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AirBnB-ing your place out (did we just use &#8220;AirBnB&#8221; as a verb? Yes, deal with it) during the holiday season is a great way to earn extra cash at a time when every little helps.&nbsp;And if there&#8217;s one thing that every AirBnBer knows, it&#8217;s that your guests are going to ask for Guest WiFi. 







It&#8217;s a known fact that <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.tripadvisor.com/TripAdvisorInsights/n2670/6-key-travel-trends-2016" target="_blank">travellers consider WiFi one of the top amenities when choosing a place to stay</a>. So it seems that offering Guest WiFi at your place for your AirBnB guests is pretty much a no brainer.



But why just offer your Guests free WiFi when you can also be using it as a tool to help market your property during the busy holiday season?&nbsp;



Here&#8217;s just a few tips on how to get started.



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">USE A CAPTIVE PORTAL</h4>



Instead of sticking your WiFi password up to the wall with a piece of tape, you can purchase an inexpensive piece of equipment and have your customers sign into the WiFi through what is known as a <a href="https://stampede.ai/blog/getting-started-with-guest-wifi/">captive portal</a>. 



How does it work? When a guest enters your AirBnB, fires up a WiFi device and connects to your network, they are first steered toward a splash screen, also known as a captive portal. The portal is preconfigured to ask the guest for their email address. Once the user has confirmed their email, they&#8217;re allowed access to the network.



Even more the cool part, though &#8211; on the splash screen you can ask for as little or as <a href="https://stampede.ai/blog/the-marketing-power-of-wifi-analytics-for-your-business/">much information</a> as you want. Want to know where your guests are coming from? Ask for their zip or postcode.



Looking for a demographic breakdown of your guests? Ask for gender or age. A good piece of captive portal software (spoiler alert: <a rel="noopener noreferrer" class="" href="https://www.stampede.ai/how-it-works" target="_blank">we can recommend one</a>) should allow you to customise your questions so you could ask just about anything.&nbsp;



<hr class="wp-block-separator"/>



<figure><iframe loading="lazy" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/hxS07gP8xFo" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></figure>



<hr class="wp-block-separator"/>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">BUILD A MAILING LIST</h4>



So, you&#8217;ve got your captive portal setup and now you have a list of guests who have used the WiFi at your place and their emails.&nbsp;So what?



Now, what??! You&#8217;ve got yourself a marketing list there, buddy! &nbsp;And that list has value. Remember that awesome Guest WiFi solution we were talking about? 



You can now use that to send out email or SMS messages to everyone on your list. Or, if you already have a mailing list solution like MailChimp, Zoho or Mailify, use your guest WiFi solution to <a href="https://stampede.ai/product/how-it-works/#marketing">automatically import your email guest list.</a> Then, when you&#8217;re ready,&nbsp;send out an email blast to your favourite customers letting them know your AirBnB let is available for the holiday. <a href="https://stampede.ai/blog/how-marketing-with-wifi-benefits-your-business/">Connect with</a> your best customers and avoid having to lower your prices at the last minute in order to book guests.&nbsp;



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">GUEST WIFI SECURITY</h4>



Remember that WiFi password we talked about earlier &#8211; you know, the one you had taped to the wall above the router? You haven&#8217;t changed it at all, have you? So each and every guest who has ever been to your place now has access to the WiFi. What about that router password? Still using the default one printed on the bottom?



Those are just a few of the <a href="https://stampede.ai/blog/take-the-risk-out-of-guest-wifi/">security facts</a> you have to take into account when offering free Guest WiFi for your AirBnB guests.



And then there are the&nbsp;<a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="/blog/articles/porn-prisons-wifi-network-safety-tips" target="_blank">sites that your guests are visiting</a>. Maybe sometimes it&#8217;s best NOT to know these things. But then, you don&#8217;t want your guests downloading pirated movies or using your WiFi to seed a bunch of hacked copies of the latest version of Windows.



A security nightmare, right?



Not if you&#8217;re using <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.stampede.ai/how-it-works#security" target="_blank">a secure Guest WiFi solution</a>.&nbsp;Because your AirBnB guests won&#8217;t be connecting to your router. So there&#8217;s no chance they&#8217;ll get in and mess up your network. Or leave a little bit of malicious code behind.



With a captive portal solution, you can even set bandwidth limits so your guests aren&#8217;t downloading everything under the sun. You could even make a bit of change on the side by charging for your WiFi after your guests have used a certain amount of data.



Looking to get more in-depth? <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.stampede.ai/blog/articles/airbnb-wifi" target="_blank">Check out our earlier post</a> for helping to keep your WiFi secure for AirBnB guests. &nbsp;



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">AIRBNB GUEST WIFI WITH Stampede&nbsp;</h4>



So if you&#8217;re looking for ways to make the most out of &nbsp;your AirBnB Guest WiFi over the holidays, we&#8217;ve got just the solution you need. With Stampede you offer fast, safe, secure, and legal WiFi for all of your AirBnB guests.



But hurry, because the holidays are here!&nbsp;



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Or arrange an online demo with our product specialists.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><a href="#schedule-demohttps://calendly.com/stampedeae/stampede-demo-request?month=2020-02">Click here to get started.</a></h2>

post

Tips on Using Guest WiFi with Your AirBnB

These Automations Can Help When Short-Staffed

In today’s competitive hospitality industry, delivering an exceptional customer experience is essential. Guests expect more than just good food or a comfortable stay—they want seamless, personalised experiences.



Your booking system should do more than simply manage reservations. By integrating it with a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system, you can provide a tailored, data-driven service that exceeds guest expectations.



Here are four practical ways your team can use CRM data to enhance daily service and improve guest interactions.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-anticipating-guest-need">Anticipating Guest Need</h2>



One of the most powerful ways CRM data can elevate daily service is by enabling personalised interactions with your guests. CRM systems track valuable customer information, including dining preferences, visit history, and special requests. By accessing this data, your staff can offer a more personalised service that makes guests feel valued.



For example:



<ol class="wp-block-list">
<li>Accessibility and Seating: </li>
</ol>



If a customer has previously requested a highchair for example, your team can proactively reserve it for them before they arrive.



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img decoding="async" src="https://lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXdqVcQ1jMYEMTY_gXeuox84a7YjD5Hml_6l-ew9U9tEenG8zvaGfD2AE9I8t73PgFWCyfJfzsCMYiQPq2CRe1quzyegsgTv25CPDFqvsdsGZvvgK3Ey1ZBEVuBdyBP7kJRDCfBOItRs8dedjA5ra0Zwvdtd?key=jhVazIz5ThAWgAdrvjmV4Q" alt=""/></figure>



<ol start="2" class="wp-block-list">
<li>Special Occasions: </li>
</ol>



CRM systems allow you to log important dates such as birthdays or anniversaries. A simple &#8220;Happy Birthday&#8221; from the staff or a surprise dessert can make a lasting impression.



PS: If someone includes the word &#8220;birthday&#8221; in their message, a special cake badge will automatically appear for easy recognition.



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img decoding="async" src="https://lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXeet6DqApa-xtkp0Qe6m3Howw82YO_bDx317fmSAw60uxrmwSLX_AXG5Z9sLEnbOSRFzBeqCdzgI9i_1zfSEPUbJsqLYtPpsg1sCeSrRgiNB5jaBmPjkaZY0sfcr6hFj5I8AYvtm1QWi22Ev_BXKeEDtURo?key=jhVazIz5ThAWgAdrvjmV4Q" alt=""/></figure>



<ol start="3" class="wp-block-list">
<li>Dietary Preferences: </li>
</ol>



Your CRM can store specific preferences such as gluten-free or vegan options. When the kitchen and wait staff know these details in advance, they can deliver a smoother, more personalised dining experience.



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img decoding="async" src="https://lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXdIddM721-payB-he5mbnZjwT9dcUFTMPTE8YmeCeq2Qsf9Xs1jSpgYhOcByYEJemb3qITqWHCcndFbC8RpKMm0GvW_hURNt2DRvEvswMv5anDtQWp7AVRlwnQLmHA7ArD1lC_xcEjIkhLsoDLiM-GH2Iyy?key=jhVazIz5ThAWgAdrvjmV4Q" alt=""/></figure>



<ol start="4" class="wp-block-list">
<li>Anticipating Guest Needs:</li>
</ol>



CRM data doesn&#8217;t just enhance the personal touch—it also helps staff anticipate and meet customer needs before they even have to ask. By tracking past behaviours and preferences, your team can predict what a guest might want, improving overall service efficiency.



