Closed club. What loyalty programs do shops, restaurants and hotels need? Development of discount systems and loyalty programs for restaurants, cafes, bars The essence of our new loyalty system

Beer Family Project Development Director Natalya Mitchina told how to get the maximum benefit from discount cards.

The material is published as part of the Restoclub Lunch series of business discussions. The project partner is Lenmix, an expert company trusted by successful people to select inspiring products from premium brands.

Over the 15 years of the company's existence on the market, we have tried a lot. Looking back on my experience, I will say that I am skeptical about loyalty programs, since I believe that this can only attract students and young workers with low incomes. An excellent confirmation of this is the network, where the discount system has increased the number of guests several times, but at the same time takes a significant part of the net profit out of the pockets of business owners. After all, if you give a guest, for example, a 10% discount, for you this actually means 15% of the income, since the cost of the dish does not change.

I am sure that if an establishment has a clearly thought-out and popular concept, plus everything is excellent in terms of service and cuisine, then the loyalty system will definitely not lead to an increase in guests, much less to a decline in them. But word of mouth can fill the restaurant to the brim with visitors. But at the same time, a well-developed loyalty system can increase the average check and increase the frequency of visits by one guest - and this is already a good result.

The essence of our new loyalty system

In our case, the creation of a discount system was a necessary measure, but nevertheless it turned out to be quite effective. Until 2008, there were only German Kneipes, which issued their own discount cards. Then two more directions appeared - Belgian brasserie and Czech gentlemen, which also operated separate discount systems. In 2015, all three brands merged into one restaurant group, and the need arose to create a unified loyalty program.

We were faced with two tasks: to think about how to issue cards to new guests and how to exchange old ones for new ones. We didn't want to give a discount to everyone and decided that this privilege had to be earned by proving that you really are a regular guest.

As a result, we came up with the following quest: in order to get a Beer Family Project card with a nominal value of 5%, you need to receive a form with three empty windows, visit establishments in all three of our directions and spend at least 5,000 rubles there at a time (and at least 1,500 rubles per person in during this visit). At the same time, save the receipts, put stamps on the application form and only then exchange it for a discount card, which is issued only in new ones. In the future, for the discount to increase to 10%, you need to accumulate a check amount of 75,000 rubles, and up to 15% - 150,000 rubles.

It is easier to exchange an existing card for a new one: the guest needs to visit the Kneipe, or sit there for 5,000 rubles and fill out a form.

An important point: in order for the card to become active, you need to indicate the correct phone number, since an SMS about activation will be sent to it within three days.

What have we achieved?

The results of the introduction of a new discount system for those who previously did not have any privileges from the holding confirmed the effectiveness of the program:

We responded to the guests' request. People often felt negatively about the lack of discount cards in our network, so we gave them the opportunity to get them. But only those who were 100% interested in this succeeded.
Guests were encouraged to get to know all three brands, their concepts and menus. Thus, the frequency of visits to our establishments has increased.
We now have a fairly extensive database of regular guests with real phone numbers. Thanks to it, we can easily gather the public for any interesting event without abusing SMS messaging.
For guests who have a discount card, we began to notice a slight increase in the average bill. This happened because the guest, knowing that he has a discount of, say, 100 rubles, intuitively can afford, for example, another glass of beer for 200 rubles. Accordingly, the check increases by 80 rubles. It’s a small thing, but it’s nice: in total, at the end of the month, you can get a decent amount.
Since it was possible to get the card only in one establishment, we killed two birds with one stone: we quickly attracted paying guests to the new project and talked about it. Some of these people now visit Karlovy Pivovary on Engelsa street regularly.

What was achieved when exchanging old discount cards for new ones:

We introduced our audience to at least one more establishment, and thanks to this, the frequency of visits in general increased. In addition, many guests learned that our restaurant group’s establishments offer beer from all over the world, and stopped going to competitors.
We have updated the database of phone numbers for regular guests.

As a result, we were able to issue cards on a very limited basis and only to those who would visit our establishments in the future. Now (at the time of preparation of the material - editor's note) 386 card holders returned to us more than twice, another 54 people returned once. 1200 people exchanged cards for new ones, of which 468 use them. In general, the frequency of visits from guests with discount cards increased 3 times, and their average bill increased by an average of 100 rubles.

Before introducing a loyalty program in your restaurant, you need to answer a number of questions:

What is your goal? Increase traffic, attract new guests, introduce a new project or menu, increase the average bill, stimulate alcohol sales, etc.
What audience is the loyalty program designed for? Determine gender, age, social status, whether they are regular or new guests.
Does the selected target audience visit your establishments and competitors' restaurants?
What is this target audience interested in?
What instrument can attract her? Bonuses, discounts, gifts, sweepstakes, return of part of the amount spent, etc.
Who, how and when will monitor the effectiveness of the loyalty program?
What benefits will it bring, monetary or otherwise?
What will be the costs at the initial stage of operation of the system and in the future? Consider additional equipment and personnel, printing products, etc.

