How to increase customer loyalty in your restaurant with a loyalty platform

Attracting new customers with flash promotions or enticing tourists with fixed-price local dishes is easy — so to speak. However, making them return is an entirely different story. In fact, the success of a restaurant is measured by customer loyalty.

For this reason, a restaurant loyalty platform is a tool which helps build and maintain lasting relationships with customers. The benefits for restaurateurs aren't limited to repeated visits: when used wisely, loyalty card programs for restaurants can contribute to boost profitability.

The UK market and customer loyalty

A loyal customer is happy to return, recognising added value in your restaurant and building a special, trust-based relationship with it. A devoted customer could become your best brand ambassador: their opinion and resulting word-of-mouth have a greater impact than any review.

However, turning an occasional customer into a habitual can be complex, especially in the competitive British restaurant market, characterised by high turnover and with a variety of new offerings across all gastronomic categories. Even a customer who has enjoyed your restaurant might be distracted by the latest trend rather than focus on the quality of your culinary proposal. To encourage their return, excellent service alone isn't enough. Let’s explore what a restaurant loyalty platform is, how it works, and why you should use one

How restaurant loyalty platforms work?

A restaurant loyalty platform is activated prior subscription — whether via app, website, or in-store — using the classic restaurant loyalty card. In doing so, these platforms track registered customers  purchases, awarding points or rewards based on their buying habits.

The next step is creating tailored offers based on the collected data. Customers can receive these promotions through multiple channels, along with other communications from the restaurant related to events, news, or special deals.

The platforms themselves provide feedback to the manager regarding the effectiveness of loyalty campaigns by automatically analysing data and generating reports on customer behaviour. Additionally, these restaurant loyalty program software can be integrated with POS systems, facilitating customer registration and enabling them to redeem rewards in real-time.

If the idea of a loyalty program intrigues you, there are various types available:

• Point-based: it allows redeeming a reward once customers reach a certain score.
• Tiered: customers receive increasing benefits as they reach higher loyalty levels.
• Member Club: in this case, the subscription requires a participation fee. The advantages on offer can be a great incentive to reward customers who refer others to the restaurant.

Whatever option suits you the most, remember that the human factor transcends any restaurant loyalty platform: kindness, daily interactions, and smiles make all the difference between a customer returning for another meal or choosing a different restaurant. Find out more about how to engage your customers with TheFork Manager.

Benefits of restaurant loyalty platforms

The benefits of restaurant loyalty platforms are twofold: customers enjoy rewards, discounts, and personalised offers, while managers see higher average bills and can leverage targeted marketing campaigns to encourage customer returns.

Focusing on the specific advantages for restaurateurs, three highly positive factors emerge:

1. Customer return that, in the long run, can provide a stable source of income.
2. Increased average bill as loyal customers tend to spend more. Their trust in an establishment where they often go, along with exclusive, tailor-made offers, encourage them to earn rewards and this, consequently, motivates them to order more food than anticipated.
3. Data collection and analysis help to have a closer look at users’ preferences, in order to build targeted deals and enhance service quality.

TheFork Manager: how yums work

Among the many restaurant loyalty platforms available in the UK market, TheFork Manager stands out with its Yums loyalty programme.

Yums is more than just a point-based loyalty programme. It is a system that rewards customers of TheFork’s partner restaurants, encouraging them to return or to try other establishments that are using the same platform.

They are easy to use: customers earn Yums every time they book in a partner restaurant, through TheFork’s app or website. Once they have collected enough Yums, guests can redeem their points at any restaurant participating in the loyalty programme. Usually, this restaurant loyalty card turns into a more profitable dining experience: in fact, when customers use their points, they are often inclined to spend more.

Therefore, the Yums programme acts as a true loyalty driver within a vast gastronomic community, serving restaurateurs in two ways: stimulating customers to return and attracting new ones. It facilitates a continuous exchange of visibility among TheFork Manager partners.

Captivating new visitors with TheFork's loyalty rewards programme is straightforward, especially now that Double Yums have been recently launched in the UK. TheFork users know that by booking at restaurants marked with “Double Yums”, they will earn double the points. This offers a significant incentive to choose your restaurant, if you decide to join the programme.

How to choose a restaurant loyalty platform

What is the ideal restaurant loyalty platform for your establishment? Consider the practical aspects: the programme should simplify your daily operations rather than add extra work. Think about the benefits of a programme like Yums: customers who book through TheFork are encouraged to leave reviews to earn additional points, which will only enhance your restaurant's reputation.

But that’s not it. With just a click, you can activate and deactivate offers and promotions. Make your restaurant stand out, and increase your visibility effortlessly, thanks to an international network. Generally, restaurants which participate in the Yums programme double their bookings compared to non-participating ones and triple the visitors to their restaurant page. Join the Yums loyalty programme: the software will guide visitors and bring customers back to your restaurant. All you need to do is focus on pampering them!

Try TheFork Manager app!

Loyalty apps for restaurants are a functional and effective solution for any restaurateur with a long-term vision. They convince customers to return whilst enticing them to spend more. Moreover, through data collection and analysis, they serve as a useful marketing and communication tool to build a lasting relationship with the clientele.

Having loyal and happy customers is the best assurance for your reputation. Soon enough, your guests will be speaking highly of you. Don't hesitate: discover all the benefits for you with TheFork Manager.