Short message service (SMS) solutions allow your business to send and receive text messages and can be a very powerful tool for restaurants looking to stay connected with their team and customers.
People are constantly checking their smartphones, so delivering notifications directly to their mobile devices allows your restaurant to increase visibility and reach more people.
We’re breaking down why every restaurant needs an SMS solution and the many advantages of having tools to easily share important updates with your staff and patrons.
How Restaurants Can Use SMS
Explore the ways your restaurant can utilize SMS solutions below.
1. Improve Communication With Your Restaurant Staff
The food service industry can be busy and hectic. SMS solutions allow your restaurant to harness better and more consistent communication with your team, making management easier, even during peak hours.
You can use text messaging to keep your whole staff on the same page because texting makes sharing real-time updates easy. If the restaurant closes unexpectedly due to inclement weather or other local events, you can reach out to your workers to inform them immediately. You can also share staffing requirement changes and shift availability.
SMS allows you to communicate with specific groups that have shared characteristics using distribution lists. For example, you can message only those employees looking to pickup extra shifts. Keeping your team up to date with important reminders, new employee introductions, and shadowing opportunities is simple with the right messaging tools.
2. Keep in Touch With Your Customers and Streamline Their Dining Experiences
SMS solutions can help your restaurant improve and streamline its dining experiences. You can communicate with your customers about every aspect of your service, from placing an order for delivery to dining in person.
Restaurants can send texts alerting their customers of important updates, like reservation confirmations, reminder messages and table availability updates for those on your waitlist.
When customers order pickup or delivery, your business can share ongoing status updates so customers know exactly when their food is ready, adding convenience and ease to their experience.
3. Stay Top of Mind With Promotional Messages Sent Directly to Your Customers
Restaurants can also use SMS solutions to share promotional and marketing messages directly with their customers.
SMS marketing is cheaper and more efficient than other traditional types of marketing. You can reach a wider customer base and put different restaurant marketing ideas to the test. Whether you’re sending out information about a current special or promoting your loyalty program, SMS solutions are a great way to stay on top of your customer’s minds and increase sales.
SMS marketing is gaining popularity and helping businesses set themselves apart from their competition. Learning how to use it for your restaurant can help boost your entire operation.
How Using SMS Can Benefit Your Restaurant
Restaurants can enjoy many advantages when they implement SMS to connect with their customers and staff. You can leverage text messaging to optimize marketing campaigns and streamline customer interactions.
Explore the following ways using SMS can enhance your restaurant business:
1. Expand Your Restaurant’s Reach and Increase Sales
Sending promotional text messages about current specials and deals can get more customers to your restaurant. Whether you’re sharing new menu items or promoting your restaurant’s loyalty program, using SMS messaging can help you reach more people and boost your sales as a result.
2. Improve Daily Operations With Better Communication Among Restaurant Staff
A major benefit of using SMS messaging for your business is improving your restaurant’s daily operations. When you keep up with regular communication among your staff, you can maintain more organized schedules and events.
Similarly, your customers will have greater insight into their reservations and seating availability, making operations run more smoothly at your business. Your staff can focus on other important tasks and ensure your restaurant is continuously delivering positive customer experiences.
3. Stay Connected to Your Patrons and Enhance Customer Engagement
SMS messaging is an effective way to engage with your customers. This type of message has a 98% open rate, with recipients opening 60% of texts within five minutes of delivery. People check their text messages regularly, so it’s an excellent medium for timely updates and reminders.
Concise, strategic marketing messages are how restaurants can engage customers and increase visibility.
4 SMS Tips for Restaurants
The following are some tips for optimizing your restaurant’s approach to using SMS:
1. Be Consistent and Strategic With Your Messaging
When using SMS messaging to communicate with your patrons, it is important to strike a delicate balance. While you want to be consistent and regularly share updates about your restaurant, you should be careful not to overwhelm customers by sending too many messages.
Your business will want to time messages strategically to optimize your SMS campaigns. Limit texts to about one per week to keep customers intrigued by your offers and avoid overburdening them.
2. Use Compelling Copy to Transform Your Restaurant’s Messages
Your text message copy is very important, so ensure you use wording that is concise and easy to scan. People want simple text messages that are straightforward and can be read at a glance.
Keep your message short but punchy to spark interest in your offers. Use clear, succinct language with an obvious call to action, such as making a reservation or using a discount code now.
3. Connect With Your Customers Using Personalized Messages
One of the best ways to optimize SMS messaging is by adding personalized touches to your texts. When you share custom content, you can develop a deeper connection with your customers and add a more human element to your messaging.
People respond well to personalization, and you can boost your SMS campaign’s success by engaging your patrons with messages that feel like they were crafted specifically for them.
4. Stay on Top of Your SMS and Manage Replies Regularly
Another helpful SMS tip for restaurants is to create a system for managing the replies from your customers. Some of the recipients may respond to your texts with questions, comments or concerns.
Ensure you keep track of these messages and reply to them promptly. Prioritizing your customer’s needs can help you establish a better connection with your patrons.
Contact Red Oxygen to Learn More About Our Business SMS Solutions
If your restaurant needs a comprehensive SMS messaging system that will help you connect with your staff and customers, turn to Red Oxygen. Our solutions make sending texts for your food and beverage business simple.
You can share valuable information with your customers, like confirmation and reminders for their upcoming reservations, and send texts to patrons updating them about their position on waitlists and current table availability.
Are you interested in learning more about the SMS solutions from Red Oxygen? Contact us or schedule a free demo today!
