Data Storytelling is a way of organizing your data in a way that helps you segment audiences and reach guests when they are most likely to make a purchase decision about food.
But what’s the best way to get those data points in the first place?
Working with more than 48,000 restaurant groups and 215 million unique guests, we know the way to encourage someone to share information is empathy — consider what your target may be thinking; ask the right questions; and listen carefully.
To ask the right questions, try to identify the wants and desires of the different audiences you serve:
To be remembered whether I was a one-time visit or I’m a frequent eater.
A feel-good memory when I enter my favorite restaurant or a new establishment, and they make me feel like a friend, or even better, a VIP.
For a restaurant I chose to choose me back.
To pick my own seat — just like an airline enables me to select a seat, I want that same option when I eat out. Do I prefer booths? Maybe I like sitting on a high-top with views of the city? Maybe I always sit at the bar?
Having options reminds me why I like a specific restaurant over another.
When a guest asks what I recommend, I want to create value and increase my tips by suggesting a dish based on their stated preferences, instead of just offering what I like or what the kitchen says is popular.
At the same time, I’d like to be able to make informed decisions based on a guest’s allergy or dietary restrictions — and I’d like to know those even before the table is seated.
And if I’ve seen those guests before, it would be great if I had a method of remembering a past experience to ensure a great encounter this time, and dissipate any leftover friction from a previous visit.
Understand everything I can about my guests’ preferences, and collect essential guest data to enhance the restaurant experience.
Make it easy for my team to enhance the guest experience.
Know why someone loves us, what makes them come back and where can I improve so we can continue filling table.
Have sight lines into which guests (and how many) have dietary restrictions. How does this affect reservations, menus and other insights?
Understand how to create better, more relevant promotions to different kinds of guests seeking distinct dining experiences.
Every story has a beginning, middle and end. With the right data restaurants can anticipate how an encounter will go even before the story starts, so you can guarantee a happy ending, and many many more over time.
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