With so much competition both on the high street and on third-party apps, building customer loyalty is what makes or breaks a restaurant business. My prediction is that brands with strong customer loyalty will find it relatively easier to recover from the coronavirus crisis.

However, this concept is just as important during ‘normal’ times: it’s what drives your target audience to choose you instead of your competitors or third-party ordering apps, over and over again.

How to build customer loyalty at your restaurant and retain your target audience

Have a clear USP

Why should your target audience choose you over the other two restaurants down the road that serve the same cuisine? If you don’t know, neither will they. Having a strong USP is what sets you apart from your direct competitors, so make sure it’s clear when you market your restaurant.

Know your target customers

Trying to please everyone usually results in the opposite effect. Research your target audience and direct your efforts towards them, from focusing on the social media platform that they use the most to producing content that feels relevant to them.

Be personal

People buy from people, not just an impersonal logo and menu! From the moment they step through the door, your customers should be made to feel valued by your staff. You can even show them your restaurant’s “behind the scenes” using tools like Instagram stories. And have you considered adding a smiley face or ‘thank you’ to their delivery orders? It’s the little things that make the difference!

Engage with them

In order to build customer loyalty, they need to feel that you actually care about them, which is why you must create a two-way conversation. Implement a content marketing strategy that brings value to your target audience with relevant blog posts or videos, send them useful and highly personalised emails, and actively engage with them on social media, especially when they comment on your pictures or tag you in theirs.

Create a loyalty scheme or app to build customer loyalty for deliveries

Third-party apps like Uber Eats and Deliveroo can certainly help you reach more customers, but at what cost? With the latter taking up to 35% commission plus VAT, there isn’t a lot left for yourself.

Seven in ten customers said that they would order directly from their favourite restaurant to help save them from closure after COVID-19, but are they actually going to? Personally, I doubt it. The practicality and familiarity guaranteed by their usual apps are too alluring. However, they clearly care. To push them to follow through with their resolution, you must make it effortless for them to order directly from you or your app and, most importantly, create a sense of familiarity.

It’s easier to get someone to order directly from you again than it is to do it for the first time: that’s why incentives help. Offer them a discount on their first direct order and make sure that the experience is personal and impeccable: they’ll be far more likely to return to it.

Don’t feel like you can only do so by investing thousands of pounds on fancy loyalty apps! You can create a loyalty scheme through most click & collect platforms. After all, 90% of consumers who join them feel that they gain value from the experience, and 73% are even more likely to recommend a restaurant if it has a good rewards programme.

At the end of the day, building customer loyalty at your restaurant is vital to success, especially during these difficult times. Be different, be personal, and show your customers that you care: they’ll likely return the favour!

Let me help you build customer loyalty at your restaurant! Get in touch for a free 30-minute consultation.

How to Build Customer Loyalty in the Restaurant Sector