Restaurants Save Time and Money with a Waitlist App
Technology is everywhere, from the smartphones we carry with us to the advanced systems in our cars, to the tech in use at places of business large and small. And the restaurant industry is no exception.
From touchscreen food and beverage dispensers that offer diners more options and a serve yourself experience, to biodiesel converters that will convert your used fryer oil to fuel delivery trucks and catering vehicles, technology is improving the way we do business. And better yet, it’s improving the bottom line of an industry with infamously tight margins.
But how, exactly, is all of this progress helping restaurateurs to save? We’ll examine how just one inexpensive bit of technology can increase profits, decrease costs, and help your restaurant run more smoothly even at the busiest of times.
Stop Seating Parties Like It’s 1999
Many eateries who don’t accept reservations are still relying on those costly, germ-ridden pager systems they’ve been using for 20 years or more. Yet these systems are pretty much the opposite of technological progress.
In addition to the sizeable cost of outfitting a restaurant with these bits of last century tech, you’re also on the hook for the expense of maintaining them, and replacement costs that can reach up to $100 per unit. Then there are the man hours spent on upkeep, searching for wayward pagers when guests get tired of waiting and just ditch them in the waiting area, and the eyesore of a blinking tower of plastic that greets your guests when they approach the host’s table.
Ditch the pagers, and instead tap into the technology that most of your diners are already carrying with them anyway. With a waitlist app like NextME, you can replace all of that outdated equipment with a single sleek and sophisticated iPad or iPhone. Plus, the app is a simple solution to implement, and new host staff can be trained and up to speed quickly for a minimum of downtime. As an added bonus, guests don’t even have to download the app to take advantage of the NextME system! They simply give the host their phone numbers, then receive SMS texts notifying them of their wait times and positions in line.
Keep Guests Engaged to Prevent Walkouts
Hosts see it daily. A party comes in, puts their name on the list, and sits down to wait. But when their turn comes and their name is called, the party is nowhere to be found. The host then has to spend valuable time trying to locate them before moving on to the next party in line. It’s a frustrating experience for all involved.
With the NextME waitlist, customers can see exactly where they are in line, along with their estimated wait times - all via SMS texts without needing to download a separate app. Additionally, they can browse the menu, check out your current specials, read reviews on your social media pages, and otherwise engage with your brand while they wait. All of this leads to 25% fewer walkouts over all. But what about those who still leave? Since guests can confirm or cancel their table when they’re told it’s ready, your host won’t have to waste time tracking down wayward parties.
Double Your Table Turns
If you could double the number of tables you could serve per hour at peak times, what would that do for your bottom line? You may be wondering how such a thing is possible, and what it has to do with waitlist apps.
Displaying digital menus to patrons while they wait can significantly cut down on the time spent at the table trying to decide what to order. And since NextME’s customer facing mobile marketing page allows you to display your menu, specials, social media, and other promotional messages to each guest on the waitlist, you can expect tables to turn much faster – up to twice as fast! For those who are counting, that means double the revenue during peak dining hours.
Keep Your Front of the House Running Smoothly
Have you even calculated how much time your hosts spend answering questions about how much longer the wait will be? Or tracking down parties who have wandered off or pagers that have been ditched in the bushes outside? As you’ve already seen, waitlist apps can help eliminate each of these time sinks to allow your hosts to focus on what really matters: hospitality. And that increased staff efficiency means more productivity with fewer FTEs, and a less stressful shift for those working peak hours.
But Does It Really Save Money?
NextME’s track record has been proven, and restaurants can attest to the effect it’s had on their customer satisfaction as well as their bottom lines. Of course, your results will vary depending on the size of your restaurant and the volume of guests you seat on a given day, but it’s not unreasonable to suggest you’ll likely save thousands. In fact, Southport Grocery & Cafe, a tiny brunch destination, saved over $2,000 by switching to NextME. And a larger chain, Lou Malnati's, saved upwards of $10,000 across their 13 locations. So the real question is, can you afford not to update your waitlist?
6 Tips for a Memorable & Profitable Mother’s Day
Mother’s Day is known as one of the busiest day of the year for restaurants. And it’s right around the corner! You may be wondering how to handle the extra demand. Here are our best tips for creating a special day that your guests will remember fondly for years to come!
