6 Ways to Prepare Your Restaurant for the Travel Rebound
In most parts of the world, hotels are still not operating at full capacity due to the global pandemic. But, day by day more businesses are reopening and life is returning to normal. Today, the borders of six countries are open for travelers. In 106 other countries, the borders are open to visitors who can provide a negative COVID-19 PCR or antigen test result and/or will quarantine upon arrival. Most hoteliers have been planning for recovery since the vaccine was announced at the end of 2020. Soon, the fruits of their labor will be harvested.
While most hotels are primarily concerned with driving room revenue, it’s important to remember that hotel restaurants can be a lucrative source of revenue as well. In this blog post, we share how hoteliers can leverage their hotel CRM to make the most of all their revenue-producing outlets. Here are our six ways to prepare your restaurant for the travel rebound.
- Add a reservation link to your pre-arrival email
In the 2020 Marketing Benchmark report we shared that the pre-arrival email sent a few days before the guest checks in, gets terrific open rates. As a result, this automated email is a great vehicle to encourage guests to enhance their stay while driving upsell revenue at the same time. To take advantage of this opportunity, add a link in the email so that guests can make restaurant reservations in advance of their stay. Add an incentive, like a free appetizer if they book ahead, drive urgency and get them to take action.Revinate Marketing customers can automate this email to be sent a few days before check-in and include upsell offers and promotions personalized to the guest. For example, you can segment your guests by whether they have dined at the restaurant before and welcome back returning guests or encourage new guests to give the restaurant a try with an incentive for making a reservation.
- Capture email addresses from your restaurant website
You can’t email people unless you have their email address so make it a priority to capture email addresses on your restaurant website. Reach out to these restaurant guests with special promotions and restaurant news, reserving promotions for them since they’re likely your most loyal guests.
- Include menu highlights in your on-premise automated email
When your guests check-in, send them an email about the daily activities at the hotel so they know everything that’s going on. Be sure to include restaurant news, including any specials or promotions. Include a link or phone number so they can easily make reservations.
Revinate Marketing customers can easily automate this email as soon as the guest checks in. Many guests read this email as they’re walking down the hall to their room for the first time. It’s a great opportunity to capitalize on your guest’s excitement by encouraging them to book a reservation.
- Capture guest feedback to drive loyalty and improve operations
Encourage your guests to provide feedback after their meal with a QR code on the receipt or an email sent the following morning.
Revinate Marketing customers can easily use the feedback to segment your customers and customize your emails. For example, separate advocates from detractors to ensure the emails you sent to them feel personalized. This is important because, as we reported in our Marketing Benchmark report, smaller segments improved conversion rates by up to 425%. A 425% uplift in conversion is significant and can drive some serious additional revenue.
- Respond to reviews
Guests are reviewing your restaurant on Google, Yelp, TripAdvisor and other review sites. Make sure you have claimed all your listings and respond to reviews when they’re posted. Just like hotel reviews, prospective diners visit your reviews to decide whether to give you a try and management responses drive consumer confidence in the business and can undo the effects of any negative reviews.
- Segment your database to isolate local guests
If your local market isn’t visiting your restaurant regularly, you need to change that by making it a local destination, not just a hotel restaurant.
Revinate Marketing customers can easily segment your guest database by geolocation to isolate guests that live within an hour. Send them personalized emails about your restaurant and encourage them to visit. Offer free valet parking for locals, or a special discount or promotion to let them know you care about their business.
If you’re looking to kick-start your restaurant’s recovery following the difficult year we all just had, Revinate can help. Revinate Marketing provides hotels with all the tools they need to easily segment their hotel CRM and send beautiful, personalized emails that guests love receiving.
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