By predicting and catering to guest needs, your staff can reduce service friction and provide a more enjoyable, efficient experience.



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img decoding="async" src="https://lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXfNfz8mGcsfbqY_RztV-NovlDALYWR2G43fcdE1fM1wKI50g5iZUDnQ9oV7AJJpFihK22SsUhRBdxXiRSSkAMBeSF8OOC2jUwzDgVY19ljRTfXa9qgLKKoQv-gf0S3cPYb4qMJ-P_FrvyyID8c9hw-BTk2n?key=jhVazIz5ThAWgAdrvjmV4Q" alt=""/></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-summary">Summary</h2>



By accessing these insights, your staff can turn ordinary visits into memorable ones, which fosters customer loyalty.



Integrating CRM data into daily operations transforms your team’s ability to deliver truly exceptional service. By personalising every interaction, from recognising special occasions to remembering dietary preferences, your staff can make guests feel genuinely valued.



The power of anticipating guest needs goes beyond efficiency—it creates moments of delight that turn routine visits into unforgettable experiences. These personalised touches not only elevate service but also build long-lasting relationships with your customers, fostering brand loyalty and repeat business.



In a competitive industry, it&#8217;s these meaningful, data-driven connections that set your venue apart and ensure guests return time and again.

4 Ways CRM Data Can Be Used in Day-to-Day Service by Your Staff

With Google announcing the end of third-party cookies in 2024, the clock is ticking for hotels to switch to a first-party data strategy for good.



For many this radical change has already proven worthwhile. As per a recent survey by Sojern, <a href="https://www.sojern.com/press-release/81-percent-of-hoteliers-see-a-lift-in-revenue-once-a-first-party-data-strategy-is-implemented">81% of hoteliers said they have seen an increase in revenue</a> since changing their game plan.&nbsp;



No doubt, this is a big strategic move that requires thoughtful resource management and planning.



We’ve gathered some key things to keep in mind before you get started.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-is-a-first-party-strategy">What is a first-party strategy?&nbsp;</h2>



First-party data refers to data that is obtained by the hotel through its owned digital channels. Examples are their Guest WiFi, loyalty program or website booking integration.



The biggest benefit is that operators have full ownership over this type of data. They can store, access and manage it directly and use it for marketing purposes and more.



In addition, 1st party data is often more accurate and relevant as it is willingly provided by customers to the company.



However, the current situation is more like a mix of first- and third-party data. The latter often comes from guests booking through OTAs rather than direct.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Why opt for a first-party-only strategy?</h2>



Without third-party tracking and data, operators miss out on essential interaction points in their customers’ journey.&nbsp;



Personalised marketing and on-site service become nearly impossible, the outcome is a rather disjointed guest experience. 



For example, hotels <a href="https://stampede.ai/downloads/the-direct-booking-checklist">don’t get access to OTA booking data</a> and can therefore not contact guests prior to their arrival to tailor their stay.



So in an ideal scenario, all the data is collected by the hotel based on actual customer interactions. From the first touch point, i.e. the initial booking, onwards when guests return.&nbsp;&nbsp;



This then allows operators to create a holistic guest profile which stores preferences and previous interactions. Insights that can be used for personalised marketing to drive long-term loyalty and revenue.



Though, the key to a successful 1st party strategy is getting the right data from the right sources.&nbsp;



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">10 most-used 1st party data sources for hotels</h2>



How can hotel operators gather their own data covering online and offline events? Let’s have a look at some common first-party sources:



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Property Management System (PMS)</li>



<li>Customer Relationship Management System (CRM)</li>



<li><a href="https://stampede.ai/how-it-works/wifi">Guest WiFi</a></li>



<li>Website &#8211; newsletter sign-ups</li>



<li>Mobile app sign-ups</li>



<li>Online booking engine</li>



<li>Guest surveys</li>



<li>Loyalty program</li>



<li><a href="https://stampede.ai/get-bookings">Table booking platform (F&amp;B)</a></li>



<li>Social media channels</li>
</ul>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">4 steps for implementing a first-party data strategy</h2>



Here are 4 essential actions to take to start shifting your strategy:



<ol class="wp-block-list">
<li>Map out your entire customer journey. Consider all potential online and offline sources. Define your marketing short/long-term goals.</li>



<li>Determine the required data and its sources. What is the current process in place and what is missing? Close potential data gaps.</li>



<li>Make the best use of your data. Choose the right technology to manage your data most efficiently.&nbsp;</li>



<li>Analyse and adjust if necessary. Build your own customised dashboards and reports to keep an eye on progress.&nbsp;</li>
</ol>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">How to maximise your first-party data</h2>



In general, the more data sources hotels can access, the easier it is for them to build a 360-degree customer view.&nbsp;



However, this can also quickly lead to <a href="https://stampede.ai/blog/5-common-data-integration-flaws-in-hospitality-tech">disjointed data silos</a> piling up, which requires a lot of manual labour and time to connect them. But without their integration, the data is of no use and correct attribution is nearly impossible.&nbsp;



In addition, handling various systems and spreadsheets also increases the potential risk of a GDPR breach.



So, in order to use the data in the most efficient and secure way, hotels should therefore opt for a <a href="https://stampede.ai/">unified CRM solution</a>. It automatically syncs all their sources into one place without the need for integrations.



All staff members get access to the same data and from there they can quickly analyse it, segment it and use it to drive their marketing efforts.&nbsp;



Plus, with a multi-functional system, the overall data quality increase as guest profiles are always up-to-date. Which in turn results in better marketing conversions.



<hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity"/>



Make sure to check out our <a href="https://stampede.ai/downloads/the-direct-booking-checklist">FREE Direct Booking Checklist</a>. Our step-by-step guide features examples around social media, email marketing and SEO to ensure that you’ve ticked every box when it comes to your direct bookings.

A Quick Guide On First-Party Data Strategy For Hotels

2023 Key Social Media Metrics To Track for Your Restaurant

Feature Update – Improved campaigns, reporting and imports

The UK’s irrepressible hospitality sector: 2022 Industry Growth Report

Mother’s Day is one of those occasions that should be boldly marked on all calendars. As a business, you don’t only want to play your role in honouring moms around the world but you also want to use the event to your advantage from a marketing perspective. So, get ready for Mother&#8217;s Day with our creative promotion ideas for your venue.







Did you know that an average of <a href="https://www.restaurantbusinessonline.com/marketing/87m-adults-visit-restaurant-mothers-day-survey-says">87 million adults take their mothers out</a> to a restaurant for Mother’s Day each year? This makes the day worthy of some strategic marketing efforts that will help you to surpass your month’s target. 



In case you are <a href="https://stampede.ai/blog/free-restaurant-promotions-ideas/">short on creative promotion ideas</a> for the upcoming Mother&#8217;s Day, don’t worry, you’re in the right place! Whether you’re rustling up some Mother’s Day campaigns for the first time or you are looking for new and trendy ideas, our fun and innovative tips below will help you get off to a successful start.



8 Brilliant Ways to Engage Your Audiences This Mother’s Day:



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">1. Start by Advertising Your Mother’s Day Promotion as A Rare Event</h4>



Even though the occasion comes around once every year, it doesn’t mean that you cannot market this Mother’s Day as “THE” Mother’s Day of all mother’s days. By marketing your Mother’s Day event as a “once-off never to happen again occasion”, you’ll create a sense of urgency. This should intrigue your repeat customers as well as potential new ones.&nbsp;



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">2. Let Your Audiences Know That Moms Will Get Special Treatment</h4>



Your audiences want their moms to get extra special treatment on this very special day. So, plan a treat and let it be known to the world! Whether you hand out chocolates, flowers, or a free glass of wine, make sure your patrons know what’s going to be in store for them.&nbsp;



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">3. Create A Unique Dining Experience</h4>



Your regular patrons may look for a new venue to celebrate Mother’s Day unless you give them a reason to stick around. We suggest you spice things up a little. Instead of serving your regular lunch, why not host a high-tea, a Champaign breakfast, or a cocktail evening?



By creating a unique dining experience, you get to hold on to your regular customers and at the same time, you can encourage new ones to enter your doors.



