Consumers are back in force, and they’re bringing higher expectations with them. Set yourself apart from the competition and increase customer loyalty by personalizing the experience.
Today’s diners want more than just great food, service, and a fun atmosphere. They crave experiences personalized for them. Consider these tips for implementing some innovative ideas to nurture those relationships and personalize their journey.
Maximize Communications
Omnichannel may sound a touch out there, but it breaks down to simply maximizing every possible form of communication. Sticking with only one channel is no longer enough, so it’s important to utilize all the possible routes: in-store, email, text, and online.
Customers want the most up-to-date information, so make sure your communication happens in real time. This includes everything from daily specials to the wait time for a table to the status of their delivery order. When personalizing through communication, more is almost always guaranteed to be better.
Tailor Your Marketing
Like communication, personalized marketing tactics are expanding rapidly. While a quality website and Happy Birthday email were once enough, restaurants now need to embrace more optimized strategies.
Email has been around awhile, but it’s a proven approach that continues to draw guests in. Consider building a mailing list and sending out regular email messages, highlighting offers such as holiday promotions or seasonal menus. Enhancing your approach by embracing automation will help make the marketing process less time-consuming and more effective.
Expand Online Options
Customers are now adept at ordering online and often expect a rapid response with their purchases. This extends into their dining experience as well, as many people will continue to opt for both takeout and delivery ordering and don’t necessarily want to have to call a restaurant.
Make it easy on them, and help establish brand loyalty, by offering easy online ordering on both websites and mobile devices. Continue offering options like no touch delivery and QR code menus.
Boost Engagement
Boosting engagement should start with harnessing social media, as that’s where most guests look first. It’s a good idea to have both an active Instagram account with posts several times a week, as well as an updated Facebook page.
When customers post reactions and reviews, try not to ignore their comments. Instead engage regularly, thanking loyal guests and offering solutions to anyone who had a less than satisfactory experience. Frequent interactions and engagement help create a personalized customer community. Performance Foodservice’s OneSource Solution Partner, FanCONNECT, offers restaurants the secret sauce to help operators boost customer loyalty and engagement. They collaborate with you to build a comprehensive customer database; increase repeat business and increase cash flow.
Utilize AI
Adopting Artificial Intelligence (AI) methods provides a way to quickly gather data, and then use that data to create a personalized customer experience. It’s a proven, accessible way to meet your brand’s goals.
AI makes providing personalized customer service even easier, through approaches like online chatbots and in-store cameras. There are a wide variety of platforms available to enhance positive guest experiences and make the most of the information you have access to.
Performance Foodservice has partnered with several OneSource companies to help you master the art of service, with resources, tools, and strategies designed to transform customer personalization.
