According to a recent survey, small businesses indicate that 72% of their revenues generate from loyal customers. This segment is obviously important, but as a restaurant owner you may wonder what are the keys for building customer loyalty? We'll give you seven.
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Deliver. A recent Deloitte study indicates that consistently good service and good food at a value-driven price are the three restaurant characteristics that matter most to restaurant patrons.
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Loyalty Programs. Most restaurants do not have loyalty programs, but the Deloitte study reports that 71% of consumers belong to at least one restaurant loyalty program. When developing yours, be sure to include elements of instant rewards, personalization, simplicity, recognition, and engagement.
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Uniqueness. Customers are loyal to the unique menu items that they associate with your restaurant. They love them, return for them, and talk to their friends about them.
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Reviews. Trip Advisor and Yelp are your friends. Encourage your customers to review your restaurant through email campaigns and in-store promotions. Respond to all reviews, negative or positive. It demonstrates that you care.
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Social Media. Engage wherever you can in the cyberspace - Facebook, Four Square, Twitter, Instagram.
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Relationships. Be present. Make sure all levels of your team meet your customers. When they see you, remember you, and you start to know things about one another, you can consider them loyal.
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Data. Gather as much information as you can about your customers. When you have valuable insights about how frequently they visit, what they typically purchase, and how much they spend, you can target your marketing messages with precision and achieve the best results.
With these seven tips you are well on your way to creating loyal repeat customers.