Research has revealed that businesses in the United States lose up to a whopping $62 billion every year because of bad customer service. While there are countless other reasons why customers should be your top priority, we believe this statistic alone may be enough to convince you to level up your customer service.
Fortunately, there are many easy and practical ways you can offer quality support to your patrons and gain their loyalty. We’ve explained three of them below. Read one!
Remember Their Name
Isn’t it great to walk into a restaurant and be warmly greeted by the manager who is quick to refer to you by your first name? Remembering your customers’ names can take your customer service game on a whole new level. This makes your customers feel like they are relevant to you and your business. Remember the suggestions they gave you on their last visit, and mention how you’ve worked on improving them when they visit you next time.
As Dale Carnegie says,
“Names are the sweetest and most important sound in any language.”
You don’t need to have a fantastic memory to remember their name. Technology can do the trick!
Keep a Record of Their Birthday and Wedding Anniversaries
Gathering relevant data about your customers is more important today than it ever was. You don’t have to show up at each table asking for their date of anniversaries and births.
A good rule of thumb is to create an online form on your restaurant’s website. When the diners are done eating their meal, go up to their table and ask them politely for their feedback. To submit the feedback, they will be required to fill in their name, phone number/ email, and their date of birth and anniversary.
You can use this information to send them a text with your best wishes, or—if your budget allows—you could send a slice of cake or flowers to their address.
Reward Customers for Their Loyalty
Customers—like all of us—love to be appreciated. If they are coming to your restaurant frequently, referring your brand to their friends, spreading good word-of-mouth about your food and service, without even you asking them to do it, they deserve some reward for their loyalty.
You should have a customer loyalty rewards program in place (preferably, one like that of Starbucks) that offers special privileges to your loyal customers. For instance, discounts, a free meal on birthdays, gift cards, the ability to place an order ahead of visiting your restaurant, and others.
Want to learn more about how to improve your customers’ loyalty? Get in touch with Customer Contact Solutions! The company offers reliable online food ordering software in London, ON, as well as web design and local SEO service for restaurants.
Book a free consultation today!
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