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

What is Customer Loyalty?

The term customer loyalty refers to the tendency of consumers to consistently choose a particular business over its competitors due to positive experiences. In the HoReCa (Hotel, Restaurant, and Catering) industry, customer loyalty is crucial as it’s what drives repeat business, enhances brand reputation, and boosts a business’s bottom line. 

Loyal customers are not only the ones who keep coming back for more, they also play an important role in word-of-mouth marketing as they are more likely to recommend a business to their friends and family, creating a network of new patrons. However, this is an industry characterised by fierce competition and continuously shifting consumer preferences. Therefore, fostering customer loyalty through personalised service, high-quality offerings, and promotional offers is key to ensuring patrons feel valued and appreciated. 

Wondering how to increase customer loyalty in a restaurant? Keep reading to find out how. 

Different types of loyal customers

When it comes to how to increase customer loyalty in restaurant settings, it’s important to understand that customer loyalty manifests in different forms, each driven by unique motivations. For example:

• Transactional loyalty: This occurs when customers choose a business repeatedly due to competitive pricing or promotions and value cost savings over emotional connections.
• Emotional loyalty: A type of customer loyalty rooted in strong feelings and positive relationships. This occurs when a consumer feels a personal attachment to a brand or establishment and is often due to exceptional experiences or shared values. 
• Behavioural loyalty: This refers to customers who have consistent purchasing habits developed over time, often influenced by convenience and habit. 

What’s more, loyalty programmes can cultivate loyalty by offering customers rewards, benefits, and discounts to encourage repeat visits. Other factors influencing customer loyalty include product quality, service consistency, unique offerings and a business’s reputation. Understanding these different types of loyalty and your patrons’ underlying motivations is crucial when it comes to developing effective strategies that foster lasting relationships.

The importance of customer loyalty in restaurants

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.

Customer loyalty is an invaluable asset for any restaurant business looking to thrive in the long run. When diners feel a connection with your restaurant, they become regulars who return time and time again. This helps you build a community around your establishment and is key to maximising profits and developing cost-effective business strategies. 

Retaining loyal customers is much cheaper than acquiring new ones, as it saves you money that would otherwise be spent on marketing expenses and the effort of attracting fresh faces. What’s more, repeat customers often spend more over time, increasing their overall value to your business. 

By consistently nurturing these relationships through excellent service, engaging promotions, and personalised experiences, you create a loyal customer base that supports the growth and success of your restaurant. 

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 programmes for restaurants can boost profitability, too. 

The UK market and customer loyalty

A loyal customer finds genuine value in your restaurant and builds a special, trust-based relationship with it. A devoted customer could become your best brand ambassador; their opinion and resulting word-of-mouth endorsements have a greater impact than any review.

However, turning an occasional customer into a habitual one can be complex, especially in the competitive British restaurant market, where high turnover rates and a constant stream of new culinary trends can easily catch their attention. Even if a customer has enjoyed their experience at your restaurant, they might still be tempted by the latest craze. To encourage their return, excellent service alone isn't enough. Let’s explore what a restaurant loyalty platform is, how it works, and why it’s a valuable tool for encouraging repeat visits.

How do restaurant loyalty platforms work?

One of the most effective strategies to increase customer loyalty in restaurants is to sign up to a loyalty platform. 

A restaurant loyalty platform comes to life once customers subscribe — whether via an app, website, or in-store with a classic restaurant loyalty card. These platforms are designed to track registered customers' purchases, awarding points or rewards based on their buying habits.

Once you’ve gathered this valuable data, the next step is to create tailored offers that cater to their individual preferences. Customers can receive these promotions through multiple channels, keeping them informed about events, news, and special deals related to your restaurant. 

The platforms offer valuable information to managers regarding the effectiveness of loyalty campaigns by automatically analysing data and generating reports on customer behaviour. Moreover, restaurant loyalty programme software can integrate with POS systems to simplify customer registration and enable them to redeem rewards in real-time.

If the idea of a loyalty programme intrigues you, there are several types to consider:

• Point-based: Customers earn points that can be redeemed for rewards when they reach a certain value.
• Tiered: This approach offers increasing benefits as customers reach higher loyalty levels.
• Member Club: This subscription model requires a participation fee, providing great incentives and rewards for customers who refer others to your restaurant.

Whichever option you choose, remember that the human touch is what truly elevates a dining experience or loyalty programme. 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. Encouraging customer return: Loyal patrons create a reliable source of income which is essential for long-term success. 
2. Increased average spend: When customers feel a connection to your restaurant, they tend to spend more. Their trust, combined with exclusive, tailor-made offers, often leads them to spend more than they initially planned to earn those rewards. 
3. Data collection and analysis: These platforms allow business owners to have a closer look at users’ preferences, enabling you to craft targeted deals and enhance service quality.

How the Yums programme boosts customer loyalty through TheFork Manager 

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

More than just a typical point-based system, Yums rewards customers at partner restaurants, encouraging them to return and explore other venues within the network.

Using the Yums programme is a breeze: every time customers make a reservation at a partner restaurant through TheFork’s app or website, they earn Yums. Once they have collected enough Yums, guests can redeem their points at any restaurant participating in the loyalty programme. Often, this leads to a more enjoyable dining experience for your customers and a more profitable one for your restaurant. In fact, when customers use their points, they are often inclined to spend more.

The Yums programme acts as a powerful loyalty driver within a vast gastronomic community, benefiting restaurateurs in two key ways: it incentivises repeat visits and attracts new customers. Plus, 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 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

Wondering which restaurant loyalty platform is the perfect fit for your establishment? Start by considering the practical aspects: the programme should simplify your daily operations rather than adding to your workload. Take the Yums program, for example. When customers book through TheFork, they’re encouraged to leave reviews to earn additional points, boosting your restaurant's reputation in the process.

But that’s just the beginning. With just a click, you can activate and deactivate offers and promotions. This flexibility allows your restaurant to stand out and increases your visibility effortlessly through an international network. In fact, restaurants participating in the Yums programme often see their bookings double compared to those that don’t. while their restaurant pages can attract three times the visitors!

By joining the Yums loyalty programme, you’ll have powerful software at your disposal to guide visitors and encourage repeat visitors. All you need to do is focus on pampering them!

Try TheFork Manager app!

Loyalty apps for restaurants are a smart and effective solution for any restaurateur with a long-term vision. Not only do they encourage customers to return, but they also motivate them to spend more! Moreover, through data collection and analysis, they serve as a useful marketing and communication tool, helping you to build lasting relationships with the clientele.

Happy, loyal customers are your restaurant’s biggest asset,  enhancing your reputation and bringing in word-of-mouth referrals. Don't miss out—explore all the benefits TheFork Manager has to offer, including the Yums and Double Yums loyalty program, and start growing your loyal customer base today.