Off-line engagement is fundamental for food service. Understand:
Engagement: Active participation in something. This is one of the term definitions in the dictionary, but what does it signify to you?
Many people talk about “engaging” nowadays. Principally influencers and opinion makers who work the social media networks worldwide.
It is not everyone that remembers it is necessary, beyond conquering engagement, work to maintain it. Besides this, almost nobody perceives that the word needs to reach the ears of other people, including outside of the internet. For example: managers and buyers of hotels and restaurants.
What is the level of engagement out there?
Brands in the field of food service work daily to self-disclose through the internet. Many have professional teams that are specialized in marketing, public relations and even in design to achieve a good reach in their postings.
With good publications, these brands get good engagement on-line. But wouldn’t it be wonderful if all these tens of thousand of followers on the social network profiles are turned into customers going in person to know and visit these places?
Hotels and restaurants should be aware by fact that the word “engagement” is also valid for off-line – with all the caution necessary for the preservation of health and life! Afterall there is no reason to conquer and hold people on the internet if there is no interest outside of the internet.
Digital presence of hotels and restaurants.
Each and every company needs to be connected: they need to communicate to the customers through the principal network platforms, publish product pictures, get feedback and opinions, and discover how to work with them to evolve more and more.
The brands, independent of their sector, must ensure that they are established on the digital and social channels and for food service establishments this is not different: almost 60% of the North American visitors visit the restaurant site before opting to go to it. Besides this 90% search on-line before going out for dinner, for example. The data is from a very interesting report published by Upserve.
It is just ensuring that digital presence is not synonymous with successful certainty in the real world; a good promotion of a dish or beverage needs to come out of the screen and end up on the customer’s table. We have arrived at a time beyond the “serve well to serve always”. It is the time to serve well to do justice to what is published on the internet, engage, and retain engagement offline. At the same time receive compliments that your business needs if it wants to standout in the digital world. The expression “it works both ways” never has had so much meaning!
If you are a buyer or manager of a hotel or restaurant, think about all the formats of engagement upon buying anything that is used or sold inside your business?
It may be that out there is an enormous concern in obtaining each time more followers and likes on-line, but be aware, and responsible also for the off-line engagement of your food service!
The presence outside of the networks is as or more important than the one registered in them. Afterall, selling and serving food and beverages is above everything a sensorial experience and why not say emotional or psychological.
Ensuring presence and engagement off-line.
To ensure presence and engagement outside of the internet, it is not enough for your hotel or restaurant to be open during prime days and hours, have a complete menu, hire the best employees our use the latest technologies.
Above everything else, off-line engagement has to do with consistency of quality, quantity and the flavor of the food and beverages that are served.
To conquer a customer, gain their loyalty and get them to speak and compliment your business to friends and on the social media networks even if there is no obligation to do this, dedicate your time to ensure that the quality of the products is consistently maintained every day. If you do make a change, make it for the better.
Any food service around the world that currently desires to embrace their engagement , to make it “stronger” inside and out of the digital cannot serve something that negatively surprises at one time and at in another time is acceptable. The person who is surprised in a bad sense or has an experience that is not above standard simply won’t come back, won’t comment, won’t review, or will review negatively and will not disclose.
Consistency is your key to success!
Quality always at high standards, portions well calculated and served, excellent flavors and other aspects of a dish or beverage indicate authenticity to the business, care about the details, interest in serving in the best manner possible the expectations of the consumer. Think about this!
Remember at this time of return to “normal” functioning of hotels, bars, and restaurants, all the care is little. Adapt the sanitary and care measures against Covid. Be consistent. 😉
Silvana Torres
Silvana Torres is a graduated Brazilian engineer and a communications business manager with over 30 years of experience in the market, having won the most outstanding awards in her field. She is a management expert and is the leader of Lucky Hills Specialty Coffee. Silvana applies her business and administrative skills and supports food service managers in the USA to use coffee as a business unit, generating greater profitability in their establishments.
