With over 28,311 restaurants and cafes in Australia, you must be willing to go the extra mile to keep your customers happy. This is how you can retain your customers in the face of tough competitors. It is always better to keep your present customers happy and loyal so they can refer your restaurant to others. You can even ask your loyal customers to post about your restaurant and the dishes on social media to attract more people. Thus, customer satisfaction is critical in a restaurant and here is how you can go about making your customers happy:
- Engage With Them
- Listening to their opinions is the primary way you can make your customers feel valued.
- This can be done in your restaurant during or after the meal, or you can also take their feedback online.
- Ask them what they like about the restaurant and the food and what they don’t like.
- The more you see what they prefer, the more you can customise your flavours and dishes accordingly.
- You can take survey polls to see what dishes are doing well and rearrange your menu accordingly.
- You should also figure out your X factor and then sell it to your customers so they are drawn to your restaurant.
- For instance, if your USP is healthy food, you must advertise it to your target audience, who are also fans of healthy food.
- Accept Negative Criticism
Along with positive reviews, you will also get a few negative comments from time to time. You can contact the customer directly and apologise for the inconvenience. You can also take their opinion and what should be changed and how. Instead of taking it wrong, you should see it as an opportunity to grow.
- Create A Personal Connection
You can also retain your customers by creating a personal connection with them. Tell them about how you started the restaurant, your aim, and how you plan to develop the restaurant further. This will make them feel like a part of the restaurant and stay loyal customers. Communicating with customers is the best way to keep them loyal and happy.
- Stay Updated About Your Industry
You must stay aware of any new trends in your industry so that you are well-informed. If your customer wants to talk about some innovations in your industry, like the latest food trends in 2022, you should know about them. This will create a sense of trust in them that you know what you are doing.
- Innovate Frequently
It is easy to get complacent when you are doing well. But with the number of competitors in the restaurant business, it is best to keep innovating to stay relevant. Your competitors will want your share of customers and will try many new tactics. You must also innovate your dishes and food styles to keep your customers happy. For this, you can use social media to ask the customers what they want to see in your restaurant. You should also keep an eye on your competitors and see what they are doing and if it will also suit your restaurant.
- Reward Regular Customers
You must make your customers happy by rewarding them for their constant loyalty. Offer them rewards and discounts, so they feel happy about regularly eating at your restaurant. It would be best if you also offered them food coupons so that they can bring their family and friends and thus grow your community.
- Be Active Online
You must create a solid social media presence online to attract more customers to your business. You can do this by creating a catchy and attractive website. You can post engaging content like surveys, polls, and quizzes to keep customers interested in your restaurant. Use lots of visuals of your food and create short videos as well.
The most important thing is to respond to feedback as promptly as possible. You should have an active social media team who can handle your responses in time. This will keep the conversation with your customers flowing, and they won’t lose interest.
Conclusion
The fundamental way to retain customers is by offering excellent customer service to make them happy. You can do this by engaging with them, listening to their feedback, creating a connection and offering them innovative products. One such restaurant that always keeps its customers happy is the Buzo restaurant, where customers have been loyal fans since its inception. So go pay a visit to it today!