Loyalty cards have always been an effective way to keep customers coming back.

Customer loyalty is one of those issues that every hotelier aspires to. Few are the privileged few who can boast of a trustworthy clientele: those who always go for a beer at the same time, who call the waiter by name or who comment on the football results every morning.

In a landscape where so many bars and restaurants offer good service, it is becoming increasingly difficult to keep new customers coming back. Of course, it is up to us to offer a rewarding experience or to try to stand out from the crowd with an interesting business proposition.

However, sometimes it is as easy as giving a small boost to customer return with smarter and more effective methods. This is why so many bars and restaurants have in recent years introduced loyalty cards, an easy-to-use alternative that also offers interesting benefits to both customers and restaurateurs.

What are loyalty cards? 

From their cardboard format and stamps to the most comprehensive smartphone alternatives. Loyalty cards have changed a lot as hospitality businesses have started to embrace digital transformation. However, their goal remains the same: to keep customers coming back.

Traditionally, cardboard cards have always been the most common. They are very interesting and common options in restaurants with daily set menus, cafeterias and take awayThese cards are suitable for any type of hospitality business. These pre-designed cards are usually given to customers and are stamped each time they return to the premises. The most common thing is that, when they reach the maximum number of stamps, the customer is offered some kind of incentive, such as a free menu or some kind of drink. The main advantages are:

• Trust between employer and customer

Human nature is fickle like that and we love to feel that we belong to some kind of club or select group. If, when handing out the card, we also take care to write down the customer's name, this feeling will come to the surface and they will understand that they are more than welcome there.

• Does not require much investment

The cost of designing and printing the cards and offering a prize or incentive for our customers is usually very low. It is more than justified to make this investment if, in the end, we can generate more return to the venue.

 These are some of the most frequent uses of the loyalty cards (although their options are as wide-ranging as we want to get when it comes to offers):

• Welcome offers

This is an initial discount that is given as soon as the loyalty card is created. With each downloaded card, a notification is automatically created. push that works by geolocation and invites users to approach the premises when they are in a nearby area. It is a perfect pretext to generate downloads and take care of the customer.

•  Apply discounts on certain days

As customers will be registered, we will be able to inform them directly of offers for days or times when there is less traffic, such as weekdays or dinners in restaurants located in office districts.

• Generate point systems

This system is very interesting because it is usually based on the expenditure generated by the customers. The best thing is that, practically from the second time they visit the establishment, small percentages can be continuously deducted from the bill. Customers will feel that they are saving continuously and, as hoteliers, we will gain more and more loyalty.

• One-off gifts

As the cards record all the consumption generated by the customers - as long as they use them - as they earn points or fill in all the stamps we can give gifts such as drinks or tapas, but also merchandising or a delicatessen product in the case of restaurants serving haute cuisine.

• Incentivise the services of take away y delivery with offers for them

Now that many businesses are making takeaway and delivery services a priority, what better way is there to offer discounts for customers who use them? Specific codes can be generated and customers simply give them at the time of ordering via phone, web or mobile app.

• 2×1 for bringing a friend

As we are also looking to generate more loyalty cards, it is very common to give advantages both to the customer who is already loyal and to the person who comes with them and downloads their own card. The 2×1 concept works very well in terms of marketing, but you can always look for other incentives such as a free dessert or a discount.

Ideas for complementing loyalty cards with digital marketing strategies

The main advantage of digital loyalty cards is that they can function as a communication element between customers and restaurateurs. This is very common in today's landscape, where digital marketing strategies mark the day-to-day life of bars and restaurants and all kinds of businesses.

Firstly, they allow us to have a good customer database, which is very interesting for making offers and campaigns, segmenting them according to the type of diner or personalising reservations in advance, paying attention to preferences or even allergies and intolerances.

With sales-oriented thinking and the right creativity, a multitude of actions can be carried out with loyalty cards as a central focus, such as actions with influencersWe are also looking for new ways to reach out to customers, invitations to generate reviews on Tripadvisor, cross-sharing strategies to share the download link of the card on social media or continuous communication with customers in uncertain seasons, such as the one we have experienced in 2020.

It's just a matter of taking the first step, discovering the interesting options and facilities that Zapiplay offers with the printing service and start thinking about all that a loyalty card can do for our customers and our business.

Zapiplay helps you to promote all kinds of campaigns and of course we are experts in creating customer retention strategies.