by digitalplus | Oct 15, 2018 | Technology
In today’s era when instant communication has become the order of the day, the dependence of business on social media is the norm. However, in this backdrop it needs to be used thoughtfully and strategically to infuse and spread the information to the target audience in an effective way.
As per Global Survey in Jan’18 it is found that 5.6 million men and 5.6 million women between the age group of 25 to 34 years are active on Facebook in UK, as per statistical reports there were 8.6 million Twitter users in 2012 and it was predicted that there will be 17.1 million twitter users in the United Kingdom by 2018. It was also foretold that Twitter use among the age group of 65 years of age and older will increase by 13.2 percent in 2018. It is forecasted that by 2021, 13.2 million of folks in the UK will use Instagram that embodies 19.2% of the population.
So, in summary these data suggest the significance & penetration of social media in today’s fast paced world. Increasingly social media is the virtual world where we exist, no wonder there are over 3 billion Social Media users around the globe, which is almost half of the global population.
Here are some simple social media tips for small businesses including restaurants:
- Don’t delete negative feedback : On social media everything is exposed and widely available and if ever you receive negative feedback, never ever delete it because pressing the cursor on delete is not the solution instead you should provide resolution to the user, in cases where profanity is used then it is advised to politely pacify the user.
- Let your loyal followers Speak for you : Remember that most of the people who like your organization are liking and following your page and if someone deliberately put filthy remarks then your loyal fan base will surely defend you, so let your supporters pour their dearest love.
- Friendly interaction : Social Media is not all about posting and advertising yourself but it is also about building relations with the customer, forming a liaison that goes on, there should be a sort of personal and human touch whenever you revert to the customer and note that automated reverts are the BIG NO!
- Being Proactive is the Key : Being active does not work in Social Media, you are advised and assumed to be proactive because as soon as you receive message or comment from the client place a revert, reply shouldn’t exceed the time limit of 24 hours.
- Public altercation should be avoided : If an individual comes with a complaint and demonstrates an aggressive behavior try to pacify him, if he doesn’t cool down, try to get on to the private message & make him understand the issue politely, never be rude to the client, not even in the private message, client can even take screenshot of the private message and air it in public, so be careful with your reverts and play smartly with the customer.
- Engaging Posts : Your posts should be fascinating, they should catch the eye balls of every individual. Catchy and hilarious posts always lead to good level of reach and engagement.
- Take feedback seriously : If the same feedback keeps on popping up again and again. Try to look for a proper resolution and answer the complaints in a prudent manner and make it sure that the same issue never take place again.
- Conduct contests : We should keep on running contests like quiz, riddle, etc. on our social media pages, the winner should be selected from the bunch of people who gave right answer and then rewarded appropriately. This will accelerate the engagement level manifolds.
- Choose your content wisely : Whatever content you post on Social media is read by masses in huge numbers and whatever you mention in the copy should make sense, it should be backed with facts and must be engaging, so that the results are fruitful for both organization and customer.
- Play with videos : Gone are the days when content was the King, new age is of Video marketing, now a days videos are taking Centre stage in Social Media, rather than plain content or imagery, one should go for small gifs or videos, that are way more attractive and go viral in no time.
- Boost your content : Promotion of organic content plays a significant role but it is required to be done in a smart way, firstly you have to identify the top performing post and the target audience, once it is done boost the post to get more traffic through target audience.
So, these are handy tips hope you find them useful. Wishing you all the luck to start your Social Media journey, trust us, it’s Cool, if you are a people’s person. If you found this interesting please share and comment this space……….
by digitalplus | Sep 10, 2018 | Technology
Rightly said, “Revenue on table lost at time is lost forever.” If a table is not sold in a restaurant for a certain length of time, the revenue can never be regenerated for that period as that particular time is already gone. It is essential that we make optimum utilization of our resources especially in the service based industry, hence the introduction of a booking system is must to rectify this concern. Now the question stands, what is a booking system?
An online booking system is software used as reservation management in a service based industry. For instance, they allow travel portals to accept bookings online and allow the management to manage their online bookings made by guests directly as well as the admission of manual bookings taken by the staff. Our purpose is to help you understand the booking system a little better by learning how they can help your business, how to choose the system that is right for you and even how to get started.
Here, we will have a candid conversation with Ms. Prasida Suman, an intellectual professional with 20 years of experience in the hospitality industry, with a specialization in Front-of-the-house and reservations for luxury hotels and restaurants, both in India and the UK. Being a hospitality graduate, she has worked in global brands such as Taj Hotels, Radisson and the Ananda Spa in India. Prasida is currently associated with Leeds Red Hot – a multi-cuisine buffet restaurant in Leeds with 300 plus covers, where she has worked for 8 years. Prasida is an extensive reader and avid lover of fictional books who often travels as a means of rejuvenating herself; she also enjoys spending time with her lovely 10 year old daughter.
♦ Hi Prasida, How’s life in Leeds?
I love Leeds and it’s a buzzing and exciting city to live. I and my family enjoy exploring Yorkshire.
♦ Please briefly explain your experience within the hospitality sector to date?
Guest service is my passion and I was lucky to start my adventure with luxury hotel brands in India. I was exposed to meeting and greeting celebrities and handling difficult situations or complaints and I was blessed to learn the management skills with the best in the industry.
♦ The Booking System behaves as a vertebrae to the hospitality industry, how has this unique feature helped you?
Being from the same industry, we think that the online Booking System gives accuracy, 24/7 business, instant confirmation, 100% ownership of customer data and most importantly manages the supply and demand that leads to the optimization of services and smoothens the operations of a business.
