As we all try to adjust to the new reality of doing business, the Paytronix community is coming together to share best practices for customer outreach in the face of the COVID-19 outbreak. We hope you find some ideas here that will help you in your day-to-day marketing operations.
Extend Your Outreach
Right now, use your loyalty resources to connect with both existing and potential customers, regardless of whether they are loyalty program members. Let them all know if you are open and to what extent. Are you open only for takeout or do you offer ordering and delivery? How about curbside pickup?
While your loyalty program has always been a great communications channel for reaching your best customers, consider taking your campaigns into new channels.
Primanti Bros. Restaurant and Bar, the 87-year-old, Pittsburgh-based creator of sandwiches topped with French fries, took a one-off reward usually only available to loyalty members, such as two sandwiches for $10, and promoted it on all available channels – loyalty, e-club, and social media – to reach the widest possible audience.
Know Your Delivery Customer
Catering may be on hold for now, but individuals and families that are stuck at home want an alternative to their dwindling pantry fare. It’s important to know who these customers are so that you can segment and target them with relevant offers.
For instance, come up with an offer of sandwiches and soda for families stuck at home and another offer, like six-packs to go, for the millennials and Gen Xers who are confined to apartments.
Or take your $10-off-$40 promotion to the delivery channel, as California Pizza Kitchen is doing in this Facebook post.
Give Customers Delivery Options
Some brands are generating up to 30% of their current revenue through the third-party delivery services. The associated charges can make this an expensive proposition, but some services are negotiating reduced fees during the current crisis. If your brand has its own free-delivery service, make sure your customers know about it.
If you have a strong delivery business, think about how you can promote it beyond your core loyalty program.
Captain D’s, the nation’s leading fast-casual seafood restaurant, took two key actions that proved effective. First, it promoted its delivery campaign strongly on social media. Second, it sent “shout-out” emails to explain operational changes, such as shorter hours and stepped-up sanitation measures, while also promoting takeout and delivery. Captain D’s can actually attribute a jump in online ordering to these promotions.
Captain D’s also gives customers the option to choose how their order is delivered. Many brands now offer alternatives, such as contactless delivery, drive-through, carryout, and curbside pickup.
Listen to Your Customers
Finally, be open to customer feedback. If customers are calling and asking about redemption dates, it’s important to reassure them that their rewards will be honored. In fact, many brands are reviewing redemption dates and extending them from 90 to 120 days.
If your customers are responding to your Facebook promotions, thank them for ordering with you and for their continued support of your brand. Tell them that you look forward to seeing them again.
Through all of this, it’s about building strong customer relationships that can be beneficial today and grow in the future.
