With so many restaurant loyalty apps out there, how can you encourage customers to choose yours over the competition? Value is the key to long-term loyalty. From the operator’s perspective, apps offer many business benefits but it’s important to remember that your loyalty app is also designed to build relationships between you and your customers. Offering more value to your members means they will choose your app, and use it, which is a win-win.
With 57 per cent of restaurants offering loyalty programs, how can you provide more value and a better experience for your members?
Upping your app
If signing up and using your app is complicated or cumbersome, customers will be deterred and that hurts business. Make it simple to install, use, and redeem rewards to encourage your customers to enjoy all that it has to offer. To get people signing up, consider adding an incentive for new users. This can include a points bonus, free gift, or any other perk you think will interest new users.
One of the app’s features should include ease of re-ordering. Many customers are creatures of habit, looking to re-order their favourites again and again. Include a button on your app that makes it simple for members to reorder, including any of their modifications or additions so they can access their favourite orders simply and quickly. Some apps even go a step further: for example, Panera’s app allows loyalty members to choose items from the menu and schedule days or times when they expect to order next. The app sends reminders, letting members order with a simple swipe. Features like this one encourage purchasing, while they stand out as unique and convenient, adding value for users looking to save time and simply place orders.
Celebrating milestones
The data that you collect through your app gives you the insider scoop on your members’ birthdays, and what better way to make them feel special than to get in on the birthday celebrations? Getting to know your guests and recognizing milestones like birthdays or long-time membership helps keep your restaurant top of mind while building solid relationships.
Many restaurants offer loyalty members a free treat or perk on their birthdays. For example, Starbucks gives away one free drink of your choice, Baskin Robbins offers a free scoop, you can get a free dessert at Boston Pizza, Dairy Queen offers a buy-one-get-one Blizzard, and Mary Brown’s’ customers can choose from a free Big Mary Sandwich or Two-piece Chicken Snack on their birthday.
Celebrate your milestones, too. Reward members when you hit an anniversary, so they know you recognize and value their contribution to your company. One example of this is Subway’s newest sweepstakes. To celebrate the first anniversary of its new rewards program, Subway has launched an interactive, web campaign where players can enter to win prizes like free Subway for a year.
Stand out
Distinguish yourself from the competition with unique offerings that entice customers to choose your app and your restaurant. 90 per cent of operators confirm that their customers are more value-conscious than they used to be, so offering exclusive value menus or LTOs can grow your membership and your bottom line. Similarly, consider creating a menu just for members that is not accessible anywhere else to highlight the perks of becoming a member.
Geofencing is another way you can create a win-win situation. This practice of using GPS tracking designed to target specific geographic areas delivers personalized, location-based content to the audience. This means that when a customer is in the area, you can encourage them to order or visit with specific, targeted marketing. It can also help improve the customer experience. For example, at Chick-fil-A, when a mobile customer gets close to the location where they placed their order, the app will notify the unit so workers can begin preparing the food and have it ready around the customer’s arrival time. “By timing a customer’s arrival with their order, we can ensure they’re getting a meal that is both fresh and served quickly,” said Morgan Anderer, senior project lead on Chick-fil-A’s Customer Digital Experience team.
In the competitive world of loyalty apps, standing out with a unique offering, added value, and an elevated experience offers your guests more, boosting loyalty and revenues for your restaurant.
