Understanding Customer Data & Importance of owning the data
Nurturing customer relationships is vital for long-term, repeat business. Value-driven interactions drive loyalty and word-of-mouth opportunities through mobile app notifications, text and email campaigns. The customers’ data is key to making these communication methods possible.
When customers create an account with order aggregators, they often agree to receive promotions from their entire network of restaurants – It is a compromising position for a restaurant trying to generate repeat business through these platforms.
Having proper margins is a major concern when operating any business, let alone a restaurant. In a case that a restaurant wants to terminate a relationship with a 3rd party ordering platform, their customers would still be engaged with the platform, oftentimes opting to order from another restaurant on the platform leaving the restaurant seemingly at a loss.
Tips to gather Customer Data (The Importance of Customer Relations):
Include promotional material in to-go packaging when fulfilling a delivery or takeout order that encourages customers to create an account on your website (with online ordering) or app.
Have your website listed in as many places as possible (i.e. Google, Yelp, Bing, Trip Advisor) with your ordering link. Make sure your online ordering provider allows you to own the customer’s data before listing it.
Have fresh, relevant content and promotions on your website that encourage ordering and opting into your email/text club.
Incentivize your customers to download your custom mobile app
Utilize self-service kiosks that provide customers the convenience of placing an order without waiting in a queue. Customers can enter their email or phone number to receive confirmation receipts that encourage the customer to create an account.
Leverage your own loyalty program (One that allows you to maintain access of customer data)
Promote exclusive specials and events that require customers to register
What is Customer Relations Management and why do I need it?
Customer Relationship Management encompasses a company's relationship with active and prospective clients. A good CRM software system will provide insights about who’s ordering from you.
It’s important to understand the following:
-
What items are the most popular – offering promotions and adding value to these items periodically can spur repeat business and word of mouth marketing.
-
Order origin – know what platform your clients prefer to place orders through. Run periodic surveys asking why the customer uses your website as opposed to other methods.
-
Customer analytics – be aware of how many times each customer is ordering to target customers that haven’t ordered in a while.
-
Customer demographics – are your customer’s young college students, stay at home parents, working professionals, or retired citizens?
Additionally, I want to provide you with an article that will guide you to find the ideal customer relations software and understand the importance of consumer relations.
Here are some customer relationship management free software
1. OrderEm CRM System
OrderEm answers the questions “Why is consumer relations important?” Our Free CRM Tool gives you the power to manage customer relationships and gather information from websites and mobile applications. Ultimately, this will allow you to grow a bigger customer list and help you build loyalty among your customers. As a result, you will have enough the right amount of data for Marketing Campaigns, or to create data driven results.
SQUAREUP in my opinion, one of the best software for creating strategies for effective consumer relations. Additionally, SQUAREUP allows you to automate your sales tracking, syncs with your calendar, and even track feedback. Thus, allowing you to free up your time and focus on the importance of customer care and service.
3. HUBSPOT (Google Customer Relationship Management)
Hubspot is one of the most reliable and trustworthy CRM Systems out there! Not only are they certified Google Partners. They also demonstrate the importance of effective consumer relations through visuals and custom sales funnels. The best part, Hubspot is absolutely free! No pesky credit card information sign-up fees just enter your information and start building your customer service management strategy.
CLOVER is focused on providing various customer relations tools to small businesses while allowing you to build analytical data about your customers. Ultimately, Clover emphasizes the importance of personalizing your customer database with various tools like Client Avatars, Reward System, and Retargeting Tools. Therefore, allowing you to plan the customer relation management process more effectively to meet your objectives.
How to build relationships with Customers.
Loyalty Programs
Given that your food and service are excellent, rewarding customers with equity for their business is a sure fire way to “buy” their loyalty. When customers understand the value of your loyalty program, they will create accounts with you to participate. When choosing a loyalty program, you should consider the following:
- Allow customer to track points - periodic texts or emails with links
- Ability to redeem credit easily - be able to redeem points inside and online
- Frequent promotions - constant reminders
- Reward for sharing - leverage your network to expand your network
Email Campaigns
Contrary to popular belief, email marketing remains one of the most effective channels to market with, according to Digital Agency Network. With a well-designed opt-in program, restaurants can build a list of emails usable to send trackable, periodic campaigns that can allow businesses to fine-tune messages and promotions for the best response.
- Also check out our article on how to market your restaurant digitally
Here is an Email Customer Relationship Management PDF. This PDF file will allow you to understand the customer relationship management process with more insights.
Email campaign tools such as Mailchimp and Mailer Lite offer free plans and inexpensive paid plans perfect for any sized business and can allow them to segment your lists and track how each campaign performs.
Text Campaigns (Effective Customer Service Strategies)
According to Shift Communications, 4 out of 5 surveyed smartphone owners stated that they read every text message. Similar to email campaigns, a proper opt-in process will build a text campaign using an SMS texting service like Twilio. Due to the nature of texting being more intrusive, it is important to use high discretion when sending a promotion by text.
A proper approach would be to send texts thanking customers, that have already placed orders, for their business by sending a promo code. Texts that don’t offer value can actually hurt your marketing efforts and cause participating customers to unsubscribe.
Push Notifications
Similar to texts, Push Notifications to a branded mobile app can be disruptive to build relationship with your customers.
It is usually appropriate to send notifications of time-sensitive sales, events, or updates regarding their order. Stay away from mentioning content that is not unique to your app, regular sales, or announcements that are not time-sensitive. Asa rule of thumb, if the notification does not offer value, don’t send it.
Good restaurants gain orders while Great restaurants gain customers
The restaurant industry is trending to leverage online ordering, both proprietary and 3rd party to build their customer databases. Knowing how to properly leverage aggregate platforms is the key to maintaining a growing, profitable business. Take McDonald’s Mobile App for example. It is well known that they leverage UberEats for delivery but they also heavily promote and incentivize through their mobile app.
McDonald’s massive IT budget is daunting compared to most mom & pop restaurants with limited resources. However, the platform and tools offered by OrderEm makes getting a custom mobile app, website and Facebook ordering possible for even the tightest of operating budgets, allowing them to build and nurture their customer relationships.
To learn more, visit www.OrderEm.com