SMS marketing is a great way of communicating with customers and providing an excellent service. This week, we explore 5 ways restaurants can use SMS marketing and how this medium of mobile marketing can improve your service and your revenues.
Sending directions when someone booked
Increase your customer service levels and encourage the prompt arrival of bookings, by sending the directions/parking details to each customer that books a table.
Confirming reservation
All restaurants suffer from no-show dinners, Nick Kokonas (owner of Alinea in Chicago) says “It was kind of an eye-opener to me as to how much of an impact no-shows had at relatively small restaurants”. SMS messages are one great way in reducing no shows, by confirming reservations. Not only does this improve your customer service, but it will also help your business organise food stock, staff and table arrangements.
Sending specials and menus
Specials and menu changes are a great way of re-engaging with existing customers. One way of promoting this is texting a link an online menu where customers can directly book a table online. Alternatively, restaurants can have a daily SMS campaign that releases a new special each day.
Vouchers
Offer your customers vouchers and deals through SMS marketing. This form of marketing not only allows you to push for new business and re-engagement of lapsed customers, but it also allows you to see how effective each campaign has been. For example, you can text your existing customers the code SP3C1ALS and ask them to bring this code in to redeem 10% off. From here you will be able to correlate how much revenue and return is against a single campaign.
Events and themes
SMS invitations are one way to promote and invite guests for specific events and themes. For example, an opportunistic event could be to celebrate the birth of the royal baby, with a regal themed evening and menu.
If you are a restaurant and you are looking for more ideas to utilise SMS marketing, feel free to contact our specialist Customer Service Team on +44 (0)8451 221 302, or feel free to email us at [email protected].
References: https://eater.com