Restaurant customers want to use multiple ordering and purchasing options and restaurants must respond if they are to capture more business, finds a new report from Paytronix.
The Delivering on Restaurant Rewards: The Value of Multichannel Ordering Options report from Paytronix and PYMNTS also recommends that restaurants should reimagine their loyalty engagement strategies and expand the ways in which consumers can earn rewards.
Variety is the key
The average restaurant customer orders using four different ordering channels in any given month, says the report. These include third-party platforms, direct mobile, website, phone, and in-person ordering. Aggregators and mobile are the most popular options.
As a result, operators must provide all of these purchasing options to capture more of their customers’ cross-channel food order spend.
Customized mobile loyalty
In addition, restaurant customers want to earn rewards the same way they order food: using their smartphones. Eighty-five per cent of all restaurant loyalty program users want to interact with loyalty programs via smartphone.
The interest in loyalty programs extends beyond free food and discounts, as 38 per cent would like to gain access to restaurants at peak times, and 32 per cent would like to be offered custom menu options.
Many want to be rewarded not only for the money they spend but also for providing contact information and supporting restaurants on social media platforms, such as by giving them positive reviews or sharing their dining experiences with friends and followers.
“The restaurant ecosystem that has emerged over the past 16 months is more omnichannel and diverse than it has ever been,” concludes the report.
“Diners are using every available brick-and-mortar and digital channel they have to purchase restaurant orders, transforming every corner of the internet into a potential sales driver.
“Providing loyalty and rewards programs that reach a broad swath of diners across all channels in this ecosystem will be key not only to driving sales but also to enhancing diners’ food ordering experiences.”