Staff Up
No matter how amazing your staff is, they do have their limits. Don’t try to run Mother’s Day as if it’s the same as any other holiday. Be sure to staff up with some of your best hosts, servers, bartenders, and kitchen staff. If at all possible, avoid scheduling folks for Saturday night and also Sunday morning. You want energetic, fresh staff members, not ones who barely got to sleep last night.
Include Brunch
Even if you normally don’t serve breakfast, Mother’s Day Brunch is pretty much the gold standard. This also allows you to extend your lunch hours into the late morning, which means you can accommodate more table turns and really cash in on the extra traffic. Put together a special menu with all of the usual egg dishes, pancakes, and the like. But also include options from your normal lunch menu to provide variety and versatility.
If this is truly out of your norm, you might even try a prix fixe menu. This will allow you to streamline your kitchen’s efficiency while offering dishes that aren’t part of your normal routine. It also makes ordering ingredients much easier when you have a more limited menu to take into account.
Avoid No-Shows with a No-Res Policy
For important dates like Mother’s Day, it’s not uncommon for guests to choose to book two or three restaurant reservations, and then let Mom choose the one she likes most. Other guests will book for a large party, in case siblings and other family members want to join in the fun, but then show up with only a few people. And then there are those who come and want to spend extra time enjoying the celebration and reminiscing about childhood memories, while keeping your tables full for much longer than you expected. You can avoid these difficulties and more by not offering reservations.
But doesn’t that mean you’ll have a crazy long line? Probably, yes. But guests without reservations expect to wait on Mother’s Day. And you can manage the line and keep your guests informed about the wait with a waitlist app, like NextME. Our app will text your guests with a link to their place in line, then again when it’s time to head back to the host stand. There’s nothing for the customer to download, and they can even view current specials, your social media, and your menu as they wait. It’s really the best of both worlds!
Partner with Other Businesses & Up Your Mobile Marketing Game
Some of the most fun Mother’s Day specials involve partnerships with other local businesses. Imagine offering moms some fun beyond the meal with coupons for the cute little gift shop across the way or the funky jewelry boutique down the street, or a discounted mani/pedi or massage at a local salon. Anything that might be a good way to pamper the mothers in your community would work perfectly here. Even discounts for maid service packages or getaway weekends at a local spa or resort would fit well for the holiday.
How to manage such promotions? You could do something simple like “just show them your receipt,” but it lacks a bit of flair. Handing out paper coupons is also a possibility, but again, may not set the right “vibe” for your restaurant. NextME can help here too. Through our mobile marketing platform, you can customize the marketing messages your guests receive while they’re waiting for their table. Include fun local coupons here, and they can go shopping or book their salon services while they wait! In addition to being a fun way to promote other local businesses (and earn their promotions in return), this can turn wait time into a fun family experience that adds to Mom’s delight, instead of detracting from an otherwise special day. You also can send guests to your social media pages, which has been shown to increase restaurants’ social engagement by up to 17%!
Adjust the Floor Plan
Mother’s Day brings out families, and sometimes they come in large groups. It’s easy to see how a mother of three grown kids, who all have families of their own, can wind up needing seating for a dozen or more. You’ll most likely need to accommodate plenty of large parties.
And while it may be tempting to cram in as many tables as your space can possibly hold, don’t overcrowd or you’re in for a difficult shift for servers, and uncomfortably close tables for guests. Remember to leave plenty of space for booster seats as you’re likely to use more of them than normal. And make use of outdoor seating areas by investing in heaters if it’s still a bit chilly in your area.
Afternoon Tea
Don’t be afraid to think outside the box too. Consider adding in a mid-afternoon tea for Mother’s Day. With plenty of finger sandwiches and bakery selections, this makes for a shorter, less expensive meal that helps to spread out your busy day a bit by offering unique dining hours. And it’s becoming more popular for those looking for something a bit special and unique. Just be sure to promote it heavily on social media so that guests know you’re offering a special tea service and can plan accordingly.
Ready to introduce NextME to your business? Call us at (877) 639-8631 or schedule a demo from us HERE!
7 Ways to Be a Superstar Restaurant Host
So you’ve managed to land the position of the host at one of the hottest eateries in town. Go you! We know you’re going to rock this position, but in case you could use some tips, we’ve got your back!
Whether this is your first hosting job, or you’ve been at this for years, it never hurts to review the basics and figure out where you might have room to improve. Here are the down and dirty details on what it takes to really shine as a host or hostess for a restaurant.