Also, if you plan your event right, you will create a lasting impression and new guests may just visit you again to try out your regular menu.&nbsp; &nbsp;



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">4. Connect with Local Mom’s Groups</h4>



This is targeted marketing at its finest. For Mother’s Day, you want to host moms and their families galore. So, where better to find moms than at your local mom’s groups! Yup, you can plan your unique event and then send promotional flyers and emails to nearby churches, day-cares, and other organisations that are woman-focused.&nbsp;



You can also ask these groups to participate in surveys. A detailed survey will give you the info you need to plan an event that caters to “what moms want”.&nbsp;



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">5. Host a Mother’s Eve Event</h4>



By hosting a Mother’s Eve event, you can capitalise on this special occasion on more than one day. Why not hold a cocktail evening the night before where the ladies can have a fun and carefree night out before celebrating with their families? You can offer free drinks to all moms with the promise of a family brunch the next day. It’s genius!&nbsp;



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">6. Cater to the Kids</h4>



The fastest way to mom’s heart is to treat her kids lovingly. That’s why we think a Mother’s Day promotion that includes entertaining the kids at a restaurant is a brilliant idea. Mom can sip her wine in peace while you bring in the kiddie’s entertainment and childminders. Get the kids to make Mother’s Day cards while they wait for their meals to arrive and you’ll get extra brownie points!



Use social media platforms such as Facebook to create an event page where you list the family entertainment that will be available. You can then use the paid marketing option to promote this event far and wide. 



Further reading: <a href="https://stampede.ai/blog/how-to-nail-customer-service-for-families/">https://stampede.ai/blog/how-to-nail-customer-service-for-families/</a>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">7. Run A Contest with Moms in Mind</h4>



A contest will allow you to capitalise from this occasion on the days leading up to the big event. For example, during the month of March, all moms who visit your venue can be entered into a draw. You can announce the winners on Mother’s Day. And to take one step further, all prizes can be used to draw customers back to your establishment (such as meal vouchers, for instance). 



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">8. Highlight Your Inclusivity</h4>



Do not alienate a subsection of mothers and families by only catering to one version of what “mom” can mean. Moms can come in all forms and the role can be filled by plenty of people from grandmothers and aunties to teachers and nannies. Families can have more than one mom too, so make sure your perspective of Mother’s Day fits this diversity.&nbsp;



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">How to Promote Your Mother’s Day Event and Promotions</h4>



<ol class="wp-block-list"><li><a href="https://stampede.ai/blog/how-to-effectively-design-social-media-posts/">Use social media</a> to create a big hype and talk about how moms are going to miss out if they’re not there to be wined, dined, and treated.  </li><li>Use your <a href="https://stampede.ai/blog/email-marketing-tips-for-the-hospitality-industry/">database to send out emails and SMS’s</a> to notify your customers of what they can expect. If you haven’t started compiling a database yet…now’s the time (<a href="https://calendly.com/stampedeae/stampede-demo-request?month=2020-03">contact us</a> for more info).</li><li>Hand out flyers to targeted audiences such as your local churches, schools, and mom’s groups. </li></ol>



Further reading: <a href="https://stampede.ai/blog/gathering-the-right-data-for-your-restaurant-marketing/">https://stampede.ai/blog/gathering-the-right-data-for-your-restaurant-marketing/</a>



Successful busy events such as Mother’s Day can be the difference between building a loyal customer base and a bad reputation – but, with a bit of forethought and a touch of creativity, you’ll be building lasting loyalty. For more information on how you can attract customers and retain them, please contact Stampede for an innovative take on marketing technology. 



<hr class="wp-block-separator"/>





<hr class="wp-block-separator"/>

Getting Ready for Mother’s Day – Creative Promotion Ideas

Did you know that Stampede integrates with over 200 e-commerce platforms? By connecting your e-commerce system with Stampede you will be able to access even more customer data insights, allowing you to create enticing marketing campaigns to bring customers back.



<hr class="wp-block-separator"/>



Here’s the&nbsp;<a href="https://zapier.com/apps/categories/ecommerce" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">full list of all 202 e-commerce apps</a>, including Shopify, Square and WooCommerce.



<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-to-use-transactional-e-commerce-data">How to use transactional e-commerce data</h4>



By adding more customer data sources together you&#8217;ll get a better view of the customer journey and their relationship with your brand. Those insights can then be used to create more personalised and targeted offers.



And that&#8217;s the key to getting great conversion rates.



Having all your data sources available in one place makes this easy and effective for you as well.&nbsp;Simply mix and match your data sources to create unique customer segments&nbsp;for your next email and SMS campaigns.



To get you started, we&#8217;ve put together some clever segment combination ideas and campaigns to go with them for inspiration.&nbsp;



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">8 clever segmentation &amp; campaign ideas for your e-commerce data</h4>



1.&nbsp;Customer has purchased online but has&nbsp;not&nbsp;been at venue:



<ul class="wp-block-list"><li>We&#8217;d love to meet you! Why not come by and say hello? Get % off for your first visit.</li><li>Like our [product] and want to explore our full range? Come by our venue and get [freebie] for your first visit.&nbsp;</li></ul>



2.&nbsp;Regular in-venue customer but no online purchases:



<ul class="wp-block-list"><li>Want to enjoy some of your most favourite items at home? Check out our online store and get % off your first order.</li><li>Did you know that we also sell gift cards and meal-kits? They will make a great gift for [e.g. Mother’s Day]. Special offer only valid until …</li></ul>



3.&nbsp;Customer has purchased the same item several times (automated message):



<ul class="wp-block-list"><li>Looks like you’re a fan of our [product]. What about getting it to your doorstep every month without having to remember to re-order it?</li><li>We’ve seen you like [product] and thought you might as well like this [product].</li><li>A fan of [product]? We’ve got a much wider range available in our venue. Come by and get [freebie].</li></ul>



4.&nbsp;Customer has made several online orders and are a regular customer (loyal):



<ul class="wp-block-list"><li>Thanks for sticking with us! Here’s a sneak peak of our new [product] and an exclusive early bird offer for you.</li><li>Here’s a little treat for you. Simply show your voucher code the next time you come to visit us to get [freebie].&nbsp;</li></ul>



5.&nbsp;Abandoned cart (automated message):



<ul class="wp-block-list"><li>We’ve noticed you left something in your cart. Do you want to proceed? Get additional % off if you order within the next …</li><li>Here’s a free shipping to what is left in your cart. Order now.</li></ul>



6.&nbsp;No online order or in-venue visit in the past 30 days (cold):



<ul class="wp-block-list"><li>Here’s % off to say we miss you! Visit us or buy online.&nbsp;</li><li>Just checking in, as we haven’t seen you in a while. Get % off your next visit/order.</li></ul>



7.&nbsp;Big online spenders and high review scores (advocate):



<ul class="wp-block-list"><li>Looks like you’re enjoying [product]. Why not tell your friends and get % off your next order.&nbsp;</li><li>We want to say thank you and have [freebie] waiting for you at our venue.</li></ul>



8.&nbsp;Big online spenders and low online rating (win back):



<ul class="wp-block-list"><li>We’re sorry to hear that you’re not happy with [product] and we would like to retry. Here’s % off your next visit/order</li><li>Give us another chance, we want to make up. Your next order of [product] is on us.</li></ul>



Check out this useful article on our blog&nbsp;<a href="https://stampede.ai/blog/how-to-set-up-a-successful-meal-kit-e-commerce-page/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">on how to set up a successful e-commerce page</a>.



Ready to integrate your e-commerce platform to Stampede for more data insights?&nbsp;<a href="https://stampede.ai/company/#contact" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Get in touch&nbsp;</a><a href="https://stampede.ai/company/#contact" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"></a>and our team will be happy to assist.

Drive More Sales With E-Commerce Integrations and Data

Ready to start building your business through social networks?

Promotion by Recommendation
There is no better promotion than a friend referring to a business. Using the <a href="/blog/press/how-important-is-mobile-marketing">Facebook Checkin feature on Stampede</a> you can post to your clients Facebook feed endorsing your brand/venue. When a user &#8220;Checks In&#8221; that user&#8217;s friends will be notified about their presence at that venue. 
<h3>User Experience</h3>
This is a no-brainer from a user experience standpoint, they get access to Free WiFi using Facebook instantly, no input required. The user will also have the option to opt out of the check-in should they want to.
Inputting information about yourself on a mobile can sometimes be quite tricky, with Facebook Checkin on WiFi we can completely forget the login form by clicking the Checkin using Facebook button.
<a class="eut-modal-popup" href="https://calendly.com/stampedeae/stampede-demo-request?month=2020-02">Click here to get started.</a>

Facebook Checkin on WiFi

Why, it seems only just a few short days ago that we were writing about enabling <a class="" href="/blog/facebook-wifi-your-business" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Facebook Wifi checkin for your business</a>. As many of our readers know, the world of the internet moves fast and furious.. In just that short time, Facebook founder <a href="https://www.recode.net/2018/4/10/17216734/live-facebook-mark-zuckerberg-testimony-senate-hearing-data" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Mark Zuckerberg found himself being grilled on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC</a> over data concerns with their social media platform. Shortly afterwards, UK pub giant Wetherspoons announced that they would be <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-43781281" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">shutting down all of their social media accounts</a>.

