What It Takes to Become a Regular

What It Takes to Become a Regular

Bryce Sanders, President

Perceptive Business Solutions Inc

Were you one of the many people who watched the TV sit “Cheers” on a regular basis?? The intro song included the words “You wanna go where everybody knows your name.”? Put another way, you want the recognition that comes with being a regular customer.? How do you get there.

1.????? Visit on a regular basis.? The first step to becoming a regular is becoming a repeat customer.? Some people like to try a new restaurant every time they eat out.? I like having half a dozen favorites and going back again and again.? To become a regular, you need to keep returning.

2.????? Meet the owner.? If it’s a restaurant or neighborhood business, this should be easy.? You can usually pick them out based on their behavior and the attitude of the staff members.? Let them know you enjoy their restaurant.? Businesses get plenty of negative feedback.? They appreciate positive feedback.? Say hello to the owner every time you visit.? This should transition into them greeting you warmly every time you show up.

3.????? Send them business.? Many people in sales try to grow their business through referrals and word of mouth.? When your uncle visits, looking for the best steak in town, get him to make a reservation at this restaurant.? Tell the owner your uncle wanted the best steak and you sent him here!? Your value increases because the business if benefiting both from your custom and business you send them.

4.????? Engage with the staff as individuals.? Some people keep store and restaurant staff at an arm’s length relationship.? They are considered service providers.? They are real people with lives and families outside of work.? Without prying, you can gradually learn more about them.? Have they been on vacation?? Do their children go to school nearby?? Have they done their holiday shopping?? A good conversational strategy is “give to get.”? For example, you just came back from vacation.? You might ask: “Have they gotten away yet?”? Remember details, continuing the conversation the next time you visit.? The staff have “favorite customers.”? You are on your way to becoming one of them.

5.????? Tip generously.? This means a lot to service personnel in restaurants.? You have heard people referred to as “good tippers.”? You want to become one of them.? Although you add a gratuity to your bill in most restaurants, adding some paper money for your server is a good strategy.? You might not know where the tip on the bill ultimately goes, but you know where the cash tip handed to your server ends up.? If you are considered a good tipper, servers will want you sitting at one of their tables.

6.????? Cancel if you can’t come.? Today, many reservations are made online.? Busy restaurants have capacity constraints.? You have discovered this when you want a table at 7:00 PM and the reservation app tells you the only availability is at 5:00 PM and 9:00 PM.? When you cancel, you mae that space available for other diners.

7.????? Call if they are busy.? Now we get into the really cool part of being a regular customer at a restaurant.? If you want a table at 7:00 and the restaurant app shows no availability, call the restaurant, speak to the manager and explain your problem.? They might be holding a few tables for regulars.

8.????? Be regular.? The economy runs in cycles.? Shopping and dining out are often discretionary expenses people cut when money is tight.? I asked a restaurant owner what business was like during the Great Recession of 2008.? He explained there was a segment of his clientele that disappeared.? They never came back.? I have a Hong Kong tailor who visits the US a couple of times a year.? I always buy something.? He refers to me as a “bread and butter client.”? The dollar amounts might not be large, but they are consistent.? Try to visit your favorite stores on a weekly or monthly basis.? Always spend some money.

By showing up on a regular basis, you become a familiar face.? You transition into the role of “a regular” with the associated benefits.? This might include getting invited to private events to “thank our regulars.”

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Bryce Sanders is president of Perceptive Business Solutions Inc.? He provides HNW client acquisition training for the financial services industry.? His book, “Captivating the Wealthy Investor” is available on Amazon.

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