Sleigh the Holiday Season: Maximise Bookings and Prepare for the Christmas Season
Attributed to Liam Crooks, MD of EMEA at Lightspeed.
As Christmas approaches, the hospitality industry faces one of its busiest times of the year. From festive gatherings to corporate parties, the Christmas rush presents a significant opportunity to increase revenue, however, only with a customer-first approach can hospitality businesses ensure they aren’t left out in the cold.”
More than any other time of the year, customers expect restaurants to have streamlined operations, effective marketing and the latest ePOS tools so they can optimise bookings and ensure a smooth and memorable festive season.
Here’s some top tips on how to put your customer first and create a Christmas experience they’ll never forget.
Make sure your restaurant is ready to serve at every moment
People have a long list of things to do during the holiday season, so make sure your operations are set up to help them take a load off their minds and their feet! By using an ePOS system with table management and reservation platforms like OpenTable you can manage bookings more efficiently. Ensure that your reservation system is synced with your ePOS to have a clear view of table availability and manage last-minute bookings smoothly to maximise the turnover of covers.
During the seasonal rush, waitlist tools can help accommodate more walk-ins. ePOS tools can help manage these waitlists and notify customers when a table becomes available so you’ve always got a busy restaurant.
Put convenience first for your customers
Your customers are being bombarded with information, from Christmas ads to offers, so make sure you stand out. Create a must-try Christmas menu that caters for diverse eaters from plant based to meat options. It’s also great to let customers know that they can order online, and promote it on your website, through social media and press coverage.
Make sure you integrate with delivery services such as Uber Eats or Deliveroo, to handle increased demand for at-home dining, particularly on days like Christmas Eve, as recent data shows a quarter of people plan to eat in.
Fill your customers with Christmas spirit
Set up a loyalty program to reward repeat custom and encourage more bookings. Offer gift cards for, which can be purchased online or in your venue and redeemed for dining or future bookings.
Use the Christmas customer experience to build loyalty
Make sure you utilise CRM tools to personalise the customer and in-store experience; customer preferences from previous visits such as seating preferences or favourite dishes can make the customer experience more memorable so that you’re always front of mind for customers to return all year round and not just at Christmas.
Happy team means happy customers
Putting your customers first also means putting your staff first so having an ePOS with an employee management tool can be extremely beneficial to efficiently schedule staff shifts, particularly for peak days during the Christmas season. You can track hours, monitor performance, and ensure you have the right staffing levels for busy times to serve customers and show how you can provide seamless service at superior speed- all while keeping your staff happy and motivated
In addition, ensure you are well-stocked for the Christmas rush by using an inventory management system to make sure you aren’t running out of key ingredients that your customers look forward to.
Christmas is about good will to all, and by having the right tools and tech in place, you can really show how you are taking care of people’s experiences, helping them make memories and driving repeat custom for the year ahead.