You have a restaurant that is thriving. Profits are certainly coming in; your staff seems to have mastered the skill of being great servers, waiters and hosts. Your customers look happy. But, do you ever wonder if your customers are as happy as they should be? Is there anything more you can do for them? What makes customers happy, and what exactly are they looking for in a dining out experience?
Here’s a great way to earn customer loyalty. Offer loyalty programs. If you give something back, it’ll make customers happy. A loyalty program encourages return visits and word of mouth is the best way to get referrals. You can offer gift memberships, free food on a special occasion and plenty of other rewards throughout the year. As much as traditional rewards are inspiring so are surprises. People love nothing better than to be surprised with something exciting or unexpected. Offer customers a variety of rewards which can include on the house salads, drinks and even desserts. Hand out promotional items such as mugs, pens and paper. Folks love to get free stuff, and promotional items are the best free stuff to give away.
Shake up the restaurant every now and then. Pick a random customer and give them a free meal. Host a themed night, get your customers to answer a quiz and give away small prizes, Bring in entertainment. You can have an ethnic dance group or local band to entertain customers on any given night.
People crave connection. And what better ways than to connect with people that are helping make your restaurant a success. Remember, happy customers mean more profits. Encourage staff to get to know customers who are regularly seen at your restaurant. They will be appreciative of the effort your staff has made to recognize and get to know their names. You can greet them personally the next time they return. Find out where they like to sit. Be sincere as you wish them a goodnight. This will give your customers a boost and you can be certain they will not be coming alone, but will bring in a few people with them to showcase their loyalty.
Make an effort when presenting their order. Avoid it looking like it was a rushed job. People love to get clean and pretty looking dishes. This is part of the appeal of dining out. We cannot make dishes that look as pretty at home. Yes, it is hard work when you have to concentrate on a dozen or more customers. But, this effort will pay off in the long run. Customers will feel compelled to return to try out other dishes, when you present them with a standout dish that is as delicious as it looks!
When you go the extra mile, when you treat a customer with respect, greet them personally and reward them, you will have a loyal customer for life!