Having consistent customers is an important part of running a business. Regular customers are your best advocates and can generate free advertising for your restaurant, through recommendations. Many restaurants focus on how to bring new customers into their restaurant and forget that maintaining regular customers is one of the most important aspects of running a lucrative business.
Here are some of the following findings about repeat customers:
They make up 71% of sales at quick-service restaurants
They make up 68% of sales at fast-casual operations
They make up 64% of sale at casual-dining establishments
They make up 63% of sales at family-dining eateries
They make up 51% of sales at fine-dining restaurants
Now that we know the facts about the importance of return customers let’s look at the factors that may keep customers from returning to your restaurant.
A dirty restaurant is never a good thing. Making sure everything is dusted, swept, mopped, and scrubbed down is important. Ensuring your staff looks clean and tidy as well is another great tip that customers will appreciate.
Bad customer service is never good. You should make sure all aspects of human interaction in your restaurant are working at an peak performance. Great service all around will pay in the long run. So who you hire does matter. A statement like “the staff was so kind and thoughtful. They took care of my needs.” Is exactly the kind of positive feedback you should be hearing regularly and if you aren’t hearing those words, you may need to reevaluate.
Inconsistent food can be a major issue. When people go out to eat, they expect good, quality food. Tailoring your menu so it is not too large can help ensure that food is getting served with consistent quality. Portion sizes is another way to ensure food is being served consistently no matter the chef or the day of the week. Your customer should be able to come back, order the same dish, and have it look and taste the same each time.
Return customers are vital to the success of your restaurant. If you pay attention to the suggestions above you are well on your way to success.
