How To Make Mother’s Day Memorable at Your Restaurant

Mother’s Day is a big day for restaurants—but it’s an even bigger day for mothers. This Mother’s Day, celebrate the women who are taking the time to walk through your doors for their special day. Customers are the driving force to the success of a restaurant, and if your customers are well taken care of, you can expect to thrive as a business. Make every mother feel like a VIP this Sunday by creating the guest experience she deserves, and utilize these mothers day restaurant tips year-round to attract and keep loyal diners.

Provide Excellent Customer Service

Exceptional customer service goes beyond the usual, ‘Hi, how are you?’ and ‘Thanks for coming, have a nice day!’ It’s deeper than that. If you want to attract diners that are committed to your restaurant, commit to getting to know them. One of the first ways to get to know your diner is by actually asking for their name. If they’re a regular, you should dedicate time to remembering their name. Cater to these regular customers. You should know where they like to sit, what they like to eat and drink, and if they have any food allergies. This makes a big difference on a day like Mother’s Day. Both before and after Mother’s Day, interact with your customers on your social media fan page. Post frequently and respond to your customers’ responses in a timely manner. Show genuine care for their remarks. You also need employees that are consistently friendly. Be the restaurant with the reputation of having the friendliest staff. Invest in your employees and their training to provide the best customer service. Create a strategic plan for handling customer complaints. For example, if a customer has waited over a certain amount of time for their meal, consider having the server offer 10% off the bill or a free appetizer before the customer has a chance to complain. Doing this will show your restaurant’s commitment to the customer. Another way to improve customer service is to implement technology that will enhance the guest experience. Consider a restaurant reservation system that will manage your waitlist and reservations.  With a restaurant reservation system, you can also gain insight on customers’ birthdays, anniversaries, favorite dishes, food allergies, and much more. Kitchen automation systems are another way to improve guest experience and can be integrated with the restaurant reservation system. A kitchen automation system will reduce ticket times, improve food qualities, and more.

Have a Rewards System

Everyone loves a discount, especially at their favorite restaurants during special occasions. Loyalty cards are a great way to entice customers to come back, and to give them a reason to come to your restaurant on their big days. Make sure the terms of your loyalty card are clear so that guests know what to expect. Encourage customers to sign up for your loyalty card program on social media, through email campaigns, and at the restaurant. You can use a reservation management software to manage the loyalty program. Digital coupons are also a great offer for social media and email campaigns. You could also use social media to do drawings and fan of the week contests.

Create Transparency

No matter how much effort you put into accommodating guests, you will always have angry customers. Unfortunately, angry customers commonly turn to the Internet to voice their outrage. How a complaint is handled is always under a microscope—in fact, 84% of consumers trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations. Frequently monitor the reviews you are receiving on social media and other restaurant review websites. You could also set up a Google Alert for your restaurant so you stay up-to-date on reviews on the Internet. If you do receive a negative review, DO NOT delete the comment. Engage! Respond to the comment in a timely manner and own up to any mistakes the restaurant has made. Even if you believe the customer is wrong, show them that they have your attention and offer to speak further with them outside of social media.

Focus on Your Atmosphere

Table shape and size, dining room layout, music, lighting, color schemes, décor, and cleanliness all work together to create the atmosphere of the restaurant. Not thinking through one of these elements can lead to a poor guest experience. Spend a lot of time deciding what is going to work best for your restaurant, and think about how you’ll add to the customer experience on holidays like Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, or other days that are big for dining out. It takes work to provide a great atmosphere and guest experience, but your diners will appreciate the thought and effort you put into it. And, for every mother who walks through your doors on Mother’s Day, it is a way to give her the recognition she deserves.

QSR and Your Customer Service 

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About the Author

Emily Wimpsett was a Content & Social Media Specialist at QSR Automations. Emily was born and raised in Louisville but considers herself a die-hard University of Kentucky fan. For college, Emily attended Indiana University Southeast and obtained a degree in Communications with a track in Advertising. In her free time, Emily enjoys just about every water-related activity, but she is partial to kayaking and whitewater rafting.