Marketing

Do your customers really know you're grateful they're there?

Everybody loves to be appreciated, but do your brand's customers really know how grateful you are they are there?

October 9, 2020 by Daniel Rodgers

For many pizza brands, marketing campaigns haven't been a priority during the COVID-19 pandemic. With hospitality and food businesses suffering financial hardship, budgets have been cut and marketing has been largely reduced to basic tactics, essentially remaining in idle until the crisis has passed.

It's an understandable move given the circumstances, and yet the actions that restaurants take now, have the potential to make or break the loyalty of their customers in the long term. In a world where people are isolating out of necessity, or just not feeling as connected with their usual social circles, pizza brands that go above and beyond to show that they care about every person's circumstances will earn their gratitude. That gratitude, in turn, can be converted to loyalty that will last long after the pandemic has passed.

In fact, now in the U.S. — where the season of gratitude leading up to Thanksgiving next month will soon be under way — we thought it a good time to lay out four ways operators can not only show gratitude to their communities and patrons, but build loyalty that will extend into the new year.

To get, you've got to give

Most customers realize that restaurants and the hospitality industry, at large, are struggling now amidst the pandemic. Every time a customer orders from your pizzeria online, sends you a supportive message via social media, or just dines in with you, a sincere "thank you" goes a long way to spark gratitude. And, if that "thank you" is personalized, all the better.

If you don't have the ability or opportunity to connect with customers face-to-face, the same effect can be generated by posting a heartfelt thank you to loyal customers online or sending out a newsletter via email that does the same. This can be especially effective when accompanied by news of small "thank you" offers and discounts.

Build community

When you can, show your appreciation to customers — and the wider community — for supporting your brand through these tough times. In fact, even if your brand must shutter all or part of its operations due to pandemic-related issues, consider volunteering some time with a local pandemic aid group, or sending meals or other products from your brand to area small businesses to keep your name and your community-mindedness on their radar.

Another idea is to send out customer and community well-being messaging online and elsewhere, For instance, brand newsletters and social media messages focused on customer and community health and happiness, show that your brand understands everyone is going through a tough time.

Honestly invest in health

While every pizza restaurant location must follow strict COVID-19-related rules upon opening to the public, those which show they are the most earnest in their investments into employee and guest health will create a halo around their names.

For instance, customer feedback analysis company, Decooda, surveyed consumers and found that brands that show care and empathy for their guests, created a sense of gratitude among those guests in return. Simply put, such actions make customers feel that they matter, even when they're not actually at the restaurant itself.

And when it comes to restaurant best practices around this topic, an online ordering and payment platform has become key because these tools help limit contact between employees and guests.

Whether the solution lets the guest order food ahead of time for collection or delivery, or allows dine-in customers to order and pay from their tables without server interaction, the net effect is the same: fewer physical human touchpoints and thus, fewer opportunities for contamination.

Clear signage around social distancing, along with the provision of antibacterial wipes and gels, and lots of regular surface-cleaning, also communicate this message that your brand is protecting diners' health.

Listen, openly

When pizza brands make their customers feel valued and heard, the connection those customers have with your brand deepens. Amp up your efforts in this area by listening to the wants and needs of customers — and staff — then acting on their suggestions.

So, if customers are voicing a desire for a type of menu offering you can feasibly provide, why wouldn't you? The customers will feel that they had a personal hand in helping to evolve your business. If they want to be able to order using an app, or buy family meal boxes to cook at home, give those ideas some thoughtful consideration.

But, whether you can make changes based on customer feedback or not, brands that respond to such requests with gratitude and honest feedback about whether it can or cannot be done, make people feel heard.

So while showing gratitude may be take some creativity on the part of the restaurateur to execute, brands that make such efforts will find that gratitude can be key to loyalty and brand allegiance across their customer base. By infusing gratitude into every aspect of your business, you'll find customers are more than willing to return gratitude to your business through loyalty that lasts well into the future.