Getting and keeping customers is vital to your business. No matter how you get new customers, don’t forget you need to keep them! According to Rory Fatt, with Firepower Marketing, the lifetime average revenue from a casual restaurant customer is $6620. If you don’t retain that customer you are kissing thousands of dollars goodbye!
Here are several ideas for communicating and engaging with your customers:
As mentioned in my previous blog, GET YOUR CUSTOMERS CONTACT INFO!!! As many ways you can – home address, phone number, and e-mail. Ask for birthdates and anniversary dates, too.
Have a sign in the entrance asking visitors to like your Facebook page, check in on Facebook… When they do this their friends see it, building recognition- important to keep your business front of mind.
After their first visit, send a “Thank you for your visit” e-mail and include an offer to get them back- WITH AN EXPIRATION DATE. This can be a free dessert, discounted entrée, anything. Be sure to let them know if they are unable to use it they are welcome to share with a friend. Your servers/cashiers – whoever connects with your customers should ALWAYS ask the guest to complete a survey/contact form. Let the guest tell them you already have their info.
Choose a theme and send a text – “Today is “world chocolate appreciation day” come in for $1 chocolate desserts or drinks!”
Ask your guests to invite their friends. Send an e-mail or snail mail card with “During the month of March, bring a friend for a 25% discount on your bill when you make a reservation for 2 or more and mention “bring a friend”. Then, you capture that friends contact information and begin the process with them!
Post questions on your Facebook page asking for customer responses. When your guests comment, their friends see it. You can also have contests through Facebook and offer prizes for likes or winners of contests. Make sure your posts have pictures, and these days videos are boosting posts even better!
Be sure to send anniversary and birthday cards with offers a week before the birthday or anniversary month. This will allow the guest time to make a reservation. Make the offer available for the entire month. Example; birthday is May 10, send it the last week of April saying “Its your birthday! During the month of May, enjoy an entrée on us”…you get the idea.
The sky is the limit! Use your imagination, use as many ways to contact a guest as possible. Post on Facebook at least 3 times a week and contact your guest once a week. Be careful not to over-do it, which is why you use more than one form: email, snail mail, text.
Have fun!