According to Forbes, more than 90% of all companies offer some form of loyalty program and 84% of all consumers have made purchases from businesses that offer loyalty programs. Considering these statistics, consumers are more likely to dine in a place that offers restaurant loyalty programs.
Granted, there are already countless things on your mind when you’re thinking about running a restaurant,but you should really focus your mind on the countless benefits of implementing loyalty programs.
When implemented efficiently, restaurant loyalty programs can boost your relationship with consumers and increase demand for your business. They can help convert satisfied diners into loyal customers, which is what every restaurant start-up wants. If a loyalty program manages to snag a couple of regular customers, it may have practically paid for itself. And this is just the tip of the iceberg! Here is what a restaurant loyalty program brings to the table.
Brings You Closer to Your Consumers
The more data you have about your consumers, the more efficiently you can tailor your restaurant’s marketing strategies. What do you think will inspire diners to walk through your door or visit your website? This can not be done with promotional offers that don't appeal to them.
Let’s say, for instance, that you find out that a majority of your customers are pet owners and you decide to launch a pet-friendly night on your restaurant’s patio. Pushing such programs out via your marketing funnel is bound to pull-in a lot of diners in a single night.
The best loyalty programs give restaurateurs the ability to build a database that collects consumers’ preferences and email addresses. Once all of this valuable information has been collected, you will have the ability to tailor broader offers based on what is valuable to the majority of your target audience.
A Game-Changing Restaurant Loyalty App
“Exceptional customer experiences are the only sustainable platform for competitive differentiation.” - Kerry Bodine
MenuCRM’s Restaurant Loyalty App was designed to allow a restaurant’s customers to effortlessly monitor, manage, and spend their loyalty points from their individual profiles. This holistic app also helps restaurateurs increase their lifetime value and customer retention by saving each customers’ order histories in one place for added convenience.
Helps Improve Relationship With Guests
The best restaurant loyalty programs don’t just target all of your customers. They also allow you to enhance relationships with each guest. Imagine having the ability to automate sending coupons for their birthday or your restaurant’s two-year anniversary. This could really leave a lasting impression on all your guests and make them feel like family.
Such marketing tactics can help you stand out above all other restaurants that aren’t as technologically savvy or exerting as much effort on building relationships.
Consider this: would you rather eat out or order food from a restaurant that you sort of liked a month ago and can’t remember the name of or would you prefer a restaurant that periodically sends out postcards and reminds their customers about loyalty programs?
Revolutionize Online Communities For Customers
“Quality in a service or product is not what you put into it. It is what the customer gets out of it.” - Peter Drucker
With the help of MenuCRM’s ‘Customer Connect’, restaurateurs can establish online communities for their customers, where they will have access to personalized newsletters, emails and blog articles. If this isn't enough, restaurants can also share invigorating inside stories about the restaurant alongside new menu items and, of course, special offers. The possibilities are endless.
Offers Customers VIP Experiences
Loyalty programs are now slowly transitioning out of the simple idea of punch cards that could get you a free coffee or sandwich. Modern reward programs go beyond simply offering rewards and discounts. Nowadays, restaurant loyalty programs are more inclined towards offering customers an experience they won’t easily forget.
What if there was a way restaurants could offer their most loyal customers a chance to make reservations before others? Or perhaps an exclusive invitation to a restaurant’s wine cellar, knowing that some of their avid customers are wine enthusiasts?
All of these awesome ideas are a way to make customers feel special. Anyone who has been in the food service industry for a while will know that consumers especially love to spend time (and money) in establishments where they are treated well. All you need to do is come up with an idea and communicate it to your consumer base.
Research suggests that regular customers spend approximately 67% more in restaurants as compared to new customers. If you play your cards right and make them feel like a VIP, you can make every customer a loyal regular.
Save Tables, Make Online Reservations, and Plan Parties
MenuCRM offers online ordering systems for restaurateurs with radical ‘Order Now’ and ‘Table Save’ features. Using these, you can allow your hungry customers to quickly book tables and time slots at restaurants or pre-order your dishes to save time and feel like a true VIP when dining in.
In addition, these integrated ordering systems also allow customers to plan parties and sidestep the hassle of delegating these tasks to restaurant staff. By placing these features in the hands of the customer, restaurants can cater to pre-booked tables, pre-ordered drinks and food items. Also, they can offer exclusive menu options to their guests so that they can RSVP and place orders online.
Using MenuCRM’s online ordering system, restaurants will also have the opportunity to upsell other services such as party entertainment, banners, balloons, live music, and flowers.
Provides Utmost Convenience to Customers
Imagine all the ways by which you can reward hungry customers by making life a little easier for them. In the new normal, could you offer loyal customers a way to communicate directly with you or place orders quickly? If your restaurant offers delivery or pick-up services, you could start offering online options in either case to make this process seamless.
Since restaurant loyalty programs are meant to gather and store customers’ information, when they place an order via phone call, you will have the ability to look them up using their last name, phone number, or their loyalty program number. With just a few clicks, you will have everything you need.
As a result, restaurateurs will be saved from the trouble of looking up addresses or risking late deliveries because of typos or other technical issues. By personalizing this service for loyal customers, you will have the ability to make deliveries quickly and make sure your customers keep coming back for more.
An All-In-One Order Generator
Many restaurateurs have been stumped by the question, “How can I set up an online ordering system for my restaurant?” MenuCRM’s ‘Order Generator’ turns the tables and places customizable real-time menus in the hands of your customers. As a result, your customers can easily place orders from anywhere provided they have an internet connection.
With this online takeout ordering system integrated with your restaurant loyalty app, your customers can place more accurate contactless orders. All of these orders can be paid for directly via a dedicated app, and all of their payment information can be stored conveniently for future use.
Additionally, restaurants can beautify their online ordering system with tempting photographs of meals while also having the opportunity to upsell menu items for larger average orders. Alternatively, if customers plan on dining-in, MenuCRM’s solutions for restaurants also offer Pay-at-table functionalities so customers can avoid passing credit cards, digital menu boards or servers.
A Holistic Restaurant Web Application That Benefits Both Customers and Restaurateurs
“Customer experience isn’t an expense. Managing customer experience bolsters your brand.” – Stan Phelps
Customer loyalty makes a huge difference and loyal customers are bound to spread positive words about your brand. MenuCRM offers a full-features web application that simplifies customer loyalty programs for small business and independent restaurant owners.
MenuCRM can be your restaurant’s website, online ordering system, CRM, restaurant loyalty app, and customer communications toll - all packed into one. By adopting MenuCRM, you will not only be able to increase your foot traffic and orders in less than 45-days, but also streamline meal purchase processes without the need for internal restaurant maintenance.