1. Look the part.
This one starts before you even show up for work. As a host or hostess, you’re often the first person guests see when they visit a restaurant for the first time. And you’ll never get a second chance to make a first impression. This means you should always arrive for your shift well groomed, clean, and ready to go. Hair should be neat, makeup should be tasteful, and clothing should look professional. It should go without saying, but a host should never be playing with their phone, chewing gum, or eating at the host stand. Remember, you are the face of the restaurant.
2. Greet everyone who walks in the door promptly.
This should be a no-brainer, but it’s easy to get distracted when things are slow, or overwhelmed during a rush. As a host one of your main tasks is to welcome guests to your restaurant. A smile and a friendly greeting goes a long way toward making people feel welcome. This means, no matter how important whatever else you might be doing is, you stop and greet everyone. No exceptions.
3. Be organized.
There’s a lot going on at the host stand – more than most guests realize. You have a thousand things to keep track of, and during a busy shift, it may be hours before you have a chance to breathe for a moment. Keep everything organized and orderly, and you’ll find the task much easier to manage. Make sure you have all the supplies you need before your shift starts, including extras of things like pens or highlighters if you use them. Better yet, a waitlist app like NextME can make it easy to stay on top of everything digitally.
4. Honesty really is the best policy.
Never tell a guest it will be just a few minutes for a table, unless that’s actually true. Never make up an answer to a question if you’re not sure. Be realistic when relaying any type of information, and you’ll head off the kind of problems that could blow up in your face later.
5. Know your restaurant.
If you’re interacting with customers, you’re going to get questions. Lots of them. Whether it’s the phone call about special dietary restrictions, or people who just came in the door asking about special menu items or gift cards, you’re sure to get stumped now and then. Take a proactive approach and learn as much as you can about the menu and restaurant policies, and be sure to familiarize yourself with any specials or promos that are currently ongoing before you start your shift. The more you know, the easier these interactions will be.
6. Know your coworkers.
In every restaurant there are some members of the wait staff who can handle more than others. Being aware of the strengths and weaknesses of the team can make things run that much smoother. At the same time, you need to be fair when seating guests so that everyone has a chance to make some good tips. Don’t overload the best servers just because you know they can handle it. Spread the workload around and you’ll find everyone is appreciative, especially the guests!
7. Keep a good sense of humor and maintain composure.
This is probably the most important part of the job. A good host has to grin and bear it no matter what comes your way. You’ll probably deal with rude guests from time to time, but that’s just part of working with the public. Don’t take anything personally, no matter what they may say. Just laugh it off and move on. Likewise, when everything seems to be chaotic and you’ve got a million and one things on your plate, you still need to exude a sense of calm or risk spreading the chaos further. Above all, relax and take the good with the bad. You’re sure to run into plenty of both!
Ready to introduce NextME to your business? Call us at 408.909.6398 or schedule a demo from us HERE !
Restaurants Lose Out When Reservation Systems Feud
It’s a nightmare for any restaurateur: lots of empty tables on Valentines Day because of no-shows. The notoriously busy holiday, when everyone wants to wine and dine their sweetheart, is regarded as the second busiest day for the restaurant industry (falling just short of Mother’s Day). And no-show reservations cost big money.
But Valentines Day 2018 did not go so smoothly for several restaurants in Chicago. A rogue OpenTable employee had been using their rival, Reserve’s, reservations service to make hundreds of fake reservations at 45 restaurants across the city, culminating on Valentine’s Day. As soon as the fraudulent activity was noticed and tracked back, the employee was fired, but much of the damage had already been done.
While it seems the two reservation systems are ready to kiss and make up, the restaurant owners who bore the cost of this ill-advised campaign may not be so forgiving. Every no-show reservation means a table that sits empty. In some restaurants, it only takes a couple of empty tables to kill profits for an entire shift.
But what can you do when your reserved tables are handled by a third party? Overbook and hope nobody notices? Just take the hit? It’s a conundrum restaurateurs have dealt with for years.
An Alternative to Reservation Systems
Walk-in only restaurants never have to deal with no-shows. But of course, there are other issues that can cause them to lose money. Paging systems are expensive to purchase and maintain. Long lines and crowds near the door can turn away diners before they even make it out of the parking lot. But there is a better way.
