Do you really need a restaurant loyalty program for your small restaurant or cafe?
You may already be busy as it is, right? What good will a rewards program be for your restaurant?
The facts are the facts. Every restaurant has its “peak season” and its “off season,” right? It is the nature of most businesses, and restaurants are no exception.
But… a rewards program could help keep those “peak season” patrons coming back more often, year round.
Businesses who have loyalty programs in place on average see an increase in business/revenue of 30% plus! That’s just the average. When you select the right program to fit your restaurant’s needs and create the best incentives for your patrons, this figure (as attractive as a 30% increase is) has the potential to just keep going up and up!
The NRA (no, not that NRA) found only 30% of restaurants offer rewards programs currently. It’s hard to understand why, honestly.
The National Restaurant Association (that NRA) also found 57% of customers who are a part of a restaurant loyalty program are more likely to visit those restaurants.
With statistics like this, why would you not want to implement a rewards program?
It is, in fact, easier now more than ever for restaurants to start a rewards program. Smartphones and tablets have taken over the world and rewards programs are just one of those things technology took and made exponentially better than ever before.
Have you ever used paper punch cards or heard/used them before? Cafes and coffee shops are famous for having made them popular. Many of them still use them. They hand out little paper punch cards to their patrons and add a punch to their card every time they make a purchase at their shop.
Each paper card has a certain number of punches the customer must collect. Once they have collected all the punches, they get a free drink or some other discount or incentive.
There is an obvious flaw in this system. Unfortunately there are some shady individuals out there who like to cheat the system. They make their own punches manually at home and then collect rewards they haven’t actually earned by purchasing items in the store.
This can (and most often does) lead to a lot of lost revenue, not to mention all the money spent on the cards themselves. It really starts to add up over time, especially for small businesses who are just trying to get their feet off the ground.
Here’s a great idea: go paperless!
There are a lot of loyalty programs out there which have gone digital in the form of an all-in-one, user friendly app.
Everyone has a smartphone or a tablet (or both). So many people use their smartphones to manage their lives. They keep track of dates, appointments, birthdays, social media, bank accounts, etc., with their smartphones.
And now, they can even keep track of loyalty programs they are a part of.
One such mobile loyalty app which works great for restaurants is Pirq. This particular digital loyalty program offers so many features to not only customers but businesses too!
Customers get a punch added to their digital “punchcard” every time they purchase food or a meal at your restaurant. They can view and track their purchases from the app. They can also view any other deals or incentives you are currently offering in your restaurant.
Pirq includes a digital VIP program you can customize to offer “limited time offers” to your patrons. Let’s say you want to promote your Happy Hour on a traditionally slow night. You can shoot out an email, text, or in-app message to notify your customers of your “Buy 1 Entree, Get 1 Appetizer Half-Off!” deal.
Pirq allows you to view and track your customers’ buying habits also. You can track buying trends and customize offers specifically to coincide with your customers’ buying trends. Think that might be helpful for you?
The ability to view what your customers are buying when they are buying it can greatly improve your ability to target your customers in the most effective, efficient ways.
There are countless ways a loyalty program like Pirq can help your restaurant see an increase in business. The best part is, Pirq is VERY affordable and does not require a long term contract.
What?!
Yep, you heard right. Small businesses everywhere, rejoice! There is a flexible and affordable digital rewards program for you in Pirq.
In fact, when you work with RedFynn, we give you Pirq free for life!
A proven-to-work, free loyalty program for your business? Doesn’t need a second thought… it’s a GO.
Talk with one of our awesome customer solutions experts so you can really get a first hand understanding of just how much more money a loyalty program can bring into your restaurant.
There are quite a few restaurant loyalty programs out there, but not one can touch the power of Pirq!
For more information on rewards programs like Pirq, or for marketing solutions for other types of business, POS systems, customer retention programs, credit card services, etc., give us a call here at RedFynn! We do this like it’s our 9-5… because, well… it is. No obligation, of course.
Give us a ring: (888) 510-9871