So should hospitality owners be worried? Short answer, NO.
Although the growth in Facebook has slowed in 2018, in truth, it’s still the largest social media platform out there, used by over 2 BILLION people. That’s almost one quarter of the population of the planet. That being said, after the revelations of the past couple of weeks,  users may have some concerns with using Facebook and may start posting with less frequency. At least for a while.
What Facebook does with customer data is beyond your control. What you CAN do, however, is offer your customers a fast, safe and convenient Wifi connection so they can access their Facebook accounts. To that end,  you have a number of different ways that you can let customers connect to your networks. You can give out the password so everyone can connect freely, you can let your customers login via a social network like Facebook or Twitter, or you can ask them for certain data, like their email and/or post code, in return for unlimited Wifi.
Let’s take a look at these in light of recent concerns and see which might be best for your hospitality business.
<h2>OPEN NETWORK</h2>
This is still how many hospitality and retail businesses are running nowadays. There’s typically a password written on a wall or menu somewhere which allows users to connect. The benefits of this type of network are obvious &#8211; it’s easy for anyone to connect. The bad part about this type of network is that….it’s easy for anyone to connect. Hackers looking to steal data can easily connect to the network and, <a href="/blog/articles/data-comprimised-wifi-pineapple" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">with a Wifi hacking device like a pineapple</a>, easily intercept your data.
<h2>SOCIAL MEDIA LOGIN</h2>
In this type of connection, a user logs into a Wifi network by <a href="/blog/social/facebook-checkin-on-wifi" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">authenticating against one a social network like Facebook or Twitter</a>. The benefits of this type of connection is that, for one, it’s somewhat more secure than a network with an open password and, since nearly everyone has a social media account, it’s easy for users to connect to your Wifi network. But connections aren’t free and, in most cases, buy connecting trhough a social media network, the user then will broadcast their connections to their friends on the network.
For example, a user that connects with a Facebook login will have their location announced to their Facebook friends. Until now, this wasn&#8217;t a big deal, but, as we’ve seen with the recent Facebook news, users might be less and less willing to share their data.
Social media login is one of the ways that Wifi users can authenticate to Wifi through our Stampede platform. It&#8217;s popular with a number of our customers. But, an even more powerful and flexible way for your customers to connect to Wifi is through the use of a captive portal.
<h2>CAPTIVE PORTAL LOGIN</h2>
Here’s how it works: when a user enters your location, they connect to your Wifi. Once connected, a browser opens prompting the user for their email address. This is so the user can be verified through our Stampede platform before the Wifi allows them to connect. In addition to their email address, capitive portal solutions can ask for additional information, like sex, age and post codes.
Although this may seem intrusive, most users have no problem with providing some user data in return for free Wifi. And, if you let them know that by providing you with their email address, you’ll use the data to keep them informed of upcoming offeres or specials, they’ll be happy to give it to you.
The other benefit of a captive portal is that once a customer is logged in, they stay logged in. Even better, if you have Stampede deployed in multiple locations &#8211; let&#8217;s say a chain of pubs &#8211; they can stay connected from venue to venue (pub crawl, anyone) <a href="/blog/wifi-in-your-venue-login-once-login-forever" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">without ever having to login to the Wifi</a>!
<h2>WHICH SOLUTION IS RIGHT FOR YOU?</h2>
That depends on your business and your needs.
If you’re looking to just provide Wifi to increase dwell time at your hospitality or retail business, then you can go with an open network or social media login. These type of networks are easy to setup and require little or no upkeep. But if you’re looking to turn an expense into an asset, then providing your customers with a captive Wifi portal is the solution for you. By colletcting email and other data from your users, you can land, expand and grow your business.
What are you waiting for? Your business isn&#8217;t going to grow itself.
<a class="eut-modal-popup" href="https://calendly.com/stampedeae/stampede-demo-request?month=2020-02">Click here to get started.</a>

Facebook, Data Security, and Hospitality WiFi

This article was written by Tom Saxon. Tom is the co-founder of <a href="https://www.batchcoffee.co.uk/">Batch Coffee</a>. He has been working in the speciality coffee industry for over 10 years throughout the world and in many parts of the supply chain.



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I personally love working in the hospitality industry and can’t encourage people enough to consider a career. The workforce is typically young and energetic which coupled with constantly making customers happy is why working in hospitality is a fulfilling and rewarding career. 



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">Working In Hospitality &#8211; The Coffee Shop Industry</h4>



My day does start early as you’d expect in the coffee industry. The 6 am alarm is always met shortly afterwards with a delicious coffee though &#8211; one of the many perks of working with <a href="https://www.batchcoffee.co.uk/stories/best-speciality-coffee-beans-uk">speciality coffee beans</a>.



Opening up the roastery and cafe takes about 30 minutes. It involves dialling in coffee machines and preparing for customers. As they arrive each one is met with a small conversation &#8211; especially the regulars whom I would now class as friends.&nbsp;



The morning rush comes and goes quickly and I always feel pumped afterwards. The coffee industry is great as people are so thankful for their morning coffee and especially customers who dine in, their energy after they are fully caffeinated is contagious.



My responsibilities; first and foremost customer service. It&#8217;s so important that our customers leave happy and hopefully in a better mood than when they entered. Making coffee and ensuring the place is clean and tidy, stock control and various small jobs like checking the toilets every hour or so make up the rest of the day.&nbsp;



The days are quick and finishing at 4 pm means that I still have an evening to do whatever I’d like.&nbsp;



<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-tech-makes-working-in-hospitality-easier">How Tech Makes Working In Hospitality Easier&nbsp;</h4>



Working in a busy coffee shop can be occasionally stressful, especially behind the coffee machine where there is a finite number of coffees one can make per minute contrary to the odd customer&#8217;s opinion.&nbsp;



Add to this the fact that you are customer-facing, so while the orders stack up and you’re frantically trying to pull 18 shots of espresso and split a litre of steamed milk into 6 different milk-based espresso drinks you have to keep a smile on your face and appear unphased.&nbsp;



<h5 class="wp-block-heading">1. Ordering App</h5>



A really useful tool that has helped many <a href="https://baristaandco.com/">baristas</a> all over the world is an app where coffee can be ordered before a customer arrives in the coffee shop.&nbsp;



This means that the transaction takes place on the customer&#8217;s phone so there is no waiting in line and there is no time wasted serving the customer. This completely streamlines the process of ordering the coffee for the customer and the barista can immediately add the order to the queue.



<h5 class="wp-block-heading">2. Customer Loyalty App</h5>



Another useful app that we use that involves the <a href="https://stampede.ai/blog/the-paid-loyalty-scheme-that-works-a-treat/">customer&#8217;s experience is a loyalty app</a>. Stamp cards are now becoming a thing of the past, although they do work as a physical representation of how many coffees you have left before you receive a free one, the practicality of them from a barista&#8217;s point of view is a bit wasteful.&nbsp;



Today when customers place an order through their app they receive an e-stamp that can be visualised as a<a href="https://stampede.ai/blog/bring-more-customers-back-with-a-loyalty-program/"> </a><a href="https://stampede.ai/blog/bring-more-customers-back-with-a-loyalty-program/">loyalty card</a> on their phone. If the customer orders in the coffee shop they are able to scan a QR code that appears after the purchase on a screen facing outwards from the register which again adds another e-stamp to their virtual loyalty card.&nbsp;



This again streamlines a process that in reality saves only a matter of seconds per customer, but when looked at on a larger scale saves not only hours of staff time but crucially frees up a staff member during peak hours so the wait time is reduced which keeps current customers happy and entices new customers into the cafe.&nbsp;



<h5 class="wp-block-heading">3. Staff Scheduling App</h5>



Technology is now used in all areas of hospitality and one of the most efficient pieces of technology from a manager&#8217;s point of view is a roster application.&nbsp;



Back in the day, weekly rosters would be stuck to the wall in the form of a piece of A4 paper with an excel style table where employees could read their shifts and see when their colleagues were also working.&nbsp;



Albeit a physical representation, it was also messy as by the end of the first day the roster was published it had already been annotated with shift swaps.&nbsp;



Today, all of the shift organisation is completed via an app where managers can publish weekly rosters months in advance if they wish.&nbsp;



Colleagues can liaise directly through the app and request shift swaps with the authorisation of a manager needed and the new roster is then automatically updated. Staff can add holidays up to a year in advance so when the manager sits down to plan the roster they know exactly who is available for the forthcoming week.&nbsp;



The app usually has a singing-in system too, so gone are the days of more A4 prints on the wall or punch cards. Just tap start and finish at either end of the shift on the app which then records each staff member&#8217;s weekly hours.

