The value of hospitality
Despite the cost-of-living crisis, eating and drinking out is as important to Britons as ever. Our recent GO Technology research report in partnership with CGA by NIQ and UK Hospitality, highlights that the key to building a loyal customer base is consistent delivery of the fundamentals of hospitality.
Firstly, why do customers spend time in hospitality?
The most popular reason that people choose to go out in hospitality is to socialise with friends and family (50%). Operators that make life easy for customers, such as adopting online booking systems or allowing customers to make tailored requests based on the occasion, will increase the likelihood of customers returning.
What role does hospitality play within communities?
64% of consumers say the hospitality sector plays an important role in their local community, and 60% of consumers want to support local businesses within their communities. Operators can tap into this affection by organising events or raising money for the community. This can help venues to demonstrate their value beyond just being a place to go for food or drink.
How can businesses build loyalty?
Loyalty is the foundation of growth and success in hospitality. Our research shows that consistently delivering on the fundamentals of hospitality is key to generating this.
Having friendly and knowledgeable staff is a significant factor in terms of loyalty for a third of consumers (30%). We know that people make hospitality great, so ensuring staff are delivering on customer expectation and great service goes a long way.
Achieving all this is no easy feat, however. Having processes and technology in place can play a helping hand. Operators that invest in solutions which help increase efficiencies and alleviate staff pressures, will set themselves up to succeed in delivering the exceptional service customers expect.
How can technology help?
Technology should never interfere or take away from the overall experience but, it can work behind the scenes and do the heavy lifting. This provides operators and staff with the time and headspace to focus on delivering great service to customers.
For example, having your EPoS linked to your stock and management systems means getting real-time updates on stock availability, which removes the risk of customers making orders, only to find out a few minutes later that the item is out of stock – one of the things we know customers find particularly irksome. Additionally, linking mobile ordering and payment devices to the main tills removes the need for staff to re-key any orders which saves time and minimises errors.
Using technology can also provide operators with a wealth of insight about customer spending behaviours and habits. Having this data, and in real-time, means that operators can get a detailed overview of how well the business is performing. With this data, operators can create bespoke deals, promotions, offers and incentives based on customer preference, encouraging people to re-visit and reward them for their custom, helping build their loyalty.
Download the full GO Technology: The value of hospitality report here!