Focus on Devoted Customers

In blogs, articles and podcasts, we (at Spinning Plate) talk a lot about current, loyal customers and the assortment of tactics to get this group to talk about you, visit more, spend more, and elevate the way they think about your restaurant and how it applies to their lives. And what’s interesting is we continue to get requests for concepting strategies and tactics targeting new users. We’ve never met a prospect that asked, “Could you help us increase the relationship we have with current guests?”

Please understand….getting new clients is absolutely a vital component to increasing the baseline number of customers. But we hope you consider loyalty programs, calendar marketing, and value-based programs after absorbing the following numbers.

This appeared in the American Express Briefing publication on line:

“Our research confirms the importance of repeat customers to tableservice restaurants – in family dining, they account for 75% of sales; in fine dining for 60% of sales.”
You read that right…in family dining loyal customers account for 75% of sales! That’s huge!

Here are 6 simple ideas for reaching out the people who already love you.

Thank them for their business. Literally. If you see them on a regular basis, go over to their table, ask if you could sit for a minute while they are waiting for their food and talk with them for a few minutes. It makes a guest feel so good when a manager or owner acknowledges them. And it will make them feel especially good to know that you notice.

Send a handwritten thank you note. When’s the last time you personally received a handwritten note from a retailer? Exactly.

Give them a free entrée certificate to use at a later date. Let them know you’ll buy one entrée when they bring a friend or two in to eat with them.

Offer them something special – something that is not available to the general public. Through your monthly e-mail or newsletter program, offer this loyal group a buy-one-get-one free entrée on a slower night.

Offer a loyalty program – but on a limited basis only. And for a limited time only. Give out a loyalty card (whether it’s points or a frequency card) to certain loyal guests. Maybe you limit it to 50 people. But keep it at the restaurant for them so they don’t have to give it you each time they’re in. For example, if they bring a client to lunch, they automatically get rewarded. They don’t have to whip out a card in front of their client.

If they are an A-lister (meaning if they come in at least twice a week) pick up their lunch or dinner. You only need to do this once a year. For the cost of a new customer, this authentic, generous gesture will go a long, long way.

Take care of those who have taken care of you.