With a restaurant waiting list app like NextME, hosts can give guests the freedom to wander, the ability to communicate, and all the info you like, right at their fingertips. Customers receive a text that includes a link to see their place in line. There, they can also view restaurant specials, browse your menu, engage with your social media, and feel more connected while they wait. No need to bother the hostess to see what place they hold in line — the link does that too. And if they want to spend their wait time visiting nearby shops or taking a stroll around the neighborhood, they’re not tethered by the limits of a paging system’s range.
In today’s constantly connected world, it just makes sense. Plus, the app can mean a reduction in walkouts of up to 25%!
Customers love it too, especially since they can use NextME without downloading a separate app! All they have to do is show up at a NextME restaurant, give the hostess a phone number, and wait for an SMS notifying them that their table is ready. Being able to check their place in line means they’re free to hang out at the bar around the corner, go to the nail salon down the street for a quick pedi, or spend some time browsing through their favorite boutiques and still make it back in time to be seated.
And your staff is going to appreciate how quick and easy it is to notify customers that their table is ready and keep track of the whole wait list at a glance. In fact, the app can help improve service speed through the whole dining experience as guests have a chance to peruse the menu and decide on their orders before they are seated.
But High End Restaurants Need to Take Reservations
While waitlist apps are wonderful for most restaurants in the full-service casual category, they may not work for others. High end restaurants may still need a way to book tables in advance. It needs to be user friendly, technologically relevant, and most of all, reliable and affordable for businesses.
Enter Tock. Founder Nick Kokonas found himself dismayed over some of the practices and policies of Open Table and other reservations systems, so he decided it was time to come up with an alternative. But how to balance the restaurant’s need for reliable reservations with a customer service oriented approach?
He found the answer in pre-paid reservations and deposits. The system allows restaurants to manage the way they handle their own reservations. On slow days, reservations are often free since there is minimal impact to the restaurant if they no-show. On busier days, diners may pay a reservation deposit up front, so the restaurant gets paid something even if they don’t come. Finally, for the busiest time slots, or big restaurant holidays like Valentine’s Day or Mother’s Day, restaurants can sell pre-paid reservations to ensure those tables won’t lose money, no matter what happens. And best of all, restaurants can choose the balance of these booking options themselves, to optimize their table turns based on their own specific needs.
But does it work? Tock has achieved what was once considered impossible. They boast a 0.03% no show/no pay rate. That’s a dream come true for many high-end eateries!
The Bottom Line
Restaurants live and die based on their ability to quickly turn tables. No show reservations can cause major problems and with modern reservation systems, the power is completely out of your hands. When something goes wrong, whether it’s corporate manipulation, a mean-spirited prank, or simply guests being flaky, it can cost big money.
If an app like NextME can help you turn tables quicker, retain customers, and make life easier for your front of house staff, can you really afford not to give it a try?
The Mobile App That’s Re-Activating Restaurant Internal Marketing
When it comes to marketing, there are a lot of mediums that stress the importance of relevant targeting, but few that actually get it right. One industry in the midst of a complete overhaul is the Restaurant industry. Challenged by the introduction of several new players in an already saturated market, restaurant owners, investors as well as brands looking to connect with restaurant patrons have been left wondering which way to turn.
After activating a hyper-local expansion of the NextME app here in Chicago, we’ve been able to gain key insight into some of the questions that restaurant professionals have and built a product to address them. Here is what we learned.
Restaurants are a viable target for both Brands and Ad Agencies to target. Restaurants can also find great success through internal marketing methodology.
There is often a gap, however, between intention and execution. Although the intention of a scheduled promotion or brand initiative may be sound, focused, and otherwise fool-proof, we found that many promotions underperform based on an overestimation of the “incentive vs. required work”. This means that we’ve observed several campaigns overestimate the value of their offered incentive vs. the work required to receive it. Consumers don’t like to be low-balled, especially when it concerns their food and they don’t want to do tons of work or opt into spam in order to receive it.
There is an important correlation between “Restaurant classification” and viable internal marketing campaigns.
For example, a Fast Casual Restaurant wouldn’t seem like the best surface level target for a luxury watch line, but if we consider factors like the type of food, the price point, and brand focus, we might find enough of a correlation to develop a fruitful strategy. I say all this to explain that there is too often a lack of proper research done on both sides before activating internal marketing and cross-marketing campaigns.