After forming clear answers to these questions and a clear understanding of the benefits, you can safely form and introduce your own loyalty system in the restaurant. It should be taken into account that discount cards are the most common mechanism for theft by staff. The administrator and manager first of all distributes them to their friends, and secondly to themselves. At the right moment, when regular guests come to the establishment and you can simply tell them the cost of the order and not take out a receipt, the employee makes a discount and takes the rest of the amount for himself. To prevent this from happening, we have made the system as transparent as possible for management: the administrator who issued the discount card must have all the receipts and the guest’s questionnaire on hand. In addition, we monitor what happens to the card after it is issued: if its owner does not come to us for the last 6-7 months, we deactivate it. In addition, we do not specifically advertise discount cards among guests - you can only learn about the program from the waiter. Thus, no extra cards are issued.

Read the general material “Secrets of working with regular guests in a restaurant” with the most interesting moments of the Restoclub Lunch by Lenmix discussion.

Photos: cover photo - Anton Kuznetsov

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The difference between bonuses and discounts

It’s worth clarifying right away that bonuses and discounts are completely different concepts:

Discounts imply additional benefits and savings from an already completed purchase. If permanent discounts are provided, it will not be possible to increase customer loyalty to the establishment. Noticeable results will appear if a savings system is introduced, motivating customers to make subsequent orders to increase the discount amount.
In the case of bonuses, customers can count on benefits from future orders. In fact, they make an investment in follow-up visits. Bonuses can be spent if you visit the establishment again. If you limit the storage period for bonuses on the card, you will be able to more actively motivate customers to visit the establishment again.

Thus, thanks to the discount, the value of one-time orders increases, and bonuses are aimed at increasing the chance of repeated visits to cafes or restaurants.

What principles should a loyalty program meet?

For a loyalty program to be successful and work for the benefit of the establishment, it must comply with certain principles:

Have a suitable bonus system. Thus, fast food chains are increasingly using discount coupons and additional menu items. As for expensive restaurants, a different loyalty system would be more appropriate, such as access to discounts on paid membership or the creation of promotions together with the largest brands or companies.
Have a moderately creative approach. This does not mean that the loyalty program should stand out like a “parrot” from other establishments. Thanks to a special creative approach, the customer base will significantly expand. It is necessary to start from the price audience. Young people will be interested in watching “flashy” slogans and unusual solutions, while older audiences, on the contrary, prefer to take advantage of more confident but stable offers.
Guarantee long-term cooperation. To achieve success, every modern food outlet must interest the client. Moreover, this process is characterized by consistency: new ideas are accepted daily, along with decisions and bonuses - this forces people to come a second time.
Collect information. A loyalty system will be successful if management understands how to put themselves in the shoes of a particular person. It is worth emphasizing interaction with visitors: communicating with them, asking for their opinions and receiving valuable information that will further improve the operation of the establishment.

Evaluating the effectiveness of loyalty programs

The basic “foundation” of a successful loyalty program must be laid during planning, when goals are defined along with methods for achieving them and the profitability of the program. Today, the following methods for assessing the economic efficiency of systems are actively used:

Determining customer costs before and after connecting loyalty systems. This also includes an option that involves increasing the minimum discount or providing additional bonuses. As a result, it will be possible to find out how much client activity has changed since the program began to be used.
Comparison of income from clients who use the program and who are still paying without it. This method clearly confirms the difference in consumer value of the loyalty system.
Comparison of churn among customers who use the program and who are still paying without it. As a result, you will be able to understand whether the loyalty system is capable of retaining the establishment and motivating them to continue making orders.

Among the indicators of the effectiveness of the loyalty system are a stable average check, the percentage of repeat visits, along with a constant increase in the number of visitors based on recommendations.

What are the risks?

You need to understand that the introduction of even the simplest loyalty system implies financial costs at the initial stages. It doesn’t matter at all in what form the system is implemented, you still have to spend money and not receive a certain percentage of profit.

Don't forget about the risks of the bonus system. If you do not calculate the bonus program correctly, it will become less profitable during implementation. Thus, the set of bonuses may be delayed, and the benefits from regular orders are decreasing. In this case, the client will simply leave and will not play the “bonus” games.

If you manage to organize a loyalty program correctly, you can count on regular customers and regular income. All that remains is to continue working to improve the service and build relationships with clients, and do not forget about introducing unique offers. All this is done much easier with high-quality and reliable.

