comes to engagement and retention, using a customer relationship management software is the best option. Through this you can create a database about your patrons that includes information such as their anniversaries, birthdays and contact numbers. You can send them wishes on their happy occasion and even offer a discount if they plan to celebrate it at your restaurant.
Customer feedback is what makes or breaks any business. Asking your patrons for their opinion helps you identify flaws and rectify them. Make the diners feel valued by asking for their feedback. The host can ask if everything is fine during or towards the end of the meal. In case a patron is unhappy about something, make sure the grievance is solved promptly. Immediate actions on the complaint shows that your restaurant values client feedback.
Relevant loyalty programs customized as per the client base also boost footfall in your restaurant. Personalized deals and offers , based on the diners’ ordering habits, can be created using the database. An email or SMS can be then sent, informing about discounts on their favorite item during a particular day or on their special occasion.
Apart from the above, using online marketing tools to update patrons about your restaurant’s events is also an excellent idea. Since there’s an extreme competition in the restaurant industry, customers may switch to a competitor if they aren’t satisfied with their regular go-to place. How you render service and hospitality are what are going to retain your diners and generate business for you.
Torqus’s POS Software has been designed with advance modules like customer profiling, notifications, customer feedback, customer loyalty and much more to take care of your entire restaurant’s front-end activities. If you want to streamline your restaurants activity in effective way contact us now.
