Top 5 Reasons CRM Software is Vital for Your Restaurant’s Success
The acronym CRM may be as foreign to you as EVOO is to a non-foodie! But here’s the deal, CRM (customer relationship management) software can be game-changing for running a private dining and event business.
Simply put, a CRM is a database of all of your pertinent customer data. With this valuable collection of customer info, you can effectively manage interactions with customers, streamline operations, and enhance overall satisfaction. I know what you may be thinking, “I have all of that in a spreadsheet on my desktop. What do I need a CRM for?” Sure, having the customer data is one thing. However, are you able to generate insightful reports in order to personalize marketing campaigns? This is where a CRM swoops in to save the day, and makes event management and marketing a breeze.
Let’s dive into 5 impactful ways a CRM will improve your event management process at your restaurant or venue.
1. CRM Software Connect All Contacts at a Company Together
It’s that deja vu moment, the name seems familiar, but is it? Well, CRM software is like a memory wizard. It keeps all contacts from the same company or event together, so you can quickly know preferences when they return for a future event. And when dealing with corporate customers, you may have one contact for employee-based events, and another for that company’s client-based events. When they want to replicate a successful event, you have everything organized and ready to repeat the event experience, easy peasy. And if your original contact has moved on from that company, your new contact will be eternally grateful for your record keeping. Additionally, linking these contacts together helps you understand the true value of the account. You will easily know when to follow up to book the next event, or when to be more flexible given the amount of business they give you.
2. Build Loyalty by Tracking Preferences
Events are all about personalization and relationships. Customers return to venues that offer an unforgettable experience, and your attention to detail can deepen those feelings. Keeping track of customers’ birthdays and anniversaries, dietary restrictions, or even their beverage of choice can go a long way in building customer relationships. Imagine showing up to your third event at the venue, and voila, they’re pouring your favorite Don Julio 1942 as you do the final walk-through before the party starts. Talk about setting the vibe for the night!
3. Target Future Promotions to the Right Customers and Prospects
Have you heard that it is three times more expensive to get a new customer than to keep a current one? This is very true in the hospitality world because people are drawn to positive experiences and will rebook events at their favorite venues. Being able to pull a report of last year’s holiday party customers and send them a promotion for this year in a few clicks is priceless. Got a shiny new top-of-the-line TV for presentations? Let all of your customers who used A/V previously know. And all of those love birds who celebrated their wedding at your venue, invite them back to celebrate their anniversary! Remind them of your beautiful space, and delicious food, and the memories of pure bliss will flood back and they will be lining up to fill your calendar.
4. CRM Means Personalized Tasks and Follow-up
When you are juggling a truckload of events each month, we’re talking 10, 20, even 40, it can be difficult to remember to send follow-up notes, and to reconnect the following year. This is where your trusty CRM steps in, adding personalized tasks to your to-do list and follow-up notes automatically reminding you to do something.
5. Summarize Event Data Easily by Pulling it into Dashboard
Your GM asks, “how many events did we run this summer compared to last summer?” Instead of diving into a mountain of BEOs and putting data into spreadsheets, CRM automation to the rescue! With CRM software, you can feed data into dashboards for easy comparisons and planning.
There you have it – CRM software, like Tripleseat, can seriously transform your event management process. It’s like having a super smart personal assistant that remembers everything, keeps your customers happy, and frees up your time for things that truly matter, the on-site personal touch. Time to let that CRM magic (and event management software overall) into your restaurant or venue.
Ready to Implement CRM into your Business?
And Tripleseat’s CRM is built with the needs of your business in mind. In addition to a streamlined and comprehensive event management solution, our CRM checks off all of the boxes above and more. Schedule a demo to learn how you can build custom contact fields to track loyalty data, build auto-tasks like a reminder in 300 days to follow up to rebook an event, and track event styles, types, lead sources and more. And then there is robust reporting. Build a report of “most booked contacts,” or one that focuses on catering vs on-premise events in order to see where staff should be scheduled by month. We have it all covered!
