Most restaurants have the same general goals when it comes to marketing – establish a positive brand image, bring more customers in the door, and promote repeat business. Text messages are a great marketing tool for restaurants to achieve these marketing goals as this form of communication allows businesses to conveniently communicate with customers and prospects in real time. Text messages can also help restaurants improve their customer service processes, which will ultimately keep customers coming back over and over again.

Here are 5 scenarios in which a restaurant may want to send text message to a customer:

1. Alert customers to special promotions

When it comes to communicating with your patrons, one of the greatest advantages of text messaging is that it allows you to connect with customers in real time. This is great when it comes to delivering messages about timely deals and promotions, especially since the average response time for a text message is 90 seconds! For instance, let’s say that you have too much of an entrée, and your restaurant decides to offer a special deal on this dish while supplies last. You can get the message out quickly about this special promotion by sending text message to local guests just in time for dinner. Text messages are also great for conveniently delivering coupon codes.

2. Receive food orders

The main reasons why people order food to go is because it is quick and convenient. Shouldn’t the ordering process be the same? Text messages make the food ordering process fast and easy for both customers and the restaurant. A text message ordering system cuts down on the number of phone calls, which is helpful when the restaurant gets busy and the phone is ringing off the hook for reservations. For customers, text message ordering allows them to conveniently and discretely order food from their mobile device when they are on-the-go. By making your food ordering process more convenient through text messages, customers are likely to order from your restaurant again when they need a tasty meal to go.

3. Notify guests about reservations

Text messages can also come in handy when it comes to managing reservations. Customers are more likely to make a reservation ahead of time if they know the process is simple. Allowing customers to book and confirm their reservation through text message is about as easy as it gets. The staff can also use text messages to notify customers about any changes or complications with their reservation ahead of time, which allows them to arrive right when they are ready to be seated. Text messages can also be used to notify those who are waiting when their table is ready. When the lobby and outside seating areas become crowded or the wait times become long, many customers would prefer to wait close by in a more comfortable location. Text messages allow you to communicate with those waiting to be seated no matter where they choose to wait.

4. Reward your loyal customers

One of the best ways to promote customer loyalty is through a loyalty program that offers special promotions and coupons for those customers who visit often. Your restaurant can easily integrate text messages into your loyalty program. If restaurants send text messages to notify loyal customers about promotions before the rest of the local population, they can build further trust with your fans while also enticing others to join your loyalty program.

5. Ask for customer feedback

Text messages are a quick and convenient way to get useful customer feedback that can help your restaurant improve service and customer experience. Through text message surveys, you can gather information from your customers about what your restaurant is doing well and where you can improve. You can also use text message polls to ask about what type of menu items customers would like to see or what types of promotions would bring them into the restaurant. For best results, offer customers some incentive for completing the text message surveys. You can offer special coupons or enter participants into a drawing for a gift certificate or free meal for two.

Would you like to use text messaging to improve your restaurant’s business processes? Trumpia provides restaurants with a convenient, timely, and affordable way to connect with customers and build a local following through SMS marketing. With helpful features such as SMS surveys and mobile loyalty rewards, we help you take your marketing to the next level. For more information or to get started with your SMS marketing strategy, download our complimentary Mobile Marketing Success Kit, or contact us today

Download the Mobile Marketing Success Kit

Get Your Copy Today