Having worked with a number of up and coming independent restaurants, and provided them with bespoke restaurant refurbishment services, we understand that it can be difficult trying to set your business apart from the competition. Of course an original restaurant fit out is guaranteed to help draw customers in, but how do you keep them coming back?
Below, we’ve compiled a list of actions you can take to help turn potential consumers into customers for life.
- Show them you care.
With the number of independent restaurants, all selling quality food and drink, on the rise, it seems it’s becoming increasingly harder to generate a loyal clientele. However, this seemingly difficult challenge can be made a lot easier simply through the attitude of the individuals working for your business. The places customers are likely to remember, and want to go back to, are the ones whose staff make an effort to make them feel welcome. Greeting a customer and asking them about their day, even an act as easy as thanking a customer at the end of their visit, are just a few extra steps you and your employees can take to ensure consumers are made to feel special. It shows that your restaurant is willing to go the extra mile to guarantee customers have a great experience during their time at your establishment; making them feel appreciated is a very effective step to increase their chance of return.
- Welcome feedback and criticism.
What better way to improve customer experience in your establishment than taking on suggestions from the public themselves? Many consumers have a tendency to take notice in the little things that you, having grown familiar to the surroundings of your restaurant, may be blind to. If a customer is offering feedback, be open to it; and make it apparent that you want to hear it! Presenting other methods in which consumers can offer feedback to you and your business can also prove a very effective strategy when aiming to improve the customer experience. By offering items such as a suggestion box, or a small survey presented alongside the bill at the end of the visit, you can make the customer feel like a valued member of your clientele; showing them that their custom, and input, is appreciated.
- Establish a light and friendly atmosphere.
A great restaurant fit out and dining experience can very quickly become overshadowed by unpleasant staff interactions and can often encourage a series of bad reviews, which is something no business wishes to face. Making sure that staff are friendly and well trained may seem obvious, but it is a vital key element if you want to keep the customers coming back. The up-keep of staff morale is something easily achieved by ensuring that your team, not just the customers, also have a great experience with the company. Offering them more flexibility in regards to shifts and frequent breaks are two simple steps that you can take to help rapidly increase the work ethic of your team. After all, if your staff aren’t having a good time, then neither will your customers!
- Put effort into presenting your food.
With the ever-present rise of social media, consumers snapping pictures of their plate is no longer an uncommon site. However, this doesn’t particularly have to be considered a bad thing, and could actually be used to your advantage. Taking the extra time to prepare your food in unique and visually appealing ways may be something that seems like a waste of time to most, but the appearance and presentation of the services you provide should go hand-in-hand with the aesthetics of your restaurant refurbishment; doing so could also lead to some very impactful free advertisement! Put simply, the more eye-catching the presentation of your food is, the more likely people are to post about it on social media. This will assist in spreading the word about your restaurant and attracting a wider range of potential consumers, all without you having to pay a penny.
- Be social media present.
Posting about the latest news and promotions your restaurant has to offer, directly to your customers’ newsfeeds, is a great way to keep your establishment at the top of their minds; encouraging them to come back with minimal time and money spent in doing so. Posting frequently about the goings on of your establishment and engaging customers online is also a great way to build a positive consumer opinion and keep them invested in your company. Publishing news such as a new restaurant fit out can keep your consumers interested and help to create online buzz, helping to generate more customers and spread the word about your business.
By following these five simple steps, you and your new restaurant refurbishment could be on its way to generating some great lifelong customers! Interested in refurbishing your restaurant? – Visit our restaurant refurbishment services page to find out how we can help reinvent your business.