♦ According to you, what is the strongest reason why every restaurant should have an automated booking system?
An automated booking system allows for business around the clock, and makes the organization of restaurant management far easier. The booking system’s simple layout makes it accessible for both staff and guests, meaning that bookings can be generated easily and at any time, as opposed to solely by making a phone call during business hours. The automated booking system erases the effect of human error, improves the efficiency of business, lets us understand the real time view of table availability and offers a powerful insight into how to maximize occupancy.
♦ Being a Buffet restaurant with a large volume of business, have you faced any challenges with this system?
On extreme busy days like special occasion of Valentine’s Day, school break or Christmas festive period it is challenging to keep track of the bookings/covers per time slot received and to ensure we inform the concern person from the booking system to block any time slot to avoid over booking.
♦ As we discussed earlier, the booking system helps to manage staffing, proliferate revenue and has become an essential part of the restaurant business. Can you imagine running the restaurant without the booking system?
As business has picked up and more people booking tables at restaurants online than ever before, the booking system has become an essential part of restaurant business. Whilst manual bookings can still be taken by staff in person and on the phone, the booking system provides an easy way to track both manual and online bookings for the restaurant.
♦ Table management becomes much more flexible with a booking system in place. How significant is table management in the booking system for a buffet restaurant, or would you say it is more useful in an A La Carte?
The online booking system makes table management far easier for any restaurant; buffet or A La Carte. Being a buffet, we often have large tables celebrating occasions, and on busy day such as the weekend, the booking system is essential. The online booking system not only means that staff can plan in advance for busy periods but also means that large tables can be managed and separated in times where there will be a high volume of guests.
♦ According to you, how should the Booking System be priced? Should it be priced as per covers sold, or would a fixed price be more convenient? What suits you best at the Buffet in Leeds?
Because of the volume of covers booked it is not feasible for us to consider share of the cover and would prefer a fixed cost. Also for the company which is managing the system is secured because there is a guarantee of a fee to maintain the system and give any technical support. Fixed cost works both ways for the restaurant and the company providing the booking system.
♦ The ability to take payments online is one of the strongest features of the booking system. What is the best way for you to take payments? Online, in person or integrated into the Booking System?
Payments made via the online booking system provide a quick and easy way for both guests and businesses to track the payment of deposits. An automated confirmation receipt is immediately sent to the guest, as well as all the relevant payment information is provided to the restaurant instantly. This system saves time for both the guest making the payment online, as they can do so from the comfort of their own home and also the business as all necessary information is sent via one email.
So, here was our brief conversation with Ms. Prasida Suman, her sui-generis approach and magnetic personality charmed us. Her insight on booking system facilitated us a lot to revive our knowledge and we are sure that for you also it was an interesting read, you can even share it with your friends who hail from hospitality sector as it will be a certain help to them, please let us know your opinion in the comments below.
by digitalplus | Jan 14, 2018 | Technology
Technology has become the buzzword of the modern world. It has become the order of the day in recent times. Technology has covered almost all spheres of our lives. Restaurant Industry is no exception and has benefited largely with the advent of technology. The entire Dining experience has undergone a paradigm shift with the influx of technology. The dynamics of both the Customer and the Restaurateur has changed drastically.
There are a number of ways in which the Technology boom has completely turnaround the Restaurant Industry. We have picked the top 5 Technological innovations for giving a fillip to any Restaurant. These are indispensable for any Restaurant who wants to dip their toes in the Ocean of Digital Marketing and Technology.
Booking System: The Online Booking and Sales has given an impetus to the Restaurant industry.it has helped both the Customers as well as the Restaurateurs by easing the process using Technology. With just a few clicks you can now book your table as per your convenience. The Online Booking system has proved quite handy for a Customer. It saves their time due to quick response time. Earlier the Customers had to visit the Restaurant physically for booking their table. It was too tedious and time consuming. The Online Booking has helped the restaurateur by making it quicker and precise. It has also helped them in better Capacity Management.Thanks to the Technology which has made it so easy and simple.
- Feedback Management System: It has provided an effective means to the Restaurateur to gauge their quality of meals and services. It is set in motion by receiving online inputs from the customers.
The Online Feedback System provides a real time feedback to the Restaurateur. It helps them to analyse and evaluate all their operations. It acts as a Management Information System. It improves their efficiency and they are able to deliver their best to their clients. The Customers are also benefitted by the Online Feedback System. The Online System speeds up the response time and all their complaints and suggestions are entertained quickly. It has led to a better Dining experience with every feedback received. In earlier times the feedback given by a Customer was through pen and paper which was cumbersome for them as well as the Restaurateur.
- Digital Loyalty Programme: It is one of the best ways to increase and retain the Customer base for the Restaurant industry. It gives immense benefits to the customers too by giving them attractive offers and various benefits. The program helps to tailor, make promotions for each customer base during their special days and occasions like birthday, anniversary, small weddings, reunions etc. It has gained currency in the recent times and has helped the Restaurant Industry to hold on their customers. It is a cost effective and technology helps to analyse, evaluate the effectiveness of each activity.
- Promotional Text Messaging: It is one of the most convenient and quick ways to connect to your Customers. Text messages can be used to send various coupons and promotions to increase your business. It is really a cost effective means for Marketing and Advertising. It also helps in enhancing revenue and accruing other benefits.
- Social Wi fi: Guest Wi-Fi has become an important and “must have” feature for every Restaurant in recent times. It helps all the restaurant goers to access “free Wi-Fi”. It also benefits the Restaurateurs by having an access to all the social activities of their Customers during their Dining experience. Technology assists in acquiring the customer records too, with simple analytics which helps in future customer communication.