The best time to target Restaurant Patrons is while they are waiting in Line.
Although wait times differ across categories like restaurant size, location, classification and more, at no other time is an individual more concerned with a restaurant, its food offerings and it’s associated partners.
So, in response to these findings, we positioned NextME to solve the wait-list debacle and subsequently re-align internal marketing for our entire restaurant inventory. NextME avoids traditional barriers by requiring no consumer download. When patrons enter a restaurant, a host places them onto the app’s wait-list using their name, phone number and other relevant information.
NextME then uses SMS messaging which allows the app to communicate with patrons cell-phones directly to share a customized link via text to their personal wait-list page that not only contains their wait time but menus, specials, partnered ads and more. We call this page the mobile marketing page and we’re currently getting an average of over 30 minutes of engagement from each patron.
We’ve gone through great lengths to simplify our platform so that restaurants can easily activate internal marketing campaigns and reach their patrons. We’ve also spent considerable time segmenting our existing restaurant inventory in a way that allows brands and agencies to pursue relevant targeting within restaurants themselves.
We are interested in having conversations about advertising within NextME’s restaurant inventory. Feel free to contact us via e-mail at [email protected] with any questions, comments, or opportunities that you are interested in discussing. We are also porting the app to new industries. If you have appointments and walk-ins, we have the app to address your need for wait-list management and structured internal marketing. Learn more on our website.
How NextME Can Help Your Restaurant Improve Customer Retention
The restaurant industry is highly saturated, and with whatever initiatives you start, it’s essential to keep them going and supported. Many businesses start programs and never maintain them long enough for anyone to reap the rewards. This means that instead of running a ton of programs all at once, try to focus on one or two with flawless execution.
- If you’re doing a rewards program, set a time length and stick to it (if not indefinitely).
- Make sure your rewards are worthwhile (if you’re not sure what that is, list a few options and run a survey). With that said, regular surveys are a great way to learn how your customers feel about your restaurant in general. Best practice is making your surveys hyper-focused on one or two categories at a time so that they aren’t too long. You can even administer to customers at your restaurant with the receipt in exchange for a small discount. Not many people would turn that down.
- Social media and online visibility tactics are important. Use tools like NextME that help with ops as well as increase customer engagement via social media to build the community alongside your brand.
NextME not only manages wait-lists (allowing your hosts to hold reservations in-app with only a cell phone number) but also can drive customer engagement with your restaurant earning you a lot more money. Here’s how . . .
1.) When someone visits your restaurant on a busy day, they speak with a host who adds them on the waitlist.
2.) The NextME app will send the patron a text message with a clickable link that will take them to a custom page that shows their position in line (The quoted wait time is entered by the host/ess). We call this page the mobile marketing page
3.) This page will be styled and branded based on what the restaurant wants to drive traffic to. Host your menus, drink specials, social media profiles and more. On average we are getting 30 minutes of consistent engagement from each customer which means people are staying on this page interacting with the digital assets we place on it. That’s an extremely healthy amount of time when it comes to advertisements and engagement.
4.) Because the app uses SMS messaging, patrons are free to leave the restaurant to shop, or other activities while they wait (opening up opportunities for you to cross advertise using the mobile marketing page) and leverage other businesses to market your restaurant.
When its close to the time they should be seated, a text will prompt them to confirm if they want to keep the reservation with a reply of “1” or cancel it with a reply of “2”.
We’re currently in hundreds of restaurants and growing fast. Here’s why...
Customers DO NOT have to download the app. The app interacts with customers cell phones and mobile browsers.
You can add people to the wait-list who do not have a cell-phone.Hosts love us, because it significantly reduces the chance of error and resulting fallout from seating the wrong party at the wrong time.
Hosts love us, because it significantly reduces the chance of error and resulting fallout from seating the wrong party at the wrong time.
Built in Table Tracking
Managers and Owners love us because of the fine-tuned data we produce that help them make high level decisions.
We are inexpensive with a low price point. Our most popular plan is $59.99 a month but we have plans as low as $19.99 a month. View NextME Pricing.
Ready to introduce NextME to your business? Call us at 408.909.6398 or schedule a demo from us HERE!
Get A Taste of Chicago This Weekend
Taste of Chicago, the nation’s premier outdoor food festival showcasing the diversity of Chicago’s dining community is currently taking over Grant Park (July 5–9). General admission is FREE, which means you will have access to Chicago’s best food, music, arts, and exciting events throughout the day. Whether this is your first time visiting the Taste of Chicago or not, you should at least know a few restaurants, food trucks, and artists that are performing this year.
