Don't just get them in - get them back!

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Brief your staff fully to make sure they understand the detail of the offer and are ready to receive bookings. Remind them that many of these are likely to be from new customers so they need to be extra courteous on the phone. The same applies to a special event. If a name sounds unfamiliar, get staff to ask the caller if this is the first time they’ve been to the restaurant and offer useful information about the venue such as directions, menu details and opening times. Write ‘new’ next to the reservation and offer an extra special welcome when they arrive.

The customer may have a discount voucher but will probably spend more if they feel comfortable so instruct your staff to treat them well. Spending a little extra time at this stage could secure a loyal customer for the foreseeable future. Give them the full treatment without pushing them. Find out about their likes and dislikes. Let them see all the menus, hear about the chefs’ delicious specials and taste the wine of the month. You’ll be surprised how quickly they forget about their budget. Think about offering a free coffee or a good-quality chocolate to finish. Little touches like this go a long way to promote the feel-good factor and as the old saying goes, you only get one chance to make a first impression.

Always ask for feed-back afterwards. An open-ended question such as a genuinely-interested ‘How was your meal?’ usually promotes a more meaningful response than an automated ‘Was that OK?’ to which many diners will simply say ‘yes’ (even when they don’t really mean it!). Ask staff to make a note of all comments and pass them up the line for reflection.

When it comes to the bill, make sure this shows the true price of the meal with the value of any discount or voucher taken off. That way the customer sees the saving and your records are kept straight. When they leave, always thank them for coming and say you hope to see them again soon and give them a reason to come back. Talk up any events or specials you have coming up and ask the customer if they’d like to go on your database so that you can let them know about future offers (go to Building a Customer Database if you don’t already have one).

Your hospitality and food may well have been enough to tempt back your diners but your efforts will be reinforced if you follow up their visit with an e-mail message a week or so afterwards (another good reason for obtaining their contact details) See our example of a keeping-in-touch email.

Don't just get them in - get them back!

Though special events and discount offers are primarily designed to attract customers to your restaurant, the ultimate goal is to generate repeat business. This is when that initial outlay of time and money can be handsomely rewarded with increased profits.

When you put on a promotion involving a voucher or coupon, always request that the customer mentions it at the time of booking. This will give you a chance of identifying new customers in advance so that you’re able to make an extra special effort to win them over as regulars.