\ If you want to remarket to your customers, and own your database we can show you how to export your Customer List to import it into othe...
Do you have a customer with a severe allergy? Or perhaps a particular bottle of wine they consistently choose. Make your customer service soar, no matter the staff member with BooKBooK and its permanent notes feature, and we'll show you how to use it.
Creating a customer note can be done in two different ways via the BookBook Desktop Application - through the search function or after a booking has been made. Through the search function, or after a booking has been made. These permanent notes will be tagged with the phone number and name of the customer so that the note will come up each time they book with your venue.
Through the search function.
1. Click on Settings.
2. Which will open the next window, where you click "Customer List".
3. From here you type the name, number, or email address of the customer you are looking for. Then double-click on them.
We've used Jordan Harris, our BooKBooK Specialist as an example.
4. Now you have their details open, the "Notes / Comments" and start typing.
5. Once you have finished in the Notes / Comments section (we have entered "Peanut Allergy" in as an example) click Save and then Close.
This will save the customer note even if they do not currently have a booking.
Via their booking.
You can also create notes on a customer when a booking is right in front of you
1. Double click on the booking.
2. Click on "More customer details".
3. The customer details card will now appear. In the "Notes / Comments" section start typing.
4. Pop the permanent note in the Notes / Comments section, and then click Save before Close to exit the page.
Viewing the notes on your POS.
To view the notes on your POS when the customer arrives in store, head to the BOOKINGS tab, and view your existing bookings.1. Click on the Cog icon that will appear when the customer has a note for their table.
2. This will open up a small window that will have the customer note sitting here. Customer notes that are there for that specific booking will also appear underneath.
And there you have it, a great way to create consistent customer service, and ensure that your diners will always feel loved and remembered.
Do you have a customer with a severe allergy? Or perhaps a particular bottle of wine they consistently choose. Make your customer service...
Directories are killing the restaurant industry.
There, we said it. But that's how it goes, and we can tell you the 4 most insane (but true) reasons why.
1. Discounts
Discounts are not great. They cheapen your brand for your venue and cut your profits into pieces.Not only this, it means the customer is less likely to pay full price next time. Have you heard of Jon Taffer and Gary Vaynerchuck? Well, you sure better have. They are absolute masters of restaurant marketing and driving customers through the door. And from the horse's mouth in their video at 52:08 :
"Don't discount, people get addicted to discounts. They don't get addicted to free".
And you know what? That discount that your customer is getting addicted to is at YOUR detriment, not at the directory's detriment. They are getting more customers to book online through their directory at your cost, and you are the one paying for it. Paying for it literally, and figuratively by giving the directory money for this cover, and also cheapening your brand while you're at it.
If you have a spare hour we highly recommend watching the whole video about acquiring new customers in restaurants, but this key element we are referring to begins at 47:12.
So whatever you do - don't discount.
Check out our website to learn more about booking systems
2. Google Searching
Google it. Honestly. Google your venue in the same city that your venue resides. Because we can guarantee that if you google your venue and you are in a directory the directory will come up and not your venue. Common practice these days is that if a booking form sits on your website, you don't need to pay for those covers. But if they come from the directory they have acquired the customer for you and therefore that will cost you a fee. What you don't know when you receive your monthly bill for the covers received is that when YOUR venue name is searched on Google, there are approximately 6-8 different links that they have paid for that lead your customer to a $3 fee per cover. This compares to the 1-2 links that your venue will have.Ultimately you are competing with them, they know it, but you didn't until right now.
So Google your venue, if you are with a directory contact them to have them remove their paid ad from your page because it is downright dishonest.
3. On whose terms?
Recently we stumbled on this article about a customer who had the misfortune to fall into this trap. Essentially on the directory's terms, their booking had been cancelled because it hadn't been double confirmed.Play your own games and play it by your rules. And choose a booking system that has the true flexibility to allow you to use deposits or make the phone section necessary. Don't completely substitute emails for phone calls. There is a general trend for customers to want to book easily without "human contact", but opt for communication. In all forms. Be that cleverly calculated reminder texts/emails, or a quick phone call.
Otherwise, you may come across as cold and calculating as the article suggests. So ensure that all forms of communication are customisable.
Learn more about our booking system
4. Customer details
One thing we've given a go in-house is to determine who owns what customer data. And the most interesting thing we have learnt is from trying different email addresses to make bookings. We created a couple of fake email addresses so that they were nice and clean and spam free - and booked two different meals. One of which we booked directly on the directory website, and the other from the customer's website. And we urge you to do the same. Ultimately we were very interested to figure out who owned what data because if a customer is booking on your website their data should be yours. And only yours.What we learnt was that both sources of lunch bookings yielded the same number of spam emails. Every 5 days we received a new discount for another venue in the area that this particular directory was driving us towards.
So create some fake emails, do some digging, and count those venues that your customers are being driven into. Hint: they won't be yours.
So that's 4 different reasons as to why the directories of the world are hurting the restaurant industry. Not only the industry but will directly be impacting on yours. If you'd like to see our checklist on what you do need to focus on, send us an email at hello@bookbookonline.com.au and we'll be glad to send it through.
Better yet, have a look at what BooKBooK has to offer on our website www.bookbookonline.com.au
The good news is that directories are being weeded out as times goes on, and new smarter ways that don't impact venues directly are being rolled out every minute. So keep your eye on different sources that you can use to drive customers into your venue that focus on social interactions, or reward systems for venue bookings. And drown out the directories!