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The effectiveness of discounts in cafes and restaurants

The restaurant discount strategy is effective in the short term when you need to quickly attract customers to the restaurant and increase revenue. In the long term, discounts in restaurants and cafes negatively affect the market position of the restaurant and loyalty to the restaurant brand.

The effectiveness of discounts in cafes and restaurants is measured:

The number of new guests who visited your restaurant during the discount period. The use of discounts in restaurants allows you to attract new guests who will have the opportunity to get acquainted with the restaurant for the first time and appreciate all its advantages.

The number of requests by phone, email, etc. – determines the number of restaurant customers interested in discounts. Customers interested in discounts will eventually either come to the restaurant in person and take advantage of the discounts, or they will keep the restaurant in their sights and visit it another time.

The number of Internet sites, newspapers, magazines, television channels mentioning interesting offers of your restaurant. The advantage of applying discounts in a restaurant is also that information about the restaurant and its offer quickly spreads in various media, advertising the establishment.

The effectiveness of discounts in cafes and restaurants is determined by comparing actual and target revenue indicators established at the beginning of the promotional campaign.

An increase in the amount of revenue in a cafe after applying discounts or other promotions

An increase in the number of dishes sold that were targeted

Managing the effectiveness of discounts in cafes and restaurants

The application of discounts in restaurants is carried out after careful calculation of all restaurant costs. Thus, the restaurant owner insures himself against applying discounts at a loss.

The use of discounts in restaurants and cafes is designed to ensure that the establishment will profit from large flows of visitors. Otherwise, there is no point in applying discounts.

It should be noted that the effectiveness of discounts in cafes and restaurants is achieved through their rare application or by rewarding exclusively loyal restaurant guests with discounts.

It will be useful to maintain a database of guests who responded to discounts. In the future, 70% of them will come to the restaurant again if it has new lucrative offers.

Types of discounts in restaurants and their effectiveness:

1. Volume Discounts – Volume discounts can be provided to guests whose bill reaches a certain amount, such as $100. Volume discounts can also be cumulative in nature and accumulate over regular guest visits. Loyalty cards often offer loyal guests discounts or free drinks (meals) after they have purchased a specified number of drinks (meals) over a certain period.

For example, Cafe Nero coffee shops have special loyalty cards. Each time guests order drinks, a special stamp is placed on the loyalty card. Upon reaching 9 stamps, the guest receives a free drink from the establishment of their choice.

Volume discounts are effective in rewarding restaurant patrons for their loyalty.

2. Seasonal discounts – seasonal discounts on various dishes during downturns in the restaurant industry. For example, in February, March on discount sites like Groupon, LivingSocial, GoogleOffers, etc. you can find a wide variety of restaurant discounts.

Seasonal discounts in restaurants are effective for increasing revenue during periods of “quiet” in the restaurant market.

The American chain of fast food restaurants Dairy Queen attracted guests in March with a special offer for its milkshakes - “Buy one, get one for only 99 cents”

3. Discounts limited in time - for example, happy hour, are designed to attract guests to the restaurant at certain hours of the day, most often when the restaurant is usually idle (17:00-19:00).

Discounts limited in time are effective for uniform loading of the restaurant throughout the day.

McCormick&Schmick's, a seafood restaurant chain, invites guests to sample a variety of menu items and drinks at special prices. Happy Hour occurs at McCormick & Schmick's three times a day on weekdays. The duration of Happy Hour varies depending on the location of the restaurant:

For example, a burger and fries during Happy Hour will cost guests only $3.95, and alcoholic drinks and cocktails will cost from $4 to $7 per glass.

4. Dishes are bait (bait drinks) sold at unprofitable prices in order to attract additional guests to the restaurant. Lure dishes are designed to ensure that a guest who came to the restaurant specifically for them will order something else from the menu at full price. Restaurants should regularly change bait items (or bait drinks) to ensure that interested guests continue to visit the restaurant. Most often, salad bars serve as bait dishes in restaurants.

For example, the Turkish chain of establishments Köfteci Ramiz offers guests a salad bar for only $3.25. Typical menu price range is $5-$15.

The loss leader or bait dish strategy is effective in attracting additional guests to the restaurant.

The ideal time to offer discounts in restaurants is during downturns in the restaurant market in February, as well as when the restaurant is experiencing a lack of revenue and customers.

The effectiveness of discounts in cafes and restaurants and age groups of restaurant guests

The 15-24 age group prefers simple discounts, while about 50% of this age group visits restaurants that offer loyalty programs instead of discounts.

The age group 24-40 prefers complex discounts with a savings system.

