20 Great Restaurant ideas to Promote Customer Loyalty - Part 1

Published on this site: December 28th, 2006 - See more articles from this month

It does not matter how well your restaurant is doing or what marketing you have planned, there are always lots of little things you can do that cost virtually no money.

Here are some great ideas that we find are very effective in building customer loyalty other than just our great nutritious food (and sometimes they have provided some great free publicity):

1. Have menus in Braille
   
   Braille and picture only menus can be created at www.brailleenterprises.com or through www.hotbraille.com. In Australia contact www.visionaustralia.org.au. You may also want to include some training for your staff members so they will be prepared to deal with customers with special needs.
   
   
2. Provide reading material for single diners
   
   When single guests come in for a meal, you can help make their experience more enjoyable by providing free newspapers, books, magazines for their reading enjoyment. Maybe even subscribe to a publication that a regular enjoys reading. You can also use information, like articles, from your website like we do. They are very popular.
   
   
3. Have a delivery service for the elderly
   
   Elderly diners sometimes find it difficult to leave the house in order to eat at your restaurant. Keep their business by making them feel special. Give them a menu to keep at home and you could even distribute them to seniors' activity clubs and other appropriate venues.
   
   
4. Create a designated driver program
   
   You could have free non alcoholic drinks for the designated driver.
   
   
5. Guarantee everything
   
   Would you be more likely to buy something if you knew you couldn't lose?? It's not so much a refund offer as a promise that your food and service is exceptional.
   
   
6. Give free postcards
   
   Are you in area with lots of tourism? Then you can offer free postcards to guests. You might even offer to mail them. You can even create your own. Regulars might like them to send to friends or family that are away.
   
   
7. Offer free event cakes
   
   When customers are celebrating Birthdays, anniversaries, or special accomplishments, it's a compliment to you and your restaurant. People that tend to celebrate also tend to bring larger parties and spend more money.
   
   
8. Offer free samples of new menu items
   
   People love to taste before they buy. They also love getting anything that is complimentary. You can even do this while they are waiting, or even give them something to take home if it does not need to be warm.
   
   
9. Offer hooks for purses at the table
   
   This is one of those things that drives some people nuts!! It allows things to be kept off the floor, it provides a sense of security for you guest and it makes them think that you are always thinking about them. This can make a big difference to diners.
   
   
10. Provide imaginative after dinner treats
    
    We have all received that complimentary mint after dinner with the bill. But why be ordinary make an impact! It can be a flower, or a toy for the kids, or a key ring or a small diary at the beginning of the year. There are lots of options that can make an impact.

Of course there are many other things you can do, and maybe this list will help you think of many others too.

Ian Macdonald - as founder and owner of Macdonald's Gourmet Burgers combines his passion and knowledge of food, wine and nutrition with savvy business tactics. He is also the MD of a corporate consulting firm that advises on strategic negotiation, dispute resolution and workplace change. Clients are mainly from top 100 corporations. For lots of free resources from their extensive website go to: http://www.MacdonaldsGourmetBurgers.com