This just in! South African merchants are turning to smart technology insights to deal with the chaos caused by Covid. This has come in the form of data analysis to help them ensure a more sustainable future – and we couldn’t agree more. This is exactly where these role players should be focusing their attention. We can attribute this shift from surviving to thriving to the affinity South African consumers have for loyalty programmes. 

Insights from Zapper offer a promising future for data usage, bringing new hope to businesses that have only just survived the first year of the pandemic. 

Here’s a quick ‘zap’ shot

Brett White, CEO of Zapper, says:  “Zapper’s anonymised festive-season data gives us valuable insight into consumer behaviour. Some of the key trends over the last year have shown the devastating effects of the pandemic … But they have also shown us how many of the more resilient merchants have turned to tech-based solutions, like the insights provided by loyalty programmes, to drive repeat business and encourage upselling.” 

White explains that there was less spend during the 2020 festive season. The effects of the pandemic took their toll on the South African spirit of generosity as consumers had less disposable income and were trying to make ends meet. 

He adds: “What is interesting is that while customers were still tipping restaurant servers – with just a small drop-off in the average tip percentage across the country, from 8.4% to 7.8%  – Gauteng residents remained the most generous tippers when eating out with an average of 9.3% over the last festive season.” 

Loyalty all the way

The general truth is that consumers love to save money. If you give them the opportunity to do so, they will support you. It’s easy to get new patrons through the door, but keeping them coming is the difficult part. 

Not only will you have patrons coming back for more when you have a loyalty programme, but they are inclined to spend more.  According to a study by LevelUp, customers who are close to unlocking their loyalty rewards spend 39% more than usual. When customers redeem their rewards, they spend an average of 19% more.

Loyalty programmes make sense 

With reward points and personalised discounts, loyalty programmes let your patrons feel appreciated as valued customers of your business. As a result, they are inclined to pay more visits, tell people about your restaurant, spend more at your establishment, and choose your services over competitors. 

There is no doubt that a thoughtful loyalty programme can go a long way in the never-ending battle to retain customers and keep them spending. 

Stir it up with smart technology 

Pilot software is a revolutionary platform that makes use of smart technology by unifying the operations of a restaurant into one easy-to-use application. It integrates your front and back of house for accurate orders and improved turnaround times. With Pilot HQ, you have a centralised place to standardise recipes, your menu and pricing. PilotLive gives you constant access to web- and mobile-based reporting. 

The best part is that Pilot Software offers an integrated loyalty programme. All you have to do is to sign up and get started.  We also make it easier for your patrons to pay by using a mobile gateway. Check out our QR Hub for more information. The possibilities are endless with Pilot Software. ?

Author : Rudi Badenhorst

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