A new year calls for new vendors. Here are a list of new restaurants and food trucks that are participating in this year’s Taste of Chicago 2017:
5-Day Restaurants:
Ben’s Bar Be Cue, Cheesie’s Pub and Grub, Lawrence’s Fish & Shrimp, Ukai Japanese Restaurant.
Pop-Up Restaurants:
Brightwork Kitchen, Burger Bar Chicago, Hakka Bakka Indian Kati Rolls, Just Salad, Little Beet Table, Seoul Taco, Warm Belly Bakery.
Food Trucks:
American Glory, Aztec Dave’s Food Truck, Bop Bar Truck, El Patron, Mike’s Revenge, The Cajun Connoisseur.
One of the most memorable experiences at the Taste of Chicago is to enjoy a signature dining experience by some of Chicago’s finest chefs and restaurateurs. Here is the lineup:
Thursday, July 6 (6:30pm): Chef Chico Vilchez + music by DJ-X ($45)
Friday, July 7 (6:30pm): Chef Oliver Poilevey tribute to Jean-Claude Poilevey ($45)
Saturday, July 8 (11:30am): American Girl Cafe Brunch ($30)
Sunday, July 9 (5:00pm): Chefs Beverly Kim & Johnny Clark ($45)
Don’t miss this incredible 5-day event filled with delicious array of food, good music, arts and fun activities. Grab your friends and family with you and don’t forget to come with a hungry stomach because you won’t want to miss all of the incredible food Chicago has to offer. See you all there!
Happy waiting,
NextME Team
Ps: NextME’s digital waitlist helps restaurants manage their line of customers using SMS Text, replacing the germ infested pagers.
Are you h-angry that your favorite restaurants aren’t using NextME? We’ve put together a nice referral program so make sure to request NextME at your favorite restaurants and we’ll compensate you $50 once they sign up!
Want to learn more about NextME? Visit our page here.
3 Ways Restaurants Can Use NextME’s App to Increase Their Bottom Line
Running a restaurant and getting customers in the door is not easy. Even popular restaurants are seeing prospects flee towards the exit due to long wait times for a table. NextME’s digital waitlist for restaurant employees is significantly improving the customer’s experience at the front-of-house (F-O-H) and has helped restaurants increase customer retention during wait times.
What’s the secret? Communication. By leveraging mobile technology, NextME makes it easy for restaurants to seamlessly connect and relay to diners their position in line. Taking the guessing game out of waiting has helped restaurants and other businesses drive more sales over the course of three years, and we want to continue to do so by sharing some tips to help your restaurant improve your bottom line.
1. Communicate with Customers Effectively
Communication is key to getting your customers in the door and also getting them to stay. With NextME’s digital waitlist app, restaurant hosts can send guests an automated SMS text where diners can easily track their place in line using a weblink. With a simple text message, customers are engaged with their position in line and reduces their anxiety as it allows them to manage their time back to the restaurant. Two-way texting also allows customers to reply with “1” to confirm their reservation or “2” to cancel without having to call or physically return to the host stand.
2. Increase Customer Retention
Using SMS text as a tool to communicate with your patrons helps increase customer retention by up to 25% during peak hours. Compared to shouting customer’s names one by one off a clipboard, restaurant partners find that their retention rates of waiting patrons increase from 60% up to 90% when using NextME’s app. With NextME, hosts can easily manage your patrons’ expectations in real time, allowing your restaurant to retain more customers during peak hours and drive more sales.
3. Improved Marketing ROI
Using text messages for your restaurant increases the value your restaurant can bring to your customers. NextME’s text message includes a web link that will direct patrons to the restaurant’s mobile marketing page. This page will be styled and branded according to the restaurant’s preferences, such as displaying menus, drink specials and social media pages. Displaying marketing content to waiting patrons increases customer engagement and takes care of patrons when your hosts are too busy checking for table availability. On average, restaurants are getting 20–30 minutes of consistent engagement on NextME’s marketing page.
To learn more about how NextME app can help drive more sales for your restaurant and increase your bottom line, check out our page here.
Ready to introduce NextME to your business? Request a demo from us!