Working In Hospitality: Harnessing The Efficiency Of Tech

Delivery and takeaway sales have seen another strong start in 2022. Recent figures by <a href="https://www.morningadvertiser.co.uk/Article/2022/02/23/pub-delivery-and-takeaway-sales-reach-five-times-pre-pandemic-levels-in-january-2022" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">CGA &amp; Slerp Hospitality At Home Tracker</a> show a sales increase of 422% compared to January 2019. Time to ramp up your e-commerce meal kit page and promotions for maximum revenue.







In <a href="https://stampede.ai/blog/how-to-get-it-right-meal-kit-online-sales-success-by-hawskmoor/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">part one</a> of this series, we analysed the Hawksmoor At Home e-commerce website and promotions. This part will give you some further guidance on how you can deploy a similar strategy to your meal kit e-commerce sales to get them flying out the door.



<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-page-layout">Page Layout</h4>



Most website builders have a selection of&nbsp;built-in e-commerce templates and building blocks&nbsp;to choose from. To save time, use those and customise or adjust them to your branding rather than building a page entirely from scratch.



We’d recommend going minimalistic and choosing a simple grid layout made of image and text blocks. This provides customers with a straightforward overview of your different meal-kit options.



Have a look around <a href="https://www.squaremeal.co.uk/restaurants/best-for/restaurant-diy-kits_9779" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">others restaurants’ meal kit pages</a> and get some more inspiration from the gallery below.



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<figure class="wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-1 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex">
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Screenshot-2022-03-02-at-12.17.25.png"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="976" height="926" data-id="21277" src="https://stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Screenshot-2022-03-02-at-12.17.25.png" alt="" class="wp-image-21277" srcset="https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Screenshot-2022-03-02-at-12.17.25.png 976w, https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Screenshot-2022-03-02-at-12.17.25-300x285.png 300w, https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Screenshot-2022-03-02-at-12.17.25-768x729.png 768w, https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Screenshot-2022-03-02-at-12.17.25-150x142.png 150w, https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Screenshot-2022-03-02-at-12.17.25-16x16.png 16w, https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Screenshot-2022-03-02-at-12.17.25-592x562.png 592w, https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Screenshot-2022-03-02-at-12.17.25-63x60.png 63w, https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Screenshot-2022-03-02-at-12.17.25-95x90.png 95w" sizes="(max-width: 976px) 100vw, 976px" /></a></figure>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Screenshot-2022-03-02-at-12.30.10.png"><img decoding="async" data-id="21278" src="https://image.stampede.ai/fill/1024/544/ce/0/aHR0cHM6Ly9zdGFtcGVkZS5haS93cC1jb250ZW50L3VwbG9hZHMvMjAyMi8wMy9TY3JlZW5zaG90LTIwMjItMDMtMDItYXQtMTIuMzAuMTAtMTAyNHg1NDQucG5n" alt="" class="wp-image-21278"/></a></figure>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Screenshot-2022-03-02-at-12.41.15.png"><img decoding="async" data-id="21280" src="https://image.stampede.ai/fill/1024/441/ce/0/aHR0cHM6Ly9zdGFtcGVkZS5haS93cC1jb250ZW50L3VwbG9hZHMvMjAyMi8wMy9TY3JlZW5zaG90LTIwMjItMDMtMDItYXQtMTIuNDEuMTUtMTAyNHg0NDEucG5n" alt="" class="wp-image-21280"/></a></figure>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Screenshot-2022-03-02-at-12.43.22-1.png"><img decoding="async" data-id="21279" src="https://image.stampede.ai/fill/1024/831/ce/0/aHR0cHM6Ly9zdGFtcGVkZS5haS93cC1jb250ZW50L3VwbG9hZHMvMjAyMi8wMy9TY3JlZW5zaG90LTIwMjItMDMtMDItYXQtMTIuNDMuMjItMS0xMDI0eDgzMS5wbmc=" alt="" class="wp-image-21279"/></a></figure>
</figure>



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<h4 class="wp-block-heading">Page Design</h4>



Keep the overall page design&nbsp;easy to navigate&nbsp;and use your existing brand assets to make it recognisable.



The overall focus on the page should be on the pictures of your meal kits, as they will capture your customers&#8217; attention and give them an idea of what to expect.



You can, for example, use one image showing the finished meal together with some close-ups of individual components and ingredients. Chances are that you have some high-quality shots for your social media posts already that can be re-used. This visual consistency between channels will help improve campaign effectiveness.



Always keep in mind that most of your customers will browse on their phones, so make sure your page displays well on both desktop and mobile.



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">Written Page Content</h4>



Again, keep the text minimal and provide a&nbsp;clear and concise description&nbsp;of your meal kits. You can use a bulleted list for this part, which makes it easier to grasp all important information at one glance.&nbsp;Strong call-to-actions&nbsp;will help you drive in more orders &#8211; “Get cooking”, “Order now”, “Create your [company] at home experience”.



Once you’ve got the key information across, you can use storytelling to give your content a personal touch. Showcase your local suppliers and their ingredients with links to their websites. And don’t forget to include customer testimonials.



A short FAQ section can give customers answers to common questions around last order date, storage, etc. You can also include more detailed step-by-step instructions here. This will help you to highlight how easy it is for customers to replicate your restaurant experience at home. 



To make your page even more engaging think about incorporating a short video on how to prepare the meal featuring your chef in action.



Check out <a href="https://garrettoden.com/analyzed-18-meal-kit-delivery-websites/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">this article</a> analysing different meal kit delivery pages and their content for some more tips and tricks. 



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">E-Commerce Promotion</h4>



Once your page is all set up, it&#8217;s time to promote your meal kit e-commerce page properly. Besides using your social channels and email marketing, you might opt for paid search ads. This will allow you to reach a much wider (national) audience.



Below are some useful resources around setting up converting Google Search Ads and further SEO tips to boost your website content.



<ul class="wp-block-list"><li>Digital Restaurateur &#8211; <a href="https://www.digitalrestaurateur.com/paid-search-for-restaurants" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Paid search ads for restaurants</a></li><li>39 celsius &#8211; <a href="https://www.39celsius.com/google-ads-for-restaurants/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Google ads for restaurants</a></li><li>Search Engine Journal &#8211; <a href="https://www.searchenginejournal.com/restaurant-seo-tips/208644/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Restaurant SEO tips</a></li><li>Lightspeed &#8211; <a href="https://www.lightspeedhq.com/blog/seo-for-restaurants/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">SEO for restaurants</a></li></ul>



Stampede integrates with a number of e-commerce platforms that allows you to access valuable customers data. <a href="https://calendly.com/stampedeae/stampede-demo-request" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Get in touch</a> with one of our team who are happy to run you through it.

How To Set Up A Successful Meal Kit E-Commerce Page

Halloween is coming up end of this week! Despite celebrations being a bit different this year, it&#8217;s not too late to ramp up a virtual trick and treat.



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Here are some ideas:



<ul class="wp-block-list"><li>Leverage your social media channels for spooktacular last-minute deals and contests</li><li>Halloweenise your food and drink offerings and showcase them online</li><li>If you&#8217;re offering takeaway or delivery: sneak a nasty little surprise into the box</li></ul>



Apart from Halloween, this week is all about #food. Here&#8217;s three inspirations for your social media and email marketing:



<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-wednesday-28th-national-chocolate-day"> Wednesday 28th &#8211; National Chocolate Day</h4>



We kick off with National Chocolate Day. Who can resist a (big) piece of chocolate now and then. Proven to raise our endorphin levels and make people happy, what&#8217;s not to like? And as we all know, Chocolate grows on trees, which makes it a plant after all &#8230;&nbsp;



Tip: <a href="https://zapier.com/blog/best-poll-apps/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Social Media Poll</a> Question (including a prize to win) &#8211; What&#8217;s your favourite chocolate dish?



<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-thursday-29th-national-oatmeal-day"> Thursday 29th &nbsp;&#8211; National Oatmeal Day</h4>



Love it or hate it. Oatmeal. Coming from humble beginnings, it used to be the food for the poor, but today the ancient grain is praised by nutritionists around the world and is a staple of our breakfast bowls.



