Tips and Best Practices to Build Customer Loyalty in Hospitality

Published by
Geert Roete
Last update:
March 19, 2023

The hospitality industry relies heavily on customer satisfaction and repeat business. Therefore, building customer loyalty is crucial to the success of any business in this industry. It's important to focus on providing exceptional customer service, creating memorable experiences, offering rewards and incentives, and soliciting and acting on feedback to keep customers coming back.

In this article we will go deeper how to make those success factors a reality and where the Sayl platform comes into effect.

Key Success Factor 1: Focus on an exceptional customer service

It doesn't come as a surprise that the foundation of customer loyalty for a restaurant or a hotel, is providing an exceptional customer service. You can have great social media, fantastic food, but if the vibe in the locations are not well, clients won't be loyal. Train your staff to be friendly, welcoming, and responsive to customer needs. They should always go above and beyond to make customers feel valued and appreciated. This can involve small gestures, such as greeting guests by name or offering a complimentary drink upon arrival.

To identify customers that come in, staff can make use of the Sayl Store Manager App that can help them identify clients.

Next to that, it's important to be proactive in addressing customer needs and concerns. Be available to answer questions or resolve issues promptly. By providing excellent customer service, you can create a positive experience for guests and increase the likelihood of repeat business.

Key Success Factor 2: Create memorable experiences

Beyond providing excellent customer service, creating memorable experiences is another key way to build customer loyalty. Guests are more likely to return to a hotel or restaurant if they have had a positive experience that they will remember fondly.

There are many ways to create a memorable experience, and they don't need to be digital at all:

  • Personalizing the guest's stay by leaving a handwritten note or providing a special amenity
  • Making sure the room is clean and inviting
  • Providing comfortable bedding and linens
  • Offering unique experiences or activities
  • Having staff members that are friendly and engaging

By focusing on these details, you can create a comfortable and welcoming atmosphere that guests will want to return to.

That being said, the Sayl platform allows you to take that exceptional leap by giving you the possibility to also excel in the digital ordering. Online ordering at the table, ordering at a kiosk, ordering via an app, with for each channel a big focus on making the experience seamless and simple.

Key Success Factor 3: Offer Rewards and Incentives

Offering rewards and incentives is another effective way to build customer loyalty. The Sayl platform helps you in introducing such loyalty programs that can be customised to your liking and to the needs of your brand. Consider implementing a loyalty program that rewards guests for their repeat business. This could include discounts on future stays, complimentary upgrades, or exclusive access to special events.

Not only do loyalty programs encourage guests to return, but they also create a sense of exclusivity and prestige for members. Make sure to advertise the benefits of the loyalty program prominently, so guests are aware of the rewards they can receive for their patronage.

Depending on your target audience, you can opt in Sayl to go the more traditional way, with points that one can exchange for discounts or specific perks, but you can also take the innovative road where customers are awarded with digital collectibles and NFTs, and where these digital collectibles have certain priviliges.

Key Success Factor 4: Solicit feedback and act on it

The last key success factor we discuss in this article, is feedback. Soliciting feedback from customers and acting on it is crucial to building customer loyalty. Encourage guests to leave reviews and provide feedback on their experience. Use this feedback to identify areas for improvement and make necessary changes to your operations.

In the Sayl Cloud platform, it's very easy to set up customer feedback or surveys. You can define what type of questions you would like to ask and how people should respond.

It's essential to show your customers that you value their opinions and are committed to improving their experience. When you take the time to respond to feedback and implement changes, it builds trust and loyalty with customers.

Building customer loyalty in hospitality requires a focus on providing exceptional customer service, creating memorable experiences, offering rewards and incentives, and soliciting and acting on feedback. By following these tips and best practices, you can increase the likelihood of customers returning to your business and become loyal advocates for your brand. Remember, loyal customers are the foundation of a successful hospitality business.

Do you believe your restaurant or hotel business is ready to take the next step in digitalisation? The Sayl Cloud platform serves hundreds of customers day in, day out. Feel free to take contact with our team so we can start to kickstart the customer experience. Because we believe: serve better, sell more.

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