For those of you that don’t know, we build restaurants’ customer databases and help them make more money from it. This approach not only increases profits but also enhances customer engagement.
The Philosophy of Creating Customers for Life
Today, I want to talk about trying to create restaurant customers for life. I’m a big proponent of “eating my own dog food,” so to speak. This means I implement the same strategies in my own businesses that I advocate for my clients.
Running Restaurants with Real Challenges
You may or may not know, I own and operate two restaurants with my father in Gainesville, Florida. We run the same ads that I run for my customers. Like anyone, we encounter issues occasionally, which teaches us valuable lessons about what our clients might be facing.
Turning Problems into Opportunities
Keep in mind the issues are few and far between, but since we are humans, issues do happen. Occasionally, a customer doesn’t have a good experience, presenting an opportunity to try to create a customer for life. Such moments are crucial for testing our responsiveness and effectiveness in problem-solving.
Dealing with Dissatisfaction
How can we turn a customer who’s upset and just had a bad experience into a promoter of our restaurant? Instead of letting them tell 25 people about their poor experience, how can we make them tell 25 people how great we are? Turning a dissatisfied customer into a satisfied one can dramatically impact our reputation positively.
A Specific Example of Customer Service
When a customer came in with a promotion, the cashier was confused, which set the tone for the customer to start nitpicking the entire experience. We ask customers how their experience was about 90 minutes after they redeem an offer.
If it was good, we direct them to our Google profile to leave a review. If not, we ask them to elaborate so we can inform management. Effective communication here is key to immediate recovery.
Personalized Customer Recovery
After receiving negative feedback, I personally emailed the customer to apologize. There was some confusion on our end with the cashier, which we cleared up. I offered the customer another chance to use their buy-one-get-one coupon.
He accepted and used it on a $20 plate. The cost to us was minimal, about $6, but it gave him another opportunity to evaluate our service. This direct approach often helps in turning a bad situation around.
Successful Customer Recovery
The same cashier handled his visit, and this time, the experience was stellar. He left a glowing five-star review shortly after. This instance highlights how consistent service and recovery can convert dissatisfaction into high praise.
Quick Marketing Tip
By the way, a quick tip for restaurant owners: if you offer catering, change your main service listed to ‘caterer.’ It helps you rank for more keywords related to catering, increasing your visibility. This small change can significantly boost your online searchability and attract more business.
Conclusion: Is Customer Recovery Worth It?
Sometimes, complaints are from scammers wanting a free meal, but genuine feedback is invaluable. Was it worth the $6 in food costs to replace his meal? Absolutely. The glowing review and the potential for future full-price visits make it a worthwhile investment. In the long run, investing in customer satisfaction pays off not just in direct revenue but also in sustained brand loyalty.
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