Latest Tactics in Restaurant Marketing
We have seen a lot of new trends in the restaurant industry over the past year or so. Most of them revolve around visibility tactics to let people know A.) You’re here, and B.) You’re serving great food that people want to eat. At a base level, this is restaurant marketing. Different platforms work best for different restaurants, but there are several factors which contribute to that.
Do you have a dedicated social media staff member, or are you dedicating a host/hostess to throwing up some posts in their free time? Are you giving your patrons incentive to share posts about you and give solid reviews? Before you even answer all that, are you maintaining an updated social media presence with which your patrons can connect with and reach you?
The latest tactics shouldn’t revolve solely around the newest craze in social media, but rather what we have established as functional and fruitful. Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram are those core platforms. LinkedIn is also viable and depending on the size and classification of your restaurant, you will be able to source some great talent from the site as well. The main thing here is not overloading yourself with work you cannot handle and letting your social media profiles go long periods without updates.
Incentivize your patrons to leave reviews on your Facebook page (it goes a long way). Host giveaways in exchange for page likes and post shares.
Use Instagram to share HQ images of your restaurant and feed them directly to the Twitter profile.
Focus on improving internal operations and find the right tools to do it. Get rid of the pen and paper waitlist and switch to NextME , the only digital waitlist app that diners themselves won’t need to download and the only one that lets you advertise internally.
NextME allows diners to use their cell phone number to hold their place in line. The app sends out text notifications to confirm they’ve been added to the list, and sends out a direct link to a countdown page which lets them know their place in line. The countdown page allows restaurants to host their menu in digital form but also links to the restaurants social media profiles, and other partnered ads which all help to increase restaurant visibility, table turns and patron satisfaction.
Ready To Introduce A Digital Waitlist App To Your Restaurant Employees?
Have any questions or curious as to what benefits a digital waitlist app like NextME can do for your restaurant? Comment below or reach out to us!
It’s time to say goodbye to outdated pager systems! Try a 14-day FREE trial of NextME and replace your expensive pager system with SMS text!
What are Restaurants Saying about NextME’s Digital Waitlist App?
What you’ve been waiting for has finally arrived. NextME is the go-to waitlist app for restaurant employees that allows diners to add their cell phone number to hold their place in line. That means no more antiquated pen and paper waitlist for hosts and those yucky, germ infest pagers for diners. While there are other similar waitlist platforms on the market, NextME is different and unique in its own way.
NextME app allows hosts to manage walk-ins more efficiently; all they have to enter is a patron’s name, party size and cell phone number into the digital waitlist and the app will send an automated SMS text to diners to easily access their position in line using a weblink. No mobile app needed for diners to download.
NextME’s digital waitlist makes it easy for restaurant hosts to keep track of their waiting patrons and notify guests with a touch of a button. No more shouting guest names off a clipboard and searching for customers in a crowd. While pagers may seem fascinating for first-time users, their clunkiness is tiresome and they are expensive for restaurants to replace — pagers can cost anywhere from $25 to $100 per device.
Taking the guessing game out of waiting has helped restaurants retain more customers during peak hours by up to 25%. When restaurants use pen and paper waitlist, the average retention rate is 65%. When using NextME digital waitlist, restaurant partners find that their retention rates of waiting patrons increase up to 90%. Providing the position in line has proven to help customers manage their commute back to the restaurant, increasing tables turns for the restaurant.
Below are some testimonials from a few of Chicago’s best on how NextME has helped their restaurant increased their bottom line:
Oiistar — “Our kitchen busy hours get extended.”- Oiistar Restaurant Owner
Kuma’s Corner — “Our table turns are dramatically better and we don’t have as many walk outs which helps increase our revenue.”- Kuma’s Corner Restaurant Owner
Café Selmarie — “It’s like New Year’s Eve waiting for your table!”- Café Selmarie Diner
To read more testimonials, click here!
Ready To Introduce A Digital Waitlist App To Your Business?
Have any questions or curious as to what benefits a digital waitlist app like NextME can do for your restaurant or business? Comment below or reach out to us!
It’s time to say goodbye to outdated pager systems! Try a FREE 14-day trial of NextME and replace your expensive pager system with SMS text.
If you’re a diner, no need to download the NextME app. Let us know your favorite no advance reservation policy restaurant and we’ll send you $50.00! Here’s a link to referral program.
Happy Waiting,
The NextME team