How to promote contactless pay-at-table options to your restaurant customers
Published August 3, 2020
Pay-at-table technology offers many advantages to your serving staff and your customers. Not only does it streamline your workflow, saving valuable time and improving the customer experience, but pay at the table also makes it easier for everyone to stick to social distancing and hygiene rules. But people can’t plan to pay at the table if they don’t know it’s an option.
So if it’s something you’re providing, it’s important to communicate to your customers. Because advertising the safety of your restaurant can help build trust, fill tables and keep guests coming back.
Digitally promote your pay-at-table options on every channel
You can use any of the regular communication channels to make your pay-at-table options visible, including social media, email, newsletters, your website and your mobile app, if you have one. If you’re not a social media pro quite yet, have a look at our 5 ways to use social media to connect with loyal customers. Be sure to include how it works and any short, helpful tips.
Display it on your in-restaurant signage
Additionally, advertising pay-at-table options inside the restaurant itself will make sure everyone gets the message. You can promote it using bright digital signage, flyers, table tents and/or window signs, for example.
Communicate during the dining experience
Reminding your customers that you offer pay-at-table options consistently through several different channels will make them aware that you are taking necessary precautions to prevent the spread of disease, keeping them and your staff safe. Servers can inform customers at the beginning and the end of their dining experience to ensure guests know their options. Prep your staff so they know what to say and how to say it.
Be consistent and cohesive
Your messaging should be consistent, no matter the channel. To help, we’ve put together a free digital marketing toolkit to make it easier and more efficient to promote your pay-at-table options and other information. Use it to enhance your social media and email presence, driving curbside, takeout and dine-in orders. The social media and email marketing eBook is full of tips on how to best get the message across to your audience – also make use of the pre-sized email headers, social media images and more to save time.
Click here to access the Digital Marketing Tool Kit.
While you’re looking around, make sure to find out more about NCR Mobile Pay as well. It’s a mobile payment solution that offers a truly contactless experience and is now available to all table service restaurants using Aloha POS in the U.S.
Have you noticed any recent trends with loyalty/rewards programs (specifically for restaurants)?
Restaurants are serving people who are more digitally enabled than ever before. So customers expect digital food ordering choices and on-demand options, compelling incentives and services that cater to their lifestyle.
As a result, we are seeing restaurants trying to reclaim their own unique customer base, engaging them on a personal level and appealing to that core demographic of customers who represent their highest value audience.
Loyalty is a great way to do this because it gives the restaurant the ability to identify those customers and communicate with them directly, in a way that makes them feel appreciated and special. They can re-establish a direct connection through communication channels and learn what will keep them coming back—instead of going to a competitor.
