You have spread awareness of your restaurant, reached your target customer, and have drawn them in to try your menu. They have chosen to dine at your restaurant, your staff has created an enjoyable experience for them, but what can you do to keep them coming back and turn them into a lifetime customer?
Do you offer a discount on the next visit? Should you sign them up for a loyalty program? Or is it best to let them decide to come back on their own?
In this post, I want to share the steps you can take that will increase the likeliness of each customer to return, encourage repeat visits, and to build a lasting connection to your restaurant diners.
How to Retain Your Restaurant Customers
Getting customers to visit your restaurant for the first time isn't the hardest part. Sometimes all it takes, is to be where you are when they get hungry. So, how do you use the opportunity of the customer's visit to earn their loyalty? Restaurant owners and managers have said all you have to do is provide great food and great service.
Restaurant Customers have admitted that often times, the place they choose to dine at, was selected because they were reminded of their previous dining experience through a social media post, an email or text from the restaurant. Some said it was a promotional offer that drove them in the door. Others admitted that the reason they chose a specific restaurant was simply out of habit. They visit regularly, so when the question is, "Where should we go to eat?" They often go back to their favorite spot. That is what we all should be after.
These are the 7 steps that will turn restaurant visitors into regular customers.
1. Train Your Front of House Staff to Ask Questions
When you visit other restaurants, how often are you asked, "How are you?" "How's it going?" or other non-engaging questions, often requiring one-word answers, "Fine" "Good" or "Okay". Is your staff doing the same thing?
Train your staff to ask questions that open up a dialog. Questions that convey the message of "we care about you", "we want to know more about you", and "I'd like to build a connection". Here are a few examples of questions your staff should use in a dialog with your customers.
- "Is this your first visit?" and the follow up question, "What made you choose (Restaurant Name) this evening?" Customers are likely to open up and share with you their decision-making process, "we saw your promotion on Facebook", "we are celebrating our anniversary", "we heard about this place from our neighbor" This dialog makes the customer feel important and valued as a guest. Their answers inform you of ways to get other customers in the door.
- "Do you all live locally?" This question guides your staff to follow up dialog opportunities. Someone visiting for the weekend wouldn't be interested the loyalty program. Someone who lives one town over may want to know more about upcoming events.
- "Have you tried our..." Or "What did you try the last time you were here?" These questions are not for your first-time customer obviously, but returning customers are likely to try something new if it's something they missed out on the last visit. With first-time customers suggesting your best drink or appetizer is a way to increase revenue and build rapport.
- "Did you know about...." This question doesn't need to be in the first dialog of the visit. Actually, I always suggest it be used toward the middle or with the offer of dessert. "Did you know about Taco Tuesday or Thursday Night Trivia?" "Did you know about our VIP club?" "Did you know about our annual sponsorship of the __________?" These questions give your staff an opportunity to share more information about the restaurant brand, your events, and helps to form a connection with customers through shared interests.
All of these questions include the word "you" because your staff should be showing interest in your customers instead of just reporting to them the daily special. Yes, I do think sharing the dinner special is important, but it shouldn't be the focal point of the conversation. Use the time they spend at the table to learn about your customers. Train your staff to understand their answers and share with you those important details.
2. Give Your Customer the Opportunity to Opt-In
According to a study shared by Restaurantdive.com 86% of restaurant customers are interested in joining a restaurant loyalty program.
At your restaurant, how easy would it be for a customer to sign up to receive future communications through email, text, or mail? Unless your answer is "too easy", you are most likely missing out on opportunities to gain repeat visits.
Growing your customer contact list is the best way to stay in touch with restaurant customers and encourage repeat visits. So how do we get their contact information?
- Share Your Wi-Fi Restaurant customers pretty much expect free Wi-Fi these days. It can be a hassle for your service staff if they have to constantly provide the password to every table, and if you have posted the password for your customers to gain access this is a missed opportunity. Setting up a landing page for customers to access your Wi-Fi network in exchange for their contact info is the easiest way to grow your contact list.
- Tabletop QR Code While customers sit at the table you have their undivided attention and an opportunity direct market to them. QR Codes are easy to setup and can be used for Loyalty Program Sign-Up, Comment Cards and Feedback, and promoting upcoming events, specials and anything else you would like to share with your customers. The landing page that your customers are directed to by the QR code should include a spot to share their contact information stay in touch.
3. Care About Your Restaurant's Reputation
Most restaurant owners say the most important marketing for their restaurant is Word of Mouth. Many of those same restaurant owners, however, fail to take the time to respond to customers online reviews.
Restaurant customers rely heavily on the internet or digital restaurant reputation before making a decision on what restaurant they dine at. They are searching for the menu, the overall experience rating, common complaints between different diners, the responsive actions taken by the restaurant owner, and some want to get a feel of the restaurant by checking out social media.
