Business owners know that it’s far more profitable to keep an existing customer than attract a new one – but that doesn’t mean new customers aren’t important. By signing new customers up for your loyalty or rewards program, you can encourage loyalty and create an incentive for them to return.
Loyalty programs provide a practical reason for continuing to buy – namely, collecting points for a reward, premium buying options or a higher level of service. This same system also helps you, the restaurateur, help them – information about your customers gathered through your loyalty program makes it easier to meet their needs more efficiently and effectively. This, in turn, makes them more likely to keep coming back, which gives you additional information, and the relationship keeps on growing.
Studies also show that the best form of advertising is organic – when happy customers tell their friends and family about their great experience at your restaurant, for example. These lovely souls are marketing your business for you, without even drawing a paycheck! Actively engaged customers are more likely to participate in a loyalty program, which can lead them to become advocates for your brand.
A properly established customer loyalty program won’t just keep customers around – it can help you track spending habits and find out what your visitors are interested in. The program can also help you identify what menu items are most popular, what days and times are the busiest, which items are commonly purchased together and more. This data is valuable for creating sales, targeting promotions, and tracking demand increases.
Your newfound customer knowledge will allow you to target segments of your client base with specific deals and promotions based on previous purchasing history. This targeted advertising is far more cost-effective and provides a much higher return on investment than a generalized campaign.
Customer loyalty systems can take on many forms, from “Buy 10 Sandwiches, Get One Free” punch cards to a customized app that allows visitors to collect points and earn rewards. Loyalty programs are a great way to separate from the crowd, keep customers coming back, and enhance overall value. These benefits of a customer loyalty system will pay off in increased repeat business, organic brand marketing and more.
CBS NorthStar’s loyalty solution is highly flexible and fully integrated into the NorthStar platform. There are no expensive professional development fees required.
No. NorthStar POS is already integrated with the NorthStar loyalty system, but it also integrates with other loyalty solution providers, as well.
A choice of loyalty solutions is predicated on the business need and what the business is looking to do with it. If you need help deciding, a CBS NorthStar solutions consultants would be happy to work with you to understand the business needs as well as suggest a solution to assist your business.
CBS NorthStar is integrated with popular payment systems, including vantiv, FirstData, Shift4, TSYS, and Heartland.
