11 Surprising Methods to Reward Your Most Loyal Clients

By Liz Barrett

Offering a loyalty reward program is likely one of the finest methods to encourage repeat visits. It’s additionally one of many best methods to thank clients for selecting your restaurant over the competitors. From grocery shops to airways, each model appears to have a reward program, however on the subject of pizzerias, we regularly see solely the large chains participating.

The excellent news for impartial pizzerias? You may cater your rewards to be far more specialised and private than the standard “Purchase 10, Get 1 Free” program.

For any rewards program, it would be best to set up a required variety of buyer visits or a required sum of money spent earlier than rewards begin to accrue. However that must be merely a jumping-off level for inspiration. From there, you’ll must be taught what sort of rewards your clients will really need and, at any time when attainable, assume past the usual free appetizer or one-topping pizza. And when you can definitely run the loyalty program by an app, it’s simply as simply tracked by a very good POS system with which you’ll log buyer info and factors earned. All of it relies on your funds and capabilities.

When you’re simply beginning out with a loyalty rewards program, attempt to hold issues easy (assume one level for each greenback spent). Then simply decide what number of factors it takes to earn every reward. In the meantime, listed here are some reward concepts to get your inventive juices pumping:

1. The Buyer’s Dream Pizza

Think about how excited your clients can be to create their very own specialty pizza, give it a reputation and have it featured on the menu for every week. Not solely would this concept construct pleasure round your menu objects and assist enhance visits—as clients try for the possibility to create their very own dream pizza—you’d in all probability additionally get some protection within the native press.

2. Lunch or Dinner With the Massive Cheese

As a pizzeria operator, you will have restricted time, which is why providing to have lunch or dinner with certainly one of your most loyal company to speak about something they like (pizza, fundraising for an area charity, cross-promotions, and many others.) could possibly be the last word prize for some patrons who’re incomes factors in your program.

3. Tickets to Massive Video games or Concert events 

When you dwell near a stadium or music venue, let clients earn factors towards tickets and concert events. Who wouldn’t need a free afternoon or evening out in town only for ordering pizza?

4. Shock Immediate Win Program

When you actually need to get inventive, right here’s a tactic that can hold patrons guessing about their reward and totally engaged: Each one centesimal or 1,000th buyer to put an order receives a predetermined reward. The percentages will be set any manner the restaurant desires, and it retains your company coming in for an opportunity to be the winner.

5. Pizza Occasion or Free Pizza for a 12 months

Relying in your funds, let clients earn sufficient to win a pizza get together for themselves and all of their associates, or a free pizza every week for a 12 months. These are a lot greater prizes to work towards than a free soda or free breadsticks.

6. Unique Invitations to Pizza Events

As soon as each three to 6 months, why not throw an enormous get together on the pizzeria the place solely top-tier loyalty members are invited to attend? This is able to even be an effective way to advertise new menu objects whereas making your clients really feel particular by giving them an unique first look in the course of the occasion. Publicizing the events afterward (i.e., by social media or e-newsletters) will encourage different clients to earn sufficient factors in order that they’ll get invited to the following one.

7. At all times Provide Free sodas for Loyalty VIPs

How a lot does a fountain soda value you? If any visitor who maintained a sure variety of factors every month at all times acquired free soda along with his order, that’s the form of VIP perk that folks take note of!

8. Free Supply

Do you will have company who’ve ordered from you twice per week for the previous 5 years and are nonetheless paying $2 for supply? Do you assume they’d add one other day of supply to the lineup—or dine in additional usually—should you provided them free supply for being such an excellent buyer?

9. Double Level Days

Need a fast tip for reinforcing your slowest day of the week? Provide double reward factors for any clients who dine in or order supply on that day.

10. Give Away Pizza Merch

Promotional T-shirts, hats and pins are reasonably priced and make nice shock items in your company. Current a high-repeat visitor with a great-looking shirt that claims one thing like, “I’m a VIP at Manny’s Pizzeria!” In the event that they put on it, they’ll even be serving to you together with your advertising and marketing.

11. Companion for Massive Rewards

Seeking to supply one thing bigger, comparable to a weekend trip to Napa Valley’s wine nation or every week in Italy? Contemplate speaking with certainly one of your suppliers a few promotional partnership the place they’d obtain credit score for sponsoring the competition.

Liz Barrett previously served as PMQ’s editor in chief and later as editor-at-large. She is at the moment a contract author. This story initially appeared in PMQ’s September 2016 situation.