Tip: Breakfast bowls are very photogenic. A great opportunity to showcase all the healthy ingredients it contains. Check-out this instagram feed from <a href="https://www.instagram.com/hulajuicebar/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Hula Juice Bar</a> to get some inspiration.



<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-vegetarian-month">Vegetarian Month</h4>



October is also Vegetarian Month. And thinking of Halloween, <a href="https://www.delish.com/cooking/g1770/best-pumpkin-recipes/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">pumpkin</a>&nbsp;comes straight to mind.



From mouth-watering pumpkin pie, creamy pumpkin pasta to exotic pumpkin spiced cocktails. There are lot of yummy food &amp; drinks you can create here.



Tip: Share your chef&#8217;s favourite pumpkin recipe with your customers, and encourage them to share their own creations with you. Don&#8217;t forget the hashtags!



If you&#8217;ve got a spooky story to tell or offer to promote and could do with a little helping hand, <a href="https://stampede.ai/company/#contact" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">get in touch</a> with our team. We&#8217;ll support you getting the word out to your customers.

What’s On This Week? – 26/10/2020

For decades, hospitality businesses have trusted in the power of human labour to keep their venues running. Artificial Intelligence (AI) promises more efficient operations and better-personalised experiences for their customers.&nbsp;



But while AI has comes with huge benefits &#8211; from automating mundane tasks to better understanding customers’ needs &#8211; it also poses potential drawbacks.&nbsp;



Before you decide whether or not integrating AI into your hospitality operations is right for you, take some time to consider both the pros and cons we lay down in this blog article.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-ai-is-used-in-the-hospitality-industry">How AI is used in the hospitality industry</h2>



AI is being used in a variety of ways in the hospitality industry, from chatbots that assist with reservations to orders to automated systems that streamline check-in and check-out processes and marketing and sales automation.



It also comes with the ability to predict customer needs and preferences, which can help with recommendations, personalised service and upsell.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-advantages-of-using-ai-in-hospitality">Key advantages of using AI in hospitality</h2>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">1. Increased operational efficiency and productivity</h4>



With AI, businesses are able to streamline their operational and administrative processes and automate tasks. This allows for a significant increase in productivity and better resource management.



Moreover, with less manual handling required, there is a reduced chance of human error. Especially when dealing with customer data or uploading and updating spreadsheets, which can be prone to mistakes.



Marketing teams can massively improve their efforts with AI. For example, use data insights to build defined customer segments. The foundation for email and SMS campaigns that really resonate with customers and drive them back to their venue.&nbsp;



With clever <a href="https://stampede.ai/downloads/hospitality-marketing-automation-playbook">campaign automation</a>, operators can additionally save valuable time and staff can focus on more crucial tasks.



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">2. Reduced costs</h4>



With the rise of AI, there are new opportunities for hospitality businesses to cut costs.



Routine and repetitive tasks can easily be automated, saving on labour costs. Besides, by implementing AI, operators can bypass ongoing staff shortages.



It also allows for more efficient and accurate decision-making backed by real data insights. So without relying on guesswork, operators can ultimately reduce unnecessary costs in the long run.



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">3. Improved customer experience</h4>



The key to retaining customers is to ensure that they have a memorable experience when interacting with your brand. This is where the use of AI comes in.&nbsp;



Businesses can create a much more personalised and tailored experience that is based on customers’ preferences and behaviours.



Moreover, AI can help to connect all of a customer&#8217;s interactions with a brand across various digital channels. This contributes towards a more unified and seamless online experience.&nbsp;



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">4. Better forecasting</h4>



In today&#8217;s fast-paced environment, having accurate and timely forecasts can mean the difference between success and failure.&nbsp;



AI has the ability to analyse vast amounts of customer data in a second and provide insights into revenue opportunities that may have otherwise been missed.&nbsp;



Perhaps even more importantly, AI can predict market trends, giving businesses an edge in their strategic planning. By leveraging the preciseness of forecasting, businesses can make smarter decisions, allocate resources more effectively, and ultimately, increase their bottom line.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-main-disadvantages-of-using-ai-in-hospitality">Main disadvantages of using AI in hospitality</h2>



Although AI has the potential to take business operations to the next level, it comes with its share of disadvantages that should also be considered.



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">&nbsp;1. Impersonal service</h4>



One major issue with AI is the loss of the human touch. Whether it&#8217;s automated customer service systems or self-checkout kiosks, these rather impersonal experiences can negatively affect customer satisfaction.



AI systems can never fully replace human intuition and judgement, which can also lead to errors and inaccuracies in service.&nbsp;



No doubt, the human element is vital to creating a warm and welcoming environment. It&#8217;s through genuine connections with staff that customers feel valued and it&#8217;s those connections that keep them coming back time and time again.



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">2. System failure</h4>



Running a hospitality business is a complex task that requires a lot of moving parts to function well. The success of operations depends heavily on all of the systems working properly.



Unfortunately, when these systems fail, they can cause serious disruption to the entire operation. Rooms may be double-booked, orders may be lost or misplaced and customers may be left waiting for extended periods of time.



As a result, unsatisfied customers and negative reviews can quickly pile up, causing lasting damage to the business.&nbsp;



To mitigate the risk of system failure, it’s important for hospitality operators to have a plan in place in case their AI tool breaks down. By being proactive and prepared, they can ensure a seamless experience for their customers.



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">3. Technological limitations</h4>



The hospitality industry requires technology tools that cater to their particular needs. Customer interactions happen both online and offline. Generic AI tools might not align with their specific requirements and might therefore create more work than taking off the workload if not set up properly.



Even with the right technology tools to hand the various systems used need to interact and talk to each other. Without those <a href="https://stampede.ai/blog/5-common-data-integration-flaws-in-hospitality-tech">integrations</a>, the data flow is disconnected and operators are not able to generate a single customer view.



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">4. High implementation costs</h4>



The implementation of these tools often comes at a high cost, making them unaffordable for smaller venues. This situation has forced operators to carefully weigh the pros and cons before deciding if it is worth investing in AI tools.&nbsp;



While AI can bring about significant returns, it may not be a worthwhile investment for all businesses. However, as technology continues to advance, we may see a rise in more cost-effective solutions that cater to a range of budgets.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-summary">Summary</h2>



In conclusion, there are pros and cons of using AI in the hospitality industry that should be taken into account.&nbsp;



Technology can be used to save money, increase efficiency, improve customer experience and enable more precise forecasting. However, many operators are still struggling with the lack of human element when it comes to dealing with customers and their needs.&nbsp;



Furthermore, technological limitations should not be disregarded as they might also cause certain problems when it comes to adapting AI to existing processes.&nbsp;



Finally, before making any investments in AI, operators should evaluate the costs associated with them as this could highly affect their financial situation.&nbsp;



All factors taken into consideration, applying AI technology correctly can prove extremely beneficial for restaurants and the hospitality industry in general.



Make sure to <a href="https://stampede.ai/blog/ai-in-hospitality-marketing-a-complete-guide">check out our full guide</a> exploring AI for hospitality marketing.

The Pros And Cons Of Using AI In Hospitality

How to Set Up a Coworking Space in Your Coffee Shop

Grow Your Coffee Shop With Free WiFi And A Captive Portal Solution

We now live in a world where we are beginning to rely on the offer of free <a href="https://stampede.ai/blog/getting-started-with-guest-wifi/">Guest WiFi</a> networks more and more. 







Making use of WiFi on the go in order to communicate with friends and family and catch up on work, is part of our daily routines. Providing free Guest WiFi in your venue will allow you to rapidly grow <a href="https://stampede.ai/blog/engaging-customers-through-wi-fi-marketing/">customer loyalty</a> and satisfaction whilst generating more income for your business. So, a win-win for you and your customers.



Here are 5 reasons why you should offer a free Guest WiFi service to your customers.



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">1. Increase Your Sales</h4>



By offering a free Guest WiFi service, you are more likely to notice customers staying in your venue for a longer period of time.&nbsp;62% of&nbsp;businesses stated that customers spend more time in their venue if free Guest WiFi service is offered. Even more, 50% of these customers are likely to spend more money as well.



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">2. Understand Your Customer Base</h4>



With a captive portal solution like Stampede in&nbsp;place, you can offer a legally GDPR compliant Guest WiFi service. In addition, it will ask your customers to put in data such as &#8217;email&#8217;, &#8216;location&#8217; &#8216;gender&#8217; etc before getting connected. 



