Rewards Network, a dining program that provides consumers with rewards of choice every time they dine at a program restaurant, announced today that they have released a new report, “Two Factors that Impact Return Visits to Your Restaurant – It’s not what you think.”
The newly released report uncovers the fact that, despite what most restaurateurs think, food is not the number one driver for return visits. In depth analysis on ratings and rewards uncover the true motivations and actions that drive them.
“With 90% of our surveyed restaurants saying they value repeat visits over new visits, it’s critical to understand what drives repeat business into a restaurant,” explained Kara Walsh, Chief Marketing Officer Rewards Network.
The results of the report were compiled from researchers at Rewards Network who utilized data from 99,000 verified dinner surveys and actual dining transactions to analyze consumer behavior. With over 11,000 restaurant partners, who service over 13.5 million customer transactions annually, Rewards Network believes understanding consumer behavior is essential to a restaurant’s success.
“We set out to challenge the way most restaurateurs think about return visits so that restaurants can start focusing on what actually drives the repeat visits and increased incremental spending,” continued Walsh. “Restaurateurs need to understand who their customers are, their purpose for dining at the restaurant, and how they can motivate a return visit.”
According to the company, targeted incentives are proven to help influence a customer’s future dining activity based on the behavior taken. The report finds that restaurant owners should examine behavior of their customers and motivate their specific desired behavior accordingly. It is not one-size fits all with every customer.
In their research, Rewards Network saw a 14% increase in incremental spending by active diners who were offered a bonus to incentivize additional dining experiences. When targeting a group of diners who were not active prior to a bonus, the company saw a 17% increase in spending. They concluded that by using data to know your customers and motivate spending, you can optimize your incentives for the greatest return on your investment.
Interested restaurant owners and restaurateurs can download the entire free PDF of the report at https://www.rewardsnetwork.com/resources/restaurant-marketing/. Copies will also be available at the 9th annual Fast Casual Executive Summit on Tuesday, October 14, during a panel discussion led by Walsh, titled “Can You Really Influence a Customer?” at 11:00 a.m. MDT.
For more information on the Summit in Denver, CO, visit: http://www.fastcasualsummit.com/.
About Rewards Network
Rewards Network (rewardsnetwork.com) is a results-driven, measurable card-linked marketing platform that helps restaurants fill more tables and build a loyal customer base. Rewards Network provides access to millions of passionate diners, driving new and repeat visits by offering rewards such as airline miles, hotel points, charitable contributions, and more. The company promotes restaurants to diners via web, email, social media, and mobile marketing, and also provides valuable customer feedback and performance tracking to help restaurants improve service and increase profits.
About Fast Casual Executive Summit
Since 1997, FastCasual.com has reported on the important news, events, trends and people in the $23.5 billion fast casual restaurant industry segment. The company reaches a global audience of industry professionals looking to track the latest food and beverage trends, top markets for growth and hot concepts. The 9th annual Fast Casual Executive Summit 2014 is an exclusive event reserved for restaurant executives. Sessions will cover topics such as customer experience, sustainability, beverage trends, mobile CRM, mobile payments, integrated marketing, digital menu boards, getting business on the side, and more.
