Often stuck with restaurant profits and customer relations, you might be thinking about an effective way to tackle both, i.e. market your products and as well build strong relations via loyalty programs.
Well, the idea of targeting an old customer for marketing and relations is quite effective than trying to acquire a new customer.
They say, old customers bring on sales, profits, and ofcourse, honest feedbacks.
Though they comprise of 70% of restaurant profits, you can't avoid those 30%, right?
So, for those 70% and as well the 30%, here are some cool marketing ways of using loyalty programs to boost your restaurant sales:
1. EVERY VISIT REWARD
The first thing is keeping the loyalty program simple and effective. You can apply loyalty points on amount based or on visit based, where the later one is more favorable.
For every visit, you can provide them with loyalty points, say, for every order that exceeds a minimum amount, you can provide them with some loyalty points as reward,
which they can redeem while paying the order bill on the next or its next visit.
# The next visit loyalty points redeemption will bring them to your place.
# Don't forget to take an honest feedback on their next visit.
Example: 10 points on 1st visit, 25 points on 3rd visit, Free dessert for 4 + 10 points on 5th visit, etc
2. BRING A FRIEND, GET A BUCK
Who doesn't want to earn a buck be it by bringing in a friend or relative, or some form of discount, promos etc
Every one including you and me don't want to lose such a chance, and that counts your customers too.
Most probably, they would be ready to get in to earn a buck along with you.
So wait not, its action time!
Show some action to attract the audience.
Idea: You can provide different promos like off peak hours offer like, 'Bring a friend, Get 10 points' for which your customers are likely to bring along one more pal.
So that means you got a profit of acquiring one more customer.
3. FESTIVE SPECIALS
During festival time, where everything tends to get costlier, try on for some opposite hacks.
Where everyone tries to get maximum advantage of the season, try to maximise your profits by giving your customers an advantage.
How?
Provide some festival special offers to make your customers stick to you. Celebrate the festivals with your customers; make healthy relations and the profits eventually.
Idea: Give discounts on desserts and meals, Family offers like free desserts for a family of 5 and more, etc.
On festival day, you can provide +5 more points to your customers as festival special loyalty program.
4. BIRTHDAY SURPRISES
You might have thought about gifting your customers on their special day, but I must tell you, providing them with loyalty points is much more effective than a gift.
Gift! They may forget it but loyalty points that they can redeem even later are likely to bring them back to the restaurant.
Along with loyalty points, you can even offer them some offers and deals, specially catered for them.
Provide them with discounts as they make bring on their friends, relatives and special ones to celebrate happiness together.
As with offers and deals in their hand, they are likely to spend more, one for their special day and other for the bonus offer in hand.
Gift idea: The extra 20 loyalty points would make them happy, but a surprise offer of redeeming 50% of those extra loyalty points that too on the current visit would be a perfect gift.
These surprise offers would not only make them happy but are sure to bring them back for those remaining loyalty points...
5. ONLINE OFFERS
You might know about making your in-house customers happy but what about those repeat online customers, who bring on the equivalent sales as the ones in house.
For those online members, who order consequently on weekends, or some special days say, Wednesday, then provide them with offers, discounts, and loyalty points for ordering on the remaining days.
Doesn't matter if it's for months or year long, you are not losing profits instead gaining it.
6. EXCLUSIVE OFFERS FOR EXCLUSIVE CUSTOMERS
Providing offers to your member customers is acceptable but there must be a difference in your regular member customers and premium customers.
I mean, if you provide them both with similar offers and benefits than why would one choose to be a premium customer?
That's not fair for your exclusive customers as well, they are exclusive because they are spending that much.
Higher the loyalty, higher should be the loyalty reward.
For exclusivity, provide free deliveries to your premium customers, 10 loyalty points on every visit, some dessert offers or free dessert specials only for exclusive customers, etc
7. CHERRY ON THE CAKE
Add some icing on the cake just as loyalty programs on the website.
Just like the foodies that crave the cherry, customers would be attracted to those loyalty programs.
Many times, people visit the restaurant after checking the website and that little hint of some rewards displayed on website, would do the work.
And always remember, those who walk into the door should be clearly explained about the perks and benefits of being a member.
In short, the idea is to add loyalty programs on your website and train the staff and employees to entertain customers with exciting offers and benefits.
GIVING BACK SOME RELIEF...
There are varieties of ways in which you can market your loyalty program and bring on profits.
The only secret is an idea, an idea that has the power to bring on those happy faces repeatedly, leaving back a smile on your face each time.
Honestly saying, you need a solution that's flexible to work with lots of ideas to bring on those jingling dollars to your place.