Restaurants: how to create an attractive loyalty program?
09 July 2024
In 2024, building customer loyalty is not only a smart strategy, but also an economic necessity to ensure stable sales for your restaurant.
Did you know that acquiring new customers costs between 5 to 7 times more expensive than retaining existing customers ? All the more reason to pamper your customers!
Thanks to the loyalty program, your customers come back more regularly, increase their average shopping basket and provide you with valuable data for future marketing campaigns.
But how do you design a loyalty program that is both attractive to customers and profitable for the restaurant ?
✔︎ By adopting a simple, transparent approach
✔︎ By precisely defining your objectives
✔︎ Leveraging digital solutions
✔︎ By involving your teams
✔︎ Visit communicating with your customers
We explain it all!
How do you set up an effective loyalty program?
1. Focus on simplicity
The key to a successful loyalty program is simplicity. It must be easy for customers to understand how the program works and how they can benefit from it. Avoid complicated rules and overly restrictive conditions that could discourage participation.
In a nutshell
✔︎ Clarity: Clearly explain how the program works, how points are earned and how rewards are earned.
✔︎ Accessibility : Make sure the program is accessible to all your customers, with no exorbitant minimum spending requirements.
✔︎ Transparency: Don't forget that by giving you their personal information, your customers are also giving you their trust. Be transparent with them about how their data is used.
2. Define program objectives
Before launching your program, it's essential to clearly define your objectives, as these will determine the type of rewards to offer and the most suitable program structure.
➔ Improve profitability per customer?
➔ Collect more customer data for your marketing campaigns?
➔ Increase traffic during off-peak periods?
➔ Encourage the use of specific services such as Click & Collect?
In a nutshell
✔︎ Analysis of your customers' habits : Study your customers' buying behaviors and identify the ones you want to encourage
✔︎ Setting measurable objectives: Define precise, measurable objectives that will enable you to effectively measure the success of your loyalty program. There's no need to look for overly complex objectives, just get down to basics: +20% monthly visits per customer, +15% average spend per visit, etc.
✔︎ Follow-up and adjustment : By analyzing the data collected and gathering feedback from your customers, you'll be able to make gradual adjustments to optimize the effectiveness and relevance of your program.
3. Loyalty program: the best of digital
While the stamp card still has a bright future ahead of it, it nevertheless has 3 major limitations:
✖ You have no feedback, so it's impossible to know whether the program is really effective.
✖ By not collecting customer data, you're missing out on the opportunity toestablish a personalized relationship with them
✖ You offer digital solutions in your restaurant (Click & Collect, order terminals, ...) ? How do you explain to your customers that your loyalty program is not part of your ecosystem and does not apply to all orders?
Seamless integration throughout the customer journey
The digital loyalty program is the perfect answer to new customer expectations and integrate into the digital ecosystem restaurants.
✔︎ Synchronized with all customer interfaces (point-of-sale software, order terminals, Click & Collect), the program can be integrated throughout the purchasing process, simplifying the membership process from the very first customer interaction.
✔︎ Do your customers prefer to complete their registration at home? No problem! Thanks to theloading (A pre-created account is finalized upon validation by the customer, ensuring data collection even if validation is not immediate.
✔︎ Are your customers physical card users? Now it's possible! Loyalty solutions integrate physical cards, which can be easily synchronized with digital accounts. So your customers can enjoy their favorite loyalty program in the form they prefer
CashBack: the safe bet
Visit cashbacks are cash rebates, automatically credited to customers according to the amount of their purchases.
"In Lyon, Food Court Food Traboule offers 5% cashback on every order. This amount is credited to the customer's loyalty account and can be used throughout the Food Court."A good example of cashback
Why is it an effective loyalty solution?
✔ Universal value : Cashbacks are easily understood and attractive to most consumers, as they represent tangible monetary value.
✔ Direct stimulation : Cashbacks provide an immediate reward in the form of real money, encouraging customers to return to earn more cash back.
✔ Flexibility in use : Customers can choose whether to use the cashback on their next purchase or to save and use the cashback on a special occasion.
Points-based program: the most personalized
Visit points-based programs reward customers with points accumulated with every purchase, which they can redeem for rewards or benefits.
"At Les 3 Brasseurs, every euro spent earns 1 point. Rewards are fast and accessible: from 20 points, customers can choose a product or continue to accumulate points to obtain even more attractive benefits, such as a free beer or a free meal."A good example of a points-based loyalty program
Why is it an effective loyalty solution?
✔ Boosting long-term loyalty : Points-based programs encourage customers to return regularly to accumulate points, reinforcing loyalty over the long term by creating regular consumption habits.
✔ Customer data collection : Points-based programs allow you to collect valuable data on customers' buying habits and preferences.
✔ Targeted communication : Use the data collected to send personalized marketing campaignswhich increase program efficiency and strengthen customer commitment.
4. Integrating teams
For your loyalty program to be a success, it's crucial to involve your teams. They need to understand the benefits of the program and know how to explain it effectively to your customers.
✔ Organize training sessions to explain how the program works and its benefits for customers.
✔ Provide communication media such as in-house brochures and guides, to help your employees familiarize themselves with the solution.
5. Promote the loyalty program
Finally, for your loyalty program to reach its full potential, it must be actively promoted to your customers.
Use all the communication channels at your disposal: physical displays, social networks, website, newsletters, e-mailsetc. The more informed your customers are, the more they'll want to participate.
"Also at Les 3 Brasseurs, customers receive a welcome gift as soon as they sign up. But that's not all. On their birthday, they receive a 15 euro gift card, as well as exclusive invitations to discover the beer of the month. An original and attractive way to promote the loyalty program."A good example of how to promote a loyalty program
Convinced? Our customers are!
Would you like to find out more about the integration of our loyalty programs? Listen to Yoann Duriez's testimonialfounder of Auguste & Ferdinand bakeries.
And to talk to our customer loyalty experts, it's over here!