Customers research restaurants on their website, on social media platforms, on search engines and maps, and on third-party review sites or directories. While it isn't necessary to spend time following your restaurant listing on every website in the internet abyss, there are a few primary places where your restaurant's reputation accounts for many dining decisions. Here is where you should definitely maintain your online reputation.
- On Your Own Restaurant Website 77% of restaurant customers want to see the menu before deciding where to eat. Make sure your website has the current menu, that it is easy to read from a desktop or mobile, and that it highlights customer favorites or promotional offers.
- Search Engines and Maps Sites like Google, Yahoo, and Bing are the top 3 search engines used in the US. Customers search for "restaurants near me" more than any other near me search online. Make sure your business listing is complete and up to date on all 3 search engine platforms.
- Review Sites and Third-Party DirectoriesCustomers definitely want to know what other customers experienced while at your restaurant. While we can all agree that customer reviews can be frustrating at times, it's important to respond to customer reviews, both positive and negative reviews, to manage your online reputation. If you notice a trend or commonality between reviews, be sure to check into what they said to find ways to improve or fix their issues and then invite them back in. Review sites most often visited are Google, TripAdvisor, Yelp, and Facebook.
- Social Media Platforms Today many people look for restaurant information on social media platforms. Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter being the most prominent for restaurants. Maintaining your reputation and engaging with your customers is the best way to utilize social media for reputation management.
4. Care About Your Employees
The connection between your customers and your restaurant is ultimately in the hands of your employees. They will be the reason your customers become frequent visitors and loyal customers.
Happy kitchen staff will result in better looking dishes, more care in the cooking process, and more investment in cleanliness and sanitation.
Happy Front of House Staff will mean smiles when greeting customers, a higher positivity when talking about the restaurant, the menu, and the dining experience.
When you care for your staff, your staff cares about your restaurant. You will retain your employees and your customers. Here are ways to show you care:
- Flexible Schedules and Accommodate Time-Off Requests Your staff will understand when you can't accommodate time-off requests when they occur during high-volume time periods. However, if you are in the middle of slow season and are unable to allow a weekend vacation request, you need to post an ad to hire more staff. Set the expectation when you hire new staff for when your seasonal volumes occur and any blackout dates for time-off.
- Complete Training Programs Your staff will do a better job when they are properly trained for their role. In the restaurant industry, many training programs are non-existent or incomplete. Both the restaurant and the employee suffer as a result. Putting together a complete training program lets the staff know you care about their success and want to provide all the necessary training for them to do their job properly.
- Career Growth Opportunity Give your staff an opportunity to grow their career when they are ready and capable to do so. When you have a chance to promote from within you should take it. You not only show faith in your team but will also save on training for this position as your existing team is already well adjusted and knowledgeable about your restaurant.
- Employee Appreciation Efforts There are many ways you can show appreciation for your employees including employee awards and recognition, team events or holiday parties, and bonuses or incentives. Showing your staff some appreciation goes a long way for employee happiness and retention.
- Benefit Opportunities Owning an independent restaurant doesn't always come with the means to provide health care or 401K benefits but take the time to research other benefits you can offer your employees that can help show your concern for their well-being. Benefits like employee discounts, education opportunities, time-off, or even payday advances could help keep your team happy as well as recruit new employees when needed.
5. Restaurant Marketing
Personalize your marketing efforts by using specific customer details, invite customers back that haven't been in for a while, remind them how great your restaurant is. Send out birthday wishes and a discount code, shoot a text when customers are in the area, or stay top of mind by engaging with your customers social media. These are some of the most effective ways to market your restaurant to boost traffic and increase revenue.
- Direct Mail Marketing
- Social Media Marketing
- Email and SMS Marketing
- Local SEO Marketing
- Brand Marketing
Savory Services can help get you going with any of these marketing efforts. Contact me to discuss your restaurant marketing plan for free.
6. Invest in Customer Experiences
Live Entertainment, Holiday Events, and Theme Nights are just a few ways to invest in your customer's experience. Give them a reason to choose you over the competition. Build loyalty through shared interests.
7. Support the Community that Supports You
Support your local community by getting involved in local events, youth sports groups, local school fundraisers, blood drives, and with local business partnership opportunities.
Get Started Today
The customers dining in your restaurant today are your first opportunities to implement these steps. Take one step at a time and you'll begin to see the effects sooner than later. If you need help getting started the Virtual Assistant at Savory Services to get started for you by creating tabletop QR codes, creating employee training materials, or kicking off a restaurant marketing campaign. Schedule your introductory call and get started right now.
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