How do you create a memorable customer experience for each of your restaurant guests? By collecting and analysing guest data to turn your diners into loyal customers by creating a more personalised restaurant service.
This data-driven approach allows you to suggest a favourite wine, offer personalised birthday surprises, store allergy and dietary information, and make other personalised recommendations that turns diners into regulars.
Once you have your customer data, the next step is to separate your customers into distinct groups, otherwise known as ‘segmenting’.
This is the process by which you build detailed customer profiles that should encompass their dining preferences such as dietary restrictions, allergy information, favourite dishes, age group, choice of drinks, whether someone visits during lunch breaks on weekdays, or with family for dinner at weekends.
This is achieved by integrating CRM systems with your POS and online ordering platforms to provide you with the data insights you need to give each group a more personal experience based on their preferences, behaviours, and demographics.
How using guest data improves the customer experience
Highlight dishes that are popular with a particular segment of diners, or offer personalised menu recommendations through your mobile app.
Make every customer feel you’re catering just to them by personalising your email marketing, your push notifications, and social media campaigns, so they accommodate the preferences and behaviours of different customer segments.
It doesn’t take a marketing degree to appreciate that tailoring communications this way is more likely to engage potential customers. The personalised approach naturally makes your customers feel valued and special, fosters loyalty and makes them more likely to return.
Use data stored on special occasions to surprise guests with a birthday, anniversary or other message. You can then add an extra personal touch to your customer’s dining experience by offering a menu suggestion based on a favourite dish.
Another example of personalisation is if a regular guest always orders vegetarian dishes, you could let them know about a new vegetarian option or a plant-based special before anyone else.
Of course, one of the easiest and most effective ways to personalise a guest’s dining experience is by offering menu suggestions based on what your customers like.
By analysing POS data and customer feedback to separate your bestsellers from underperforming dishes, you can adapt your menu to the actual tastes of your guests.
Taking this on board allows you to edit your menu to truly suit your customer base.
By collecting guest data, you’ll be able to create records and guest profiles, allowing you to adapt the service each time they make a reservation. The options are endless.
With access to the correct data, you’ll finally treat every guest as a regular, and they’ll feel it. Just remember that the overall key to a memorable guest experience is making the guest feel valued.
Interested in working with an expert digital and marketing partner to take your hospitality business to the next level? Find out more about our work in hospitality.