How restaurants are engaging with customers today?

Restaurateur’s engagement with customers is a need for today. To engage with the customers, restaurants use digital marketing strategies. The latest trend in this industry is table reservation or ordering.

On the same note, Gursimran Singh, Owner of Beer republic states, “Privilege discount cards, discounts to promote special offers, reward loyal customers and apologize for negative experiences, Feedback Surveys, Integrated Emails etc I feel are quite necessary”.

Rise of social platforms

Today many restaurateurs completely focus on social media as this is a place, which can promote any restaurant. People, at this time get connected with the restaurants on social media pages like Facebook, twitter, Instagram and website.

“It is no surprise that we live in an Information age. Therefore using information technology whether it is with mobile or social media, is the way to the future and we welcome it with open arms” shared Prahlad Sukhtankar, Owner of The black sheep bistro.

Also, restaurateurs thinking on an app, if someone "like" the restaurant or tag it on Facebook, will help in grow the restaurant business. It builds awareness and influences the rise in number of visits and amount spent by the customers on the restaurant.

Mobile engagement is like having deeper relationship with the customers. This can be said a type of mobile marketing, an approach which restaurateurs started in the technology business. They even experiment with different mobile functions to grab more guests.

So, “Educating your patron about your product should be the foremost aspect of any management. Nowadays, most people are well travelled, well observant and have a healthy exposure to food/hospitality. It’s important they know what they are being offered” Nishek Jain, Owner, 29.

Building loyalty

Restaurant owners have now started many loyalty programmes. According to a survey, 58 per cent of restaurant diners said they’ve already used digital coupons. Now many restaurants award you for “checking in” at selected restaurants, bars and other sites. Customers see tweets and status updates, and reply to them or add their own messages with their mobile devices.

Moreover, loyal customer’s worth is much more than the regular customers as they do mouth to mouth publicity and recommend to friends and family.

In addition, feedback is also an important aspect from customers to restaurants. This provides useful information about the faults and also a chance to improvise on it. E-mail marketing has also emerged recently, which the restaurants from time to time communicate messages to customers on their emails.

Hence, Jain said, “I feel the management should be able to interact with the patrons and get live feed-back at the macro-level. Certainly, several feedback/review platforms have surfaced in the past few years; however, I strongly believe a diner should get the privilege of interacting directly with management at the location/outlet itself”.

By using this technology, restaurateurs have an added advantage for the restaurateurs as it is good to develop a healthy, loyal and thriving relationship with customers.