All this information is then converted into a report with valuable insights. This will help you become aware of&nbsp;who your customers are, where they come from and how long they spend on average at your venue. Also, allowing for a <a href="https://stampede.ai/blog/getting-customer-insights-into-your-companys-dna/">deeper understanding</a> of their behaviour that you would never have had before. This again lets you generate more sales for your business due to more personalised interaction.



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">3. Meet Customer Expectations</h4>



People are now becoming more <a href="https://www.bizjournals.com/sanfrancisco/news/2019/09/26/how-small-business-owners-use-guest-wifi-to.html">accustomed to using free Guest WiFi</a> when out and about. Guest WiFi is now available almost everywhere, so providing it to your customers is a big advantage. 



Studies have shown that 1 in 10 customers admit to leaving a venue if free Guest WiFi isn&#8217;t available for them to utilise. These figures could be damaging to a venue, as it risks the loss of business to competitors.



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">4. Attract New Customers</h4>



In busy major cities such as Edinburgh, London and Glasgow, offering free Guest WiFi is vital in <a href="https://stampede.ai/blog/four-fab-benefits-of-free-wifi-for-coffee-shops/">increasing the number</a> of customers coming through your door. 



For example, when travelling abroad tourists are looking for free Guest WiFi when in a public space, allowing them to catch up with family and friends. Also, the appeal of internet access is becoming more important as more people are working on a self-employed basis working from public spaces.



Offering a WiFi service will make your business stand out and guarantees to boost loyalty and traffic if the system is fast and reliable.



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">5. Cheap Setup Fees</h4>



<a href="https://stampede.ai/product/how-it-works/">Setting up a Stampede</a><a href="https://stampede.ai/product/how-it-works/"></a> WiFi network is extremely cheap when you think of the potential revenue you could gain from a solution like this. A common myth is that installing Guest WiFi is a costly deal, however, we are here to prove that isn&#8217;t the case. 



A one of cost for the hardware, then a recurring monthly subscription fee, similar to your Netflix account. By capturing and utilising customer information, you turn your provision of free Guest WiFi from 100% cost into something with a tangible Return on Investment (ROI) and who would not want that?



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">Did We Convince You?</h4>



<hr class="wp-block-separator"/>





<hr class="wp-block-separator"/>

5 Reasons to Offer Free Guest WiFi for Your Customers

More effective way to run meta ads for hospitality

How to Use Segmentation to Increase Guest Engagement in Hospitality

Introducing Quick Campaigns

Snap Box – Stampede Network Application

Stampede-Meta Audience Connect: Simplifying multi-channel marketing strategies

A new kind of marketplace for hospitality apps

October Update – 3x Faster Guest WiFi and more

New Features & Updates – September 2023

We’re pleased to launch our brand new <a href="https://stampede.ai/get-bookings/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Table Booking</a> system this week!&nbsp;



Technology should make your life easier, not more stressful. That&#8217;s why our intuitive online table reservation feature helps you get more tables booked, and manage your front-of-house operations efficiently.&nbsp;



With Stampede Bookings, businesses can close the loop from customer acquisition to retention and growth as a result, all with one platform (and one monthly subscription).



<h5 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-table-booking-features">Key Table Booking Features</h5>



Fully Branded&nbsp;



<ul class="wp-block-list"><li>Branded booking experience through your website and social channels</li><li>Responsive design fits perfectly on mobile, desktop and tablets.</li></ul>



Table Management



<ul class="wp-block-list"><li>Manage all table bookings in one place with a grid or list view</li><li>Complete control of table settings &#8211; cover length and number, availability, booking priority</li></ul>



Floor Plans &amp; Timelines



<ul class="wp-block-list"><li>Build floor plans for your venues</li><li>Table timelines to manage and keep track of all upcoming online reservations and statuses</li><li>Real-time updates for new bookings, no refreshing needed</li></ul>



Email &amp; SMS Reminders



<ul class="wp-block-list"><li>Send automated email &amp; SMS confirmations and booking reminders to reduce no shows</li></ul>



Website Widget



<ul class="wp-block-list"><li>Table booking widget designed for mobile, tablet and desktop</li><li>Quick to set up on all major websites</li></ul>



In Sync



<ul class="wp-block-list"><li>Also available for offline access</li></ul>



<h5 class="wp-block-heading">Benefits of Stampede Bookings</h5>



 Stampede Bookings seamlessly <a href="https://stampede.ai/">connects with other Stampede tools</a>, so that you can collect all your customer data in one place with our native CRM platform.



With our other tools, Bookings can more than pay for itself in repeat business.



<ul class="wp-block-list"><li>Track your ROI and growth easily</li><li>Create powerful marketing campaigns and automated messages</li><li>Send post-booking reviews requests automatically to get real customer feedback</li><li>Boost customer loyalty with digital stamp cards</li><li>Gather and analyse your data from various sources</li></ul>



Use <a href="https://stampede.ai/get-bookings/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Stampede Bookings</a> to turn your guests into loyal customers with ease. <a href="https://stampede.ai/get-bookings/#enquire-now" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Get in touch</a> with our team to set up Stampede Bookings at your venue.

New Feature – Stampede Table Booking System

It’s time to break out the Doritos and enable cookies, cause today is the day we celebrate the first thing you ask for when you go to a new friends house or when you arrive to a new hotel or a restaurant &#8211;  Yes, you guessed right, today is World WiFi Day!
Thank you WiFi, for connecting people, creating communities and giving us access to a wealth of information, more than any library could contain. Most of it is cat videos, but we still appreciate the resource.
<h2>Do we need WiFi?</h2>
But did you know that there are still more than 4 billion people throughout the world that don’t have internet access? &#8211; That’s 4 billion people that don’t have immediate access to any important information like weather reports, world news, emergency services and even the things that aren’t that important. Like an answer to the question ‘can a bee sting another bee?’ &#8211; Yes &#8211;  or ‘How many people speak Klingon worldwide?’ &#8211; est. 300,000.
<h2>But what&#8217;s the purpose of World WiFi day?</h2>
World Wi-Fi Day is taking place today, on the 20th of June, and it aims to recognise the importance WiFi has on the modern world, and to “<a href="http://worldwifiday.com/about-us/what-is-world-wi-fi-day/">help bridge the digital divide</a>”. WiFi is playing a very significant role in cities and communities around the world, trying to ‘connect the unconnected’  through innovative projects and diverse initiatives.
We know how important WiFi is to us, but it plays an even more crucial role in developing countries: Providing internet access means providing people with opportunities to upskill themselves, as well as improve social mobility and increase economic growth.
<h2>Start offering Guest WiFi in your business</h2>
So &#8211; Why not offer your customers or guests free WiFi?  Keep your customers connected with Stampede and take your business to next level in  just a few minutes.
<a class="eut-modal-popup" href="https://calendly.com/stampedeae/stampede-demo-request?month=2020-02">Click here to get started.</a>

Stampede Celebrating World WiFi day

It’s easy to write off a customer who has left a negative review. However, with the right <a href="https://stampede.ai/blog/the-secret-to-successful-service-recovery-in-hospitality-one-part-1/?utm_source=zoho&amp;utm_medium=email" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">service recovery strategy</a> in place, it is possible to turn unhappy customers into loyal ones.



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A while ago, we introduced our simple&nbsp;<a href="https://stampede.ai/blog/a-5-step-recipe-that-creates-profitable-personalised-marketing-part-1/?utm_source=zoho&amp;utm_medium=email" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">5-step recipe</a>&nbsp;that helps you create profitable and personalised marketing campaigns.&nbsp;



Today, we’ve got another great example of how you can put it into practice.



Let’s take our recipe to set up a simple campaign to win back unhappy customers.



<h5 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-1-the-data">1)&nbsp;The Data</h5>



For this scenario, you’ll need to gather a list of all customers who have left you a&nbsp;recent negative review, i.e. 1 to 3-stars.



A lot of online review platforms will provide you with a contact list that you can access for this.



<h5 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-2-the-trigger-event">2) The Trigger Event</h5>



The trigger here is&nbsp;time-based&nbsp;and your timeframe should be within the last 2 days. A quick response is of the essence here to ensure a successful recovery.



This campaign can easily be&nbsp;turned into an automated&nbsp;one, so that you don’t have to update and send it manually.



<h5 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-3-the-messaging">3)&nbsp;The Messaging</h5>



First off, you should&nbsp;apologise&nbsp;that your service didn’t live up to their expectations.



Emphasise that their experience doesn’t meet your usual standards and that you’d appreciate trying again if they would&nbsp;give you a second chance.



