Getting to know your customers is the secret to building long-lasting relationships and loyalty for your restaurant. These days, it’s even easier to get to know your customers, with the technology available to delve into your customers’ likes and dislikes, menu favourites, dietary restrictions, celebrations, and more. In fact, 82 per cent of customers are willing to give up their personal information to receive a better, more personalized experience.

Connecting with your customers means getting to know them, and by dividing your diners into four customer types, you can zero in on their needs to provide them with an exceptional restaurant experience.

New customers

With new customers, your goal is to turn them into return visitors, of course. A little special treatment goes a long way, so start with a friendly greeting to make them feel welcome, but you want to stay top of mind after their visit, too. You could follow up with a personal email thanking them for their first visit, encourage them to return with an offer for a complimentary appetizer on their second visit, or ask them to fill in a comment card to help you deliver the best service for the next time they come in.

Return visitors

Return customers are people who already like your business so if you keep up the good work, you’ll encourage them to keep returning. Train your servers to get to know their faces, start to recognize favourite drinks, and make them feel like your restaurant is a place that feels like home. In today’s economy, as discretionary spending continues to shift, capturing as many customers as you can will better your bottom line.

If you have a loyalty program, these are the members you want to recruit to be part of the program. Studies show that loyalty members spend about 60 per cent more than non-members, so this is an avenue worth pursuing.

Regulars

The key to retaining regulars is to communicate how important they are, showing your appreciation for their continued support of your business. These customers are your bread and butter. They want to feel as special as they did when they were new, and you were paying them special attention. Don’t take them for granted!

Attracting new customers costs up to five times what it takes to retain your regulars, so put the time in to keep people who already love your restaurant. Offering these customers perks like priority seating, notifying them when the restaurant is at its busiest, allowing them first access to events, or anything else you think will appeal is the best way to keep these customers feeling valued. You could also host an exclusive appreciation event, offer them a discount as a thank you, or even just reach out to express your appreciation for their continued support. Providing an excellent guest experience, and showing that you value their business is a great way to keep those customers for years to come.

Lost customers

These are customers who have visited you in the past, but not recently. It may be that they had a negative experience, or it may just be that you’re not top of mind. However, all is not lost, as you have a 60 to 70 per cent of making a sale to a “lost customer.” Sending messaging to them based on the data from past visits is one way to connect with them and remind them to come back. If they left after a negative experience, you need to apologize, see what can be done, ask for feedback, and re-establish that relationship – they’re just a phone call or an email away. Take the time to reach out to those customers you haven’t seen in a while, they may just become new returning customers.

When you divide your customers into four types, you can focus on the best way to reach them and build those valuable relationships to grow your restaurant’s bottom line.