The 5 golden rules for retaining restaurant customers

The 5 golden rules for retaining restaurant customers

The first way to retain customers is to offer a consistent experience from plate to service. But how can we go further? To give your customers even more reasons to come back, there are loyalty programs for restaurants ! Not all of them give the same results, far from it: those who work have in common that they apply the rules below.

Without further ado, here are the 5 golden rules for retaining restaurant customers !

1. Simplifying enrollment

A common mistake with loyalty programs is that enrollment is too complicated. Asking for too much information at the first meeting is often counterproductive. It discourages some of the customers, which makes it impossible to enroll everyone. It is essential to ensure that the process of enrolling in a loyalty program is very fun and frictionless, by directing your customers to a Tabesto kiosk for example. Make the decision to collect little information at the first meeting, and to complete during the next visits: this allows you to join your customer base much more quickly. And in the process, to get your first reward instantly!

2. Offer rewards that everyone is interested in

Your customers are bound to use your loyalty program if they find rewards that interest them. That's the whole point of opting for a dematerialized loyalty card rather than a printed one: you can offer much more varied bonuses. Two tips: suggest a wide range of awards for all tastes, and make some very easy to reach! Most customers appreciate receiving a reward upon registration, such as a 10% discount or free coffee. Not to mention also offering long-term rewards, which will make you want to come back many times.

3. Customize the loyalty program in the colors of your restaurant

In fact, in your rewards, there should be more than just discounts or free items. Everyone does that! Go further: some premium gifts are a way to personalize your loyalty program with memorable rewards.

Stand out with incredible gifts that will be memorable, even if they are very difficult to get. For example, we can offer inspiring rewards that match your style:

• A return flight to Bari for a trattoria or pizzeria;

• A one-week surfing course for a Hawaiian poké restaurant;

• An XXL teddy bear if your restaurant logo is a bear;

• Etc...

And as a bonus, you can also customize the interface of your loyalty program. Virtual card, on a kiosk or tablet: it will be in your colors from A to Z!

4. Keep in touch

Automatically enrolling customers into a loyalty program is a good start. But it would be a shame to leave it at that! Your customers are from a hyper-connected generation, and you precisely have their contact (07 or email). You can use SMS marketing to boost your loyalty program!

Texts are suitable for all message formats: reminders, reminders of points to use, promotions and special days, news, winks, birthday celebrations, etc. Everything is good for staying in touch. In this little game, SMS marketing is the best channel: fully automatic, it makes it possible to maintain proximity and increase the loyalty rate. By scheduling your shipments and campaigns, you don't have to do anything, customers come back by themselves.

5. Follow the right indicators (to know if it works)

Retention rate is the type of indicator to watch closely! You will easily have it on the dashboard of your online loyalty program. This is the last golden rule: keep an eye on the results.

A dematerialized loyalty program allows you to have all the statistics that matter. They are essential to know if your virtual loyalty card is reaching its goal! How many customers are actually loyal, are they using their points, how much the rewards cost you, and how much revenue has been generated... These are all indicators to monitor in order to reorient or confirm the options you have chosen. All this to get closer to the ultimate goal: to have the most effective loyalty program possible!

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