Month: October 2018

It’s become harder and harder for a new restaurant to look unique – to get the attention of consumers. After all, there are a plethora of restaurants with fine dining and amazing good for them to compete with. But, did you know that all that ambiance and good food may not be enough to win people over and get them to come back?

In fact, it’s the service a restaurant provides that lures people back in. Your earn customer loyalty by providing them with amazing customer service, being attentive to the details and giving them a personal touch. This is what leads to repeat business.

It’s important to offer good service to your customers, but why not strive for outstanding service instead?

Now, you may think that providing customers with outstanding service is going to cost you a lot of money. It doesn’t and shouldn’t have to. All it means is your staff going the extra mile with the tasks they’re already doing.

Have Your FoH Manager Check On Customers

Most waiters and waitresses check on their customers, but a FoH manager checking in on them when customers get their main course is a demonstration of amazing service. This simple service act shows customers that your FoH manager cares about them and their experience. It shows the customers that if they have a problem, the manager is willing to step in and help.

Reduce Your Customers’ Wait Time

If a customer makes a reservation for a particular time at your restaurant, it means they want to eat at your restaurant. Take it as a form of flattery. Be sure to exceed their expectations by preparing for their arrival in advance. If the party has to wait, even though they made the reservation, make sure they’re offered complimentary drinks or food. Have the restaurant manager apologize for the wait and why the wait is happening.

When the customers have an understanding of what’s going on and that a solution is being offered to pass the time, they’re more likely to be less hostile about it.

It’s the little things you do that, when properly carried out, makes a world of difference for a customer. They’ll remember it just as much as they will the food.

Your Restaurant’s Ambiance Plays A Role In Customer Service

Believe it or not, the kind of ambiance your restaurant has plays a huge role in customer service as well. Be sure you have the right type of music playing. You may have a crowd of people that drown out the music, but it’s what sets the tone in the restaurant. Don’t turn up the music just to get patrons to hear it, but do turn it down if people are asking for it to be lowered.

Another important aspect is the lighting. While lighting will differ from one restaurant to the next, the key is to allow customers to see each other and their food but create a mood that makes them want to stay and eat. Be aware that a lack of good lighting makes it hard for people to read a menu, which can cause some patrons to get up and leave.

Create A Personalized Experience

You want your customers to feel like they got a personalized experience from your establishment. When it comes to the management, you don’t want something to come out rehearsed. Talk with customers directly, asking for their names and repeating it when you see them again. It’s the little things like these that make a customer feel like they are important.

You also want the wait staff to engage with your customer. These relationships can foster customer loyalty while also boosting the chance of a good tip for their hard work and service.

Online Marketing for Restaurant Managers

Within the Restaurant Manager role, you’re in charge of every process of the business. Although some will receive a little help from the owners, others are in charge completely and this means everything from the day-to-day running of the business to choosing an appropriate marketing strategy that meets the needs of the business.

If you can’t afford an external marketer, it can be daunting doing it all alone but success will actually come with strategic planning. For example, the customer experience should always come first because this is the foundation of success. If nobody is enjoying their experience, you don’t want to be advertising until you’ve fixed the issue. After this, we recommend the following tips!

 

Find a Niche – First and foremost, the idea of trying to reach out to everyone no longer works so find your audience and do everything you can to keep appealing to them day after day. Through marketing, you can then reach out to this niche with clever wording and a clear message.

 

Delegation is Key – While you’re in charge of the restaurant, this doesn’t mean you need to do everything alone. If you’ve hired a top team of professionals, use them in your marketing campaign, get them involved, and delegate certain tasks.

 

Use Local PPC – If you haven’t heard this term previously, it stands for ‘pay-per-click’ advertising and it’s a way of getting your ad to show to all those nearby. After setting a limit on how much you’re willing to pay for your ad to show, simple Google searches will display your business and this should convert into clicks and customers. With this tip, we urge you to be careful because it’s easy to overspend. Either outsource this task to a professional or, alternatively, set a budget at the beginning and stick to it.

 

One Channel at a Time – Instead of trying to do everything at once, start with one marketing channel and expand this until it’s running efficiently and at an optimum level. Once you’ve mastered this one, move on to another and keep going until you have each platform complementing one another. Nowadays, it’s very easy to get caught up in writing blogs and taking pictures that you forget to actually run the restaurant. Also, forget platforms that don’t fit in with your strategy and business; you need to target potential customers in the best way rather than be active on a platform just because it’s the ‘norm’.

 

Social Media – While on this topic, we value Facebook highly because a significant amount of your customer base will have an account. By having a profile and being active in local groups, you can really build your brand image and attract people to your restaurant. Once again, you can also use PPC on this platform to have your ad show for those based locally.

On your menus, leaflets, and even in person, you need to encourage the use of social media at all times. When they leave reviews, ‘check-in’, and talk about your brand online, this is the modern-day word-of-mouth and it’s incredibly effective. After responding to all feedback, you become more personable and everyone will want to pay your restaurant a visit.

 

Google MyBusiness – Nowadays, a lot is made of SEO but it doesn’t have to be the resource-intensive process people seem to think. Instead, all you need is a Google MyBusiness entry alongside a high-quality website and you’ll be right on track. After searching for a restaurant online, have you ever seen the business listings come up before the results? The aim is to get your business to have one of these sidebars whenever somebody nearby searches for your type of restaurant.

When creating an online presence, you need to make all the important details available and this includes opening times, a PDF menu, and more. With enough work, you could show at the very top of results with a panel showing all the details people need to know to book and visit.

 

Reviews – If you want potential customers to be impressed by your service, provide existing customers an opportunity to leave reviews whether this comes on Facebook, Yelp, TripAdvisor, or any other popular site. Today, people always look for the reviews of previous customers before spending their money so gaining superb reviews acts as a motivator to try your restaurant. If you receive positive (and especially negative reviews), be sure to respond by thanking them or addressing the problems the customer has highlighted.

 

Pictures – Finally, if you’ve got a youthful team, you’re also likely to have someone who loves to take pictures. Therefore, allow them half hour to walk around your premises taking photos of dishes, the building from the outside, the interior, tables, the bar, and everywhere you can imagine. At the end, you should have a pile of photos to be used online.

 

Conclusion – As a restaurant manager, we appreciate your job is hard work but marketing doesn’t need to add to your burdens as much as you might think. With these simple tips, you can make progress in the time ahead while also focusing on the more traditional marketing channels to engage with your community.