Why should I consider sending birthday emails to my customers?

Making Customer Feedback Work for You

Bill Gates, the former chief executive and current chairman of Microsoft, once said, ““You need to know about customer feedback that says things should be better.”  As the CEO of the world’s largest person computer software company, Gates understands that in order to build your business successfully, you MUST get the feedback of the people buying your product.  They are, after all, the lifeblood of the business, and their opinions can mean the difference between success and failure for your restaurant.  All you have to do is take the time to listen to them.  

1.       Customer feedback tells you what your customers need/want.

If you are seeking way to attract more business from a certain segment of the population or demographic, then you need to listen to what that group wants.  Here’s an example: Want to draw a younger crowd to your restaurant?  Then take surveys, use social media, and do a little research to find out what the 20-something customer base thinks about your restaurant.  Listen to their feedback and attempt to meet their demands as much as you can.  

2.       Customer feedback tells you where you stand vs. a competitor.

Ask questions about your competitors and find out why customers prefer that restaurant to yours.  You can do this by asking “What attracts you to your favorite restaurant?” or something along those lines.  If your customers state that ambiance or a friendly wait staff are the factors that attract them, then you have a good clue regarding the changes you should make in your own establishment.   

3.       Customer feedback tells you about market trends.

Finding out the trends of your customer base can be a boost for your business in several ways, and these trends can be determined through customer feedback.  Ask your customers which social media sites they tend to use the most, figure out how many use smartphones for shopping/finding places to eat, or use their feedback to pass on promotions through their preferred method of contact.   

Bringing Families to Your Restaurant

Families account for about 56% of food service sales and tapping into that demographic is an excellent opportunity for any business to increase its sales and fill more tables, more days of the week.  In order to do this, however, it’s important to keep in mind that bringing families to your restaurant requires—first and foremost—satisfying the kids.  When the kids are happy and content, mom and dad are happy, and will return if you can offer a menu that fits the family budget and an ambiance that can keep kids entertained.  

According to a recent study, an overwhelming majority of parents (75%) place their children’s preference first when choosing a restaurant for the family dining outing.  This means that your restaurant needs to entice the kids—and there’s a variety of ways to do this.  Coloring books, tablecloths they can write on, tabletop games, even video games are all child-friendly attractions that can keep family members happy and entertained while parents enjoy a little relaxation.  

This doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t also focus on keeping mom and dad comfortable.  Ensuring that your servers know how to be patient with small children, providing high chairs and sippy cups, and giving families tables with a lot of room are all much appreciated by parents and will help make their dining experience comfortable and enjoyable.  

Finally, make sure that you have a menu that offers kid-friendly cuisine at a price mom and dad can be happy with in case their son or daughter doesn’t feel like eating it all (which is a typical scenario).  Make the children’s menu reflect the same health awareness that most parents have about what their children consume, and parents will feel much more comfortable about bringing their family there to dine. 

I have an important event coming up at my restaurant. What's a good way to announce it without spending a lot of money?

Gauging Your Restaurant's Competition

Succeeding in the restaurant industry means staying afloat in extremely competitive waters.  Knowing who your competitors are and why they are your competitors is key information for any restaurant entrepreneur who seeks to grow his or her business.  

The first step in identifying your competitors is to take a note of all of the restaurants or food services providers in a 20 mile radius of yours.  This list contains your most obvious competitors, especially those that serve the same type of food or offer a similar ambiance.  

After dividing your list of competitors into direct competitors (those restaurants similar to yours) and indirect competitors (those restaurants in the 20-mile radius that differ from yours), take the time to watch your direct competitors closely to see what they are doing.  How do they market new menu items, where are they marketing, and what forms of marketing are they using?  

You should also keep an eye on your indirect competitors and see what they are selling, and how closely their menu comes to yours on certain types of foods.  Include grocery stores in this observation, especially since many of them are now offering food service at deli counters, including sushi, gourmet sandwiches, and specialty pizzas or pastas.  

Next, you need to get online and read what others are saying about these businesses. You should be able to find online reviews in a variety of places, including travel sites and forums, and learn valuable information about what both locals and tourists expect when they come to your area in search of a place to dine.  

Finally, look at the points your restaurant has to offer compared to what your competition has to offer.  Ask yourself important questions such as ‘how do our concepts differ?’ and ‘how does our pricing differ?’  Consider factors such as location, parking, accessibility, visibility from the main thoroughfares, etc.  

Tips for Restaurant Event Marketing

Marketing your restaurant’s special events doesn’t have to be time consuming and it doesn’t have to overload your overall marketing budget.  By using some or all of these simple methods that have stood the test of time, restaurant owners can spread the word about special events to the right people at the right time and for the right price.   

Use fliers and posters

When placed on bulletin boards of local college campuses, libraries, coffee shops, gas stations and other retail businesses, fliers and posters can be a very effective form of advertising an event.  For an even more strategic approach, pinpoint specific demographics (for example, hip, 20-something crowd) and brainstorm locations in which that particular demographic is most likely to see your announcement.  

Direct market through online and social content

If you have compiled an email and phone number database, it will be extremely easy and virtually free to announce your event in the way that is most likely to reach an audience: emails or text messages.  As an increasing number of customers are beginning to organize their social events and personal calendars with portable devices, advertising through email or text messages is a great way to make it easy for your customers to “reserve a table” and “save the date”.  

Announce your promotions inside your restaurant.

Make sure you communicate your upcoming event in your restaurant.  Advertise on menus, table tents, posters, banners, card and sign holder to keep customers informed of any special happenings.

Now that I have a customer email list started, what do I send out to get the best return on my time and investment?