Buzz
Restaurants need customers to survive. As a manager or owner, your ultimate goal is to attract as many customers as possible to your restaurant, right? Of course, we're talking about the target customers of the restaurant, not just any customers.
Finding new customers for your restaurant is never easy, but many restaurants overlook the analysis step of 'why are there customers who have never set foot in your restaurant?' Let alone whether they have come to eat and whether they are satisfied or not.
The following article is a compilation by PasGo of the 7 main reasons why many customers just want to avoid your restaurant as far as possible. Let's follow along!
Finding new customers is one of the important goals of every restaurant
1. The restaurant is labeled with a warning about food safety and hygiene
Being labeled by authorities or warned by the community about food safety and hygiene quality. This is like a hanging penalty sheet, threatening the effectiveness of your food service business. Sometimes, it's even the end of the road for the restaurant, from having no customers to being boycotted and having to close down. Because according to statistics, up to 70% of customers decide never to step into your restaurant because of this reason.
2. Getting negative comments, reviews from the community
Negative reviews - impacting customer behavior, only second to information about restaurants not meeting hygiene standards.
Talks about restaurants can be small, but their impact can be huge, to the extent that even you cannot predict and control. Sometimes, from these small whispers, a 'media crisis' can arise, causing your restaurant to falter.
Negative reviews can come from real-life customers, but more dangerously, they can come from the online community.
As the internet and smartphones develop, sharing information becomes unlimited and spreads rapidly. The authenticity of these information may still be questionable, but for customers, whether the story is true or false, they will think 'It's best to avoid!'
When stories are unverified, reputation is still doubted, the restaurant is empty, losing customers gradually, then sinking into oblivion, closing down.
Therefore, blocking negative information from the community is something you need to prioritize immediately if you want to attract more potential customers.
Smartly blocking negative information from the community is a smart way to care for customers
3. The exterior looks 'like a fake pawnshop'
There's no denying that 'space highlights' are one of the ways for restaurants to create a unique point for their venue, and also one of the ways to find new potential customers.
However, the purpose of making a strong impression on customers, no matter how, should consider the experiences of customers. You can totally create unique, strange, and even somewhat bizarre spaces such as: A painting of the heroes Lương Sơn Bạc (drinking style), a house of ethnic minorities (with dishes from the highlands of Northwest), or a spooky castle (with a horror style),...
What we want to say here is that no matter what style you follow, you need to show the spirit of 'transparency' to customers. Don't let customers think that stepping into your restaurant is stepping into a mafia organization, a non-governmental organization, or laundering money,... Believe that many people will be 'scared to death' and won't dare to come near your restaurant. Be careful in space design!
4. The doorman 'like chasing away customers'
Some restaurants use staff standing at the door to invite customers to dine in. These staff are now seen as the restaurant's representatives, so please choose carefully.
- First, choose young and attractive men and women
- Second, a bright face, or a smile is even better
- Be skillful in speech and behavior, agile in hands and feet, when a customer stops, greet them politely, and welcome them - this will earn the next bonus point
- ...
- Avoid pulling customers too eagerly, overly enthusiastic
- There should be regulations or regular supervision of this staff group. There are many scenes of staff standing at the door gathering, laughing loudly, not to mention playing with hair, pinching each other's cheeks,... very unpleasant.
Doormen with consistent uniforms, pleasing appearances are always a plus
5. The way to the restaurant is hard to find
Having a lot of money to rent a shop on a big street, or less money to rent in a small alley, that's inevitable. But that's not a disadvantage of your restaurant, sometimes it's even a plus for the small alley - cheap price. Believe that customers coming to your restaurant also know that, and they accept it.
But the issue here is: If the way, the small alley, the address is hard to find, please provide customers with careful directions. Don't make them wander to find their way to you. They will get discouraged. Not to mention on their way, their stomachs are hungry, how many other attractive eateries are inviting them?
6. Tight parking without guidance
To say there's no parking is a bit much, every restaurant that opens for business must have parking for customers, whether it's spacious or cramped. But put yourself in the shoes of a customer visiting your restaurant for the first time, they haven't even stopped the car, haven't stepped out, just standing outside looking around, seeing the cramped parking, no guidance, no security guard,... these are reasons that could make them drive away!!!
“Free car parking available”, “Parking inside the premises”, “Street parking with dedicated security”,... are very simple instructions, but you have given customers a lot of reliable information and they want to step into your restaurant.
7. Security guard or valet with a 'bulging' attitude
New customers are definitely picky guests. Why?
Because they come to your restaurant with a mix of curiosity and skepticism.
They will certainly scrutinize your restaurant for faults. But many restaurants only focus on customer care after they have entered the restaurant to eat, forgetting an important stage when they arrive at the restaurant, which is when customers step to the door or hand over their keys - a stage when they will encounter the security guard or valet of the restaurant.
Have you ever counted how many customers leave or are dissatisfied with the attitude of the security guard or valet of the restaurant?
If not, do it now!
Attentive valet service is also one of the reasons why customers come to your restaurant more (Image: internet)
Above are 7 main reasons why your restaurant loses a very potential new customer base without even knowing it. You may have worked very hard to take care of customers, serving them attentively when dining; you may have spent a lot of money on advertising to reach potential target customer groups,... So why not take a few minutes to verify the 7 reasons that PasGo has just summarized above?
Wish you success in restaurant business,
Best regards,