Also, allow them to contact you directly to further handle the matter if needed.



<h5 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-4-the-offer">4)&nbsp;The Offer</h5>



An apology alone won’t be reason enough for your customer to come back. So for this campaign, you should include a voucher or an offer.



Here’s what your email could look like:



Subject line: [Name], we’re sorry … Will you give us another chance?



Thank you for your honest review. We’re sorry that your visit to [venue] wasn’t as expected.



As your experience was not up to our normal high service standards, we would like to try again.&nbsp;



Therefore, I have attached a voucher for [offer]. Will you give us another chance?



You can also reach us on [contact details] to provide any further feedback.



BOOK A TABLE NOW GET IN TOUCH



<h5 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-5-the-outcome">5)&nbsp;The Outcome</h5>



If you nail their follow-up visit, chances are high that they forget about their initial negative experience.



Don’t underestimate the knock-off effect of such a&nbsp;positive turnaround experience. It’s more than likely that customers will share your outstanding customer service with others and recommend you.



<a href="https://stampede.ai/blog/">Check out</a> the other articles of our 5-step recipe series on personalised marketing to help you drive customer loyalty and grow your business.



Need help segmenting your data for personalised email &amp; SMS campaigns?&nbsp;<a href="https://h.stampede.ai/meetings/stampede/demo/?utm_source=zoho&amp;utm_medium=email" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Get in touch</a>&nbsp;with one of our team who are happy to run you through it.

A New 5-Step Recipe: Turn Unhappy Customers Into Big Spenders

Since the introduction of the GDPR in May 2018, with its potential for <a href="https://ico.org.uk/for-organisations/guide-to-data-protection/guide-to-law-enforcement-processing/penalties/">big fines</a>, it’s no surprise that hoteliers are wary of collecting and using customer data. Yet customer data is immensely powerful. It provides insights which allow your business to excel. Knowledge really is power. It is possible to legally and safely collect and use data in your hotel. You just need to know-how.



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">Why do hotels want to collect guest data</h4>



The availability of guest data to hotel managers is invaluable. Collected, analysed and used in the right ways, hoteliers <a href="https://stampede.ai/blog/the-marketing-power-of-wifi-analytics-for-your-business/">benefit from data</a> to:



<ul class="wp-block-list"><li>Create a better and more customised service and experience for guests.</li><li>Identify their strengths and weaknesses and discover what their customers love and hate.</li><li>Manage seasonal supply and demand and improve occupancy rates.</li><li>Gain a competitive edge over competition.</li><li>Retarget sales.</li><li>Understand the needs of their customers such as check-in requirements or facilities required.</li><li>Generate personalised offers and time and location-based marketing.</li><li>Segmentation for marketing allowing differentiation.</li><li>Create agility with cross-sales and last-minute promotions.</li></ul>



In short, the right data is the key to successful marketing and in turn the secret to successful growth. You need to know and understand your guests. It’s customer data which makes that possible.



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">The useful customer data</h4>



Not all data is created equally. Some will be more important to you than others. Some of the most useful and valuable information to hotels, regarding their customers, includes:&nbsp;



<ul class="wp-block-list"><li>Contact details: e.g. email address or mobile number, so that you can send a promotional message during their stay or keep them updated with your newsletter.</li><li>Demographics: e.g. if they are parents, or their age so that you can provide them with the relevant information about their stay.</li><li>Reason for stay: e.g. business or pleasure, so that you customise their experience such as leaving them an anniversary gift to make them feel valued.</li><li>Social media connections: e.g. where they leave a review, or whether they like your hotel’s Facebook page so that you can reach out to your customers where they hang out.</li><li>Booking history: e.g. when do guests make a repeat visit and frequency? For example, if a guest routinely stays for a business trip every 2 months, then an offer is unlikely to change that, but personalised service will ensure they stay on a regular basis.</li><li>Booking preferences: e.g. how they booked, so that you can improve marketing through the right channels.</li><li>Guest preferences: e.g. more pillows or extra towels, so that you can ensure guest satisfaction.</li><li>Services and facilities used: e.g. business centre or spa, so that you can provide relevant incentives and cross-sales.</li><li>Loyalty program use: So that you can see where the money is spent and how they like to be rewarded.</li></ul>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">How can hotels collect guest data</h4>



Hotels aren’t strangers to collecting data. With the right Customer Relationship Management (CRM) tools it is simply part of what you do. Indeed, within the EU, hotels are required to collect passport numbers to enable law enforcement agencies to run cross-checks.



But the sort of customer data we’re talking about here is slightly different. This is data that you would like, for your benefit. It’s data so that you can <a href="https://stampede.ai/blog/engaging-customers-through-wi-fi-marketing/">understand your guests</a>. And with the collection of data comes risk. <a href="https://enterprise.verizon.com/resources/reports/dbir/">15%</a> of all data breaches which occurred in 2018 involved accommodation, making it the third most vulnerable industry.



For this reason, you should follow two basic rules:&nbsp;



<ol class="wp-block-list"><li>Only collect data if you actually intend to use it.</li><li>Only collect data when you have appropriate security measures in place.</li></ol>



This sounds simple, but without the right technological tools, it can quickly become a minefield. You need to know and remember everything from being transparent with your guests through to data subject access requests. It’s complicated.



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">The simplest solution</h4>



By far the easiest way to navigate the collection and use of guest data is to choose hotel-specific tools and software which enables you to navigate data protection legalities, safety and ethics without you having to give it a second thought.



This way you benefit from customer data but do so legally and safely.



Therefore, when choosing a vendor, always ask about the inbuilt data protection elements.



Why not give our Guest WiFi solution a try? The data you collect is fully GDPR compliant and it&#8217;s up to your customers if they want to stay connected with you. 



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With the collected data, you are able to personalise your guests&#8217; experience. I.e. send out timely and targeted offers and gain insights into their customers and more. It’s proving to be an incredible boon to hotels, giving them the competitive edge by making it easy and straightforward to collect and use personal data.

How to Legally and Safely Collect and Use Customer Data in the Hotel Industry

If you haven’t heard the news &#8211; social media is big business. In fact, <a href="https://www.statista.com/statistics/278414/number-of-worldwide-social-network-users/">the number of users is increasing year on year</a>. The average smartphone user spends over 3 hours on their device a day, predominantly checking social media sites. From following, liking, sharing, commenting and tagging. It’s completely redefined how we communicate with each other. As a business, social media interactions and campaigns now play a huge part in driving traffic to your restaurant too.&nbsp;







When it comes to creating social media campaigns, it can be tricky to get it right. Especially if you’re more used to what goes on in the kitchen, than what is happening on your Facebook page!



If you’re in need of some pointers, here are our top tips to help you become more socially savvy and get your restaurant social media campaigns up and running.



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">Paid Advertising</h4>



Many platforms including Facebook, Twitter and Instagram allow you to create paid advertising. This is a good way to create more awareness. Letting people out there now that you have an amazing restaurant, they shouldn&#8217;t miss out on.



The budget is entirely depending on how many people you want to reach, and you will normally be given an estimate before you pay. Here’s <a href="https://www.oberlo.co.uk/blog/facebook-advertising-cost">a good idea of what to expect in terms of CPC</a> (cost per click). This way, you have full control over how much you want to spend, also suitable for a small budget. 



Your paid advert could be a video advertising your restaurant, a competition or something completely creative and out of the box. Facebook and Instagram in particular, allow you to boost a post, allowing you to reach more people. Once you’ve specified a demographic and location, you can potentially reach hundreds of thousands of diners in your area, if not millions.



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">Know Your Audience</h4>



If you’re already using our software, then you’ll have a <a href="https://stampede.ai/blog/the-marketing-power-of-wifi-analytics-for-your-business/">good idea of your demographic</a> already. You can also look at your insights through each social media platform too. Either way, it’s important to know who your customers are on social media, as this may differ from your regular clientele.&nbsp;



Understanding your audience will help you make better choices when it comes to your social media campaigns. The key takeaways are their age, gender and general interests.&nbsp;



For example, say your restaurant is most popular with students. Your social media campaigns could tie in deals to coincide with everything from freshers, exams to graduation. Think about posting a special deal for those students doing their freshers week. 



Not knowing or understanding this data could miss the huge swathes of your audience. Equally, if your demographic is mostly 30-50-year-olds, then targeting student nights isn’t going to work. 



However, if you understand exactly who is following your page and who you want to target with audience creation on Facebook, you have a much better chance of success.



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">Get People Involved</h4>



Whatever you’re trying to promote through your social media campaign, it won’t have much