Directories are killing the restaurant industry. There, we said it. But that's how it goes, and we can tell you the 4 most insane ...
- Gain valuable customer insights
Social media generates a staggering amount of data every second, and within this data there is a huge amount of information about your customers including who they are, their likes and dislikes and how they feel about your company. Through active engagement and social listening you are able to gather incredible information in order for you to make weighted business decisions regarding your venue. A huge thing in today’s social media world is food blogging or posting images of one's food onto their social media account, so make sure you have all platforms covered and let your customers know that you are on social media and watch all the tags come in with people who post images of your food. The best things is - you can re-gram their posts (ie. re-use them) so you have a constant influx of images to use on your social media.
- Increase brand awareness and loyalty
Your presence online makes it significantly easier for customers to find you and connect with you. View your social media as a platform where you can connect with your customers rather than a platform just for marketing, and you will see your customer base grow and see an increase in brand loyalty. Make sure you link all of your accounts, as in Facebook, Instagram and website, in order for customers to easily find you and follow you.
- Find out what your competitors are doing
One of the great features of social media, especially if you’re a business, is that it is so easy to find out what your competitors are doing in order to either take what they are doing on board or differentiate yourself from them. You can also use these features to find companies whose skills you could utilise, whether it be a photographer or musician for your venue or if you have a special function on you could use them to decorate the space.
Hint: If you are in need for some artwork at your venue, ask an artist if you could have a few of their pieces hung up with prices so people can purchase them. They get a free gallery, and you get free artwork. Utilise the searches on Instagram or Facebook to find an amateur artist whose work fits in with your venue!
- Geotarget content
Geotargeting is the process where you can send messages to a specific audience based on their location. You will find that all social networks have features where you can communicate your content to the right audience. This can be segregated through demographics (male/female) or geographical different demographics (age, gender) or by geographical location (Sydney, London, Australia). How does this help you? Well you can now target your advertisement to your exact target market. If you are a venue which wants to target 20-40 year old males within a 30 km radius of your venue, then you can. This will not only save you money, but will get the exact market you are looking for.
- Build Relationships
The social media world isn’t all about bombarding the customers with your sales pitch, it’s about connecting with them through a two-way channel. This gives you the ability to grow relationships with your customers and respond to their feedback and/or comments. This can be as simple as liking their pictures on Instagram, commenting that you hope they had a nice meal or re-gramming their image to your site and tagging them in the post.
Gain valuable customer insights Social media generates a staggering amount of data every second, and within this data there is...
If you want to notify your staff of something before they seat a Walk In, or when they are making a booking... Then we have a neat little trick that allows you to create a "Message Table" that means you can reiterate that it is Mother's Day, you have finished your specials, or even a nice message for the day. So follow these simple steps, and improve your internal communication.
And don't worry - if you're ever stuck our BooKBooK Specialist is only a phone call away on 0414 035 815.
Your floorplan will eventually look like this here:
It will also follow through and be displayed on your Exceed to work in the same way when creating a booking.
So if this is something you're interested in to make the most of your BooKBooK, then strap in and follow these steps.
STEP 1: Open up your settings
STEP 2: Click "Floorplans"
STEP 3: Choose a floorplan
Choose the floorplan you are looking to add the message table to, this should be your overall floorplan, unless you would like to place it in a specific area of your venue.
Select the floorplan and then click "edit"
STEP 4: Create your rectangle
Select the "rectangle" tool and draw a rectangle into the area you would like to have your message box appear.
STEP 5: Double click on the rectangle
This will open up the Shape Type Editor
STEP 6: Ensure your settings are exactly as described here
If they are not the same you may have issues with booking this table accidentally, or it will not work as it should.
The most important factors are circled below, however ensure that your window matches this one regardless.
- Select "Table" to ensure that the rectangle will act as a table
- The Table Number should be something that your staff will not accidentally choose
- "Bookings are manually allocated" must be selected to ensure that customers are not accidentally placed on the message table
- The "Floorplan Text" will ensure that the Booking Name will appear on your floorplan
STEP 7: Change the design features
In the "Extra" tab:
- Enlarge the font size to suit your rectangle size
- Click the "B" if you would like the font to be bold
You also have the option to change the size of the Table Badges in the "Main" tab, so make them as small as possible.
Click "Save" then close the floorplan builder to take you back to the standard BooKBooK view.
STEP 8: Make your first table message booking to test it
Click on the rectangle to open up the "Floorplan Command"
Make sure it is the same table number as you had set prior
Then click "NEW Booking"
STEP 9: Enter the "booking" details
Enter the Booking Name to be your message to your staff, in this instance we have used "OUT OF FISH" however you can use any kind of message
- Double check that the table number is correct
- Enter a small number of covers
- And if a phone number is required place something like "1234" or "0000" to fill in the field
Click "Apply", then "OK"
STEP 10: Have a look at your new fancy Message Box
Your once clear rectangle will now appear as an unseated booking with your reminder, as seen below.
And there you have it! A messaging system for your staff, a neat little trick. We hope you liked our Tips and Tricks for August, see you again in September!
Again if you have any questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to contact us on enquiries@bookbookonline.com.au or 0414 035 815
If you want to notify your staff of something before they seat a Walk In, or when they are making a booking... Then we have a neat litt...