The main thing is that the benefits of discounts do not develop into a chronic dependence on discounts, as a result of which the value of the restaurant decreases. A customer base built on customers attracted through discounts is too unreliable, since such guests can switch to competitors' restaurants at any time if their menu prices are lower.

The restaurant business in Russia is young and developing. The trend towards narrow segmentation and unique author's ideas makes establishments with a bright concept popular.

The influence of fashion and social trends on the life of restaurants is very great, and the difficulty of operating this niche lies in the short life cycles of each idea.

In order to remain in demand, a restaurant must always offer guests relevant communication, strive to build long-term relationships with the client, and form a trusting relationship. A competent program for forming the client’s emotional attachment to the brand will help to do this as effectively as possible. In our case - a guest to a restaurant.

Definition, essence and task of the loyalty system

Author of the material: , business consultant. Specialist in the field of trend marketing and strategic planning, practical experience since 2002.

Loyalty system is a set of marketing tools that ensure emotional attachment to the client and the possibility of repeat and additional sales.

Loyalty determines the level of trust that a consumer shows in a particular company by purchasing its product on a regular basis. An emotional attachment is formed when a product or service matches the needs of the buyer, leaving no room for further comparison.

As a rule, a committed consumer is the best advertisement for a company, since such a person will recommend the product to friends with full confidence in its quality.

The essence of any loyalty program is to create a relationship between the seller and the buyer that would best meet the expectations of the latter and at the same time be economically beneficial for the enterprise.

To develop an effective loyalty system for a restaurant, you first need to understand the expectations of guests, determine their level of satisfaction and the degree of interest in repeat visits. To do this, a customer survey and an analysis of the establishment’s attendance are carried out. The goal of the loyalty system is to maintain the restaurant’s offer at the current, in-demand level in accordance with the general trends and motives of the target audience, which will ensure a regular flow of regular guests.

Sustainable, competitive motivation for repeat visits, stable positive dynamics of the average check (may be consistent with the general inflation index) and an increase in the number of guests due to recommendations - these are indicators of the effectiveness of restaurant loyalty programs.

In most cases, loyalty programs in the restaurant business are actually implemented in the form of discount cards, which make it possible to identify the guest and link information about each visit to the overall history of each client. Such systems make it possible in the future to conduct very important marketing analytics and, without additional costs, obtain factual data about the target audience, its preferences, identify the most constant groups, segment and optimize services, make work with the guest individual, etc.

Classification of loyalty systems

Despite the seemingly huge variety of internal reward conditions, all loyalty systems in the world can be divided into two groups: price/economic and non-price/marketing.

Price

The price part includes all discount, savings, and bonus systems, which make up the vast majority of loyalty programs for restaurant guests operating in Russia. The first thing that comes to any person’s mind is discount. It is this tool that is most desirable for guests and uninteresting for a restaurant. Such confrontation often finds semi-effective solutions in the form of economic distribution of potential discounts on the prices of the entire range or top positions. However, supporters of this system rightly believe that constant high discount (15-20%) is the most powerful anchor in attracting guests to repeat visits.

Research in Russia even gave an interesting picture: out of 10 visits using a discount card, 3 were made not by the owner of the discount, but by his friends (i.e. the card was rented, although almost all restaurants nominally prohibit this practice). But, despite its attractiveness, a loyalty system with a fixed or cumulative discount does not protect the establishment from trend changes and a decrease in visits due to the obsolescence of the idea and loss of fashionability.

So, price systems, this is a permanent discount on a discount card, a discount scale (discount depending on the purchase amount), a cumulative system of discounts, bonus systems, etc.

Non-price

Non-price, marketing systems are a more complex tool, but when used correctly, they are a powerful support for consumer trust and affection.

For clarity, we can give an example of a cafe in Detroit "1st Mother's Pie", aimed at the community of young mothers. The establishment does not use any price loyalty system, but for 15 years now its regular visitors, whose children have already graduated from school and are studying in colleges, still visit the cafe with enviable consistency. The whole secret of attachment is in the uniquely powerful concept of the establishment, where mothers can not only treat themselves to sweets with their babies, communicate, organize events, but also receive serious support from the cafe owners and other guests, ranging from specialized literature to child care assistance.

A strong concept based on eternal common values, constantly maintained at an up-to-date modern level, gives this cafe every chance to remain a popular place even when its first visitors become grandmothers.

Non-price loyalty programs- this is working with a brand, a unique approach to the consumer, using a system of his main priorities, holding events, events (often charitable), creating an atmosphere that fully meets the values of the target audience, etc.

Nothing prevents restaurant owners from combining these two cardinal systems by introducing a discount card along with the creation of a unique, authentic interior and regular events. However, all this work must be preceded by a strict, cold calculation of efficiency.