Anthony likes helping people reach their true potential. Being the victim of his own fears and insecurities in his own business, he has decided to help others create more opportunities.
There is a fundamental difference between a thriving business and a struggling one. Their approaches are generally miles apart. The struggling business always focuses on how to develop the brand or get more traffic. While these things are important, only one thing brings back money: satisfied customers. They simply make your boat float or sink, there is no way around it. In fact, with an increasing number of businesses trying to get a nibble of people’s limited attention span, it has become even more vital to make a difference in customer experience. This article will explore how to do just that and suggest a brand new tool at your disposal.
The failure of brand-centred businesses
Let’s face it, brand-centred businesses have worked in the past. Thatis, back when social media didn’t exist and when getting people’s attention was easy. Repetition was the perfect recipe. They merely had to make sure to be in front of people’s eyes repeatedly so that enough potential customers could know about them.
Now things have changed. It is still important for you to get your name out there. However, you are facing more competitors. People are more ready to try out new things. That means betting on your existing customers is much safer than desperately trying to create new customers from scratch. Besides, existing customers are amazing referral machines if they like you.
If you only focus on what your brand represents or what to post on social media, you can’t maximise the experience people have when they sit at your table. And this is where the profits are. If you listen to your customers and keep improving your service, not only will people come back, but they will refer their friends gladly
How to improve customer experience at your restaurant
Most businesses try to second-guess their audience. They try to determine what prompted them to come to their place and not the next restaurant. They imagine that a nice tip means a person was extremely pleased. Finally, they think they know what their winning menu items are without asking for feedback.
It is cliché, but the customer does always know best. Some details in your decoration could change how people perceive your place. You may have too many items on your menu. Waiting time between courses may be too long. The list of details to transform a casual experience into something that truly makes a difference is extensive.
Currently, we know that surveying your customers can help you know about details you can’t possible second-guess. Also, bear in mind the importance of first and last impression. People should feel welcome when they step into your place. Finally, try your best to work on one detail your competitors will typically ignore, and make it your best asset. You can’t be outstandingly good at everything so make sure there is something that is uniquely your own. Finally, try to gather up as much customer data as you can to adjust your approach.
New customer-data technology
In the last couple of years, a high number of startups have focused on customer data. With smartphones and social media, it has never been easier to know what your customers want. More importantly, it has now become vital to know what arouses people’s emotions. The future of customer data technology is to be able to assess how your customers feel when they leave your place.
Sentisum is a new business that focuses on gathering data to give you an emotional feedback of your customer. They gather data from surveys, but also from social media and use algorithms to create a relevant pool of data. They also help you interpret the data so that your business can improve customer experience month after month.
Right now, they seem to mainly work with insurance companies, but they are quickly growing and already have Just Eat as their customers. It won’t be long before they restaurants make up a significant part of their clients. It is going to be interesting to see how they evolve and how they adapt to the catering world.
Wrap-up
Switching from a brand-centred to a customer-centred business takes work. You can’t really afford to wing things when it comes to assessing your customers’ needs. Right now there are already surveying tools available, but new technologies are sprouting and it will be even easier to take your customer experience to next level. Keep a weather eye on the horizon because you have the opportunity to outshine your competition by just listening better.
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