What keeps your customers returning to your venue again and again? The past few years have been a true testament to the resilience of the hospitality industry. Long before the pandemic, venues strived to have their name forefront with customers. With the cost-of-living a concern for many, customers are likely to minimise costs where possible and be more decisive in where they spend money.
A recent consumer survey conducted by SevenRooms provide insight into how some Australians are likely to manage the cost-of-living pressure. The key findings showed:
- 42% would visit restaurants and bars a lot less often
- 43% will spend considerably less money on eating and drinking out
- 61% would dine in or get takeaway up to 2 times per month
- 44% plan to spend on average <$50 when dining out/takeaway today. This has increased from 27% on previous spending sentiments.
Rewarding customers is crucial to growing loyalty and seeing their return, particularly as customers consider cutbacks on visitation and spend. Offering an incentive is a great way to keep your venue front of mind when customers choose when and where to dine. The kind of rewards survey respondents found appealing include:
- Receiving a complimentary drink or appetiser upon arrival (34%)
- Receiving personalised offers based on a previous visit (33%)
- Receiving dining credits for reaching a new loyalty tier (31%)
- Gaining extra loyalty points e.g. 2x points per dollar spent (28%)
- Having priority access to special experiences (11%)
Ways to help keep your venue front of mind with SENPOS Point of Sale
As your customers look to reduce costs, what they spend money on will need to be rewarding and provide value. There are many ways to promote your venue, create offers and drive engagement, conveniently with the help of your SENPOS Point of Sale ecosystem.
One way to create happy customers is to help them skip the queue and save time by offering online ordering, made simple with easy QR Code scanning. Explore SENPOS OrderToGo and maximise operations whilst creating a hassle-free experience for your customers. https://senpos.com.au/solutions/online-ordering/
Are you thinking of an exciting offer or reward? Every customer enjoys value, which is why a tempting offer or discount can be very engaging. A SENPOS system will give you the control over a range of promotions with a simple step-by-step setup wizard, making it easy to create offers more often. Your next promotion could be a complimentary beverage or meal, Happy Hour, multi-buy or upsell offer, to name a few https://senpos.com.au/solutions/senpos-software/promotions-marketing/
Alongside your social media and email channels, it’s important to promote your offers at the terminal and members hub kiosk (plus around the venue). With the SENPOS Visual Content application you can push tailored content directly to the customer and ensure they never miss out on rewards, offers and specials.
Thinking of new ways to attract customers doesn’t need to be complicated. For one venue, working with a local vineyard lead to the creation of a new dining experience to bring the winery experience closer to home. We recently spoke with Alexandra Dezius, Marketing and Event Manager at Kahibah Sports Club to learn about their new dining experience ‘The Tasting Room’.
Case Study: Kahibah Sports ‘The Tasting Room’
The Tasting Room is a unique experience for a sports club, what was the idea behind it?
The region boasts so many excellent wineries. However, not everyone can make it to the Hunter Valley. Wine lovers have few options close to home for sampling some of the region’s best wines. So, we’re bringing the Hunter Valley closer to home.
Were there any necessary considerations you had to make?
As things were becoming more stable after covid restrictions, we felt it was the perfect time to launch. In addition, we provide comfort for those who want to experience the Hunter Valley without being surrounded by crowds.
What kind of positive feedback have you received from customers?
The reaction [so far] has been amazing. Here is what our customers are saying.
“Had the tasting menu with paired wines in the Tasting Room tonight. Couldn’t believe we were the only ones there! Delicious food and incredible value for money. Five courses with matching wines for $85 pp! Wow.”
“The cocktails and the customer service from Kieran were exceptional. The best gin “fizz” cocktail (made with local EARP gin) and the most delicious Amaretto sours. Also, a stunning fortified Verdelho! I highly recommend trying out Kieran’s cocktails and also the wine tasting in the The Tasting Room.”
Following The Tasting Room, has this experience inspired similar experiences for your club in the future?
We are always looking at ways to improve our venue and overall customer experience.
The more we learn about the driving forces behind different businesses, the better. Discovering how to stay ahead during challenging times by understanding the next trends, opportunities, and challenges the industry faces is a continuous journey.
What advice would you give to a hospitality venue looking to introduce a new food/dining experience?
Have a clear business concept in mind.
Customers visit restaurants not only for the food & wine but also for the experience. Consider the experience you want your customers to have right from the moment they enter to the moment they leave when creating your overall look and feel from a branding perspective.
Contact our dedicated team today
What new incentives are you considering for your venue? Talk to our dedicated team about how SENPOS Point of Sale can help bring customers to your venue. Contact a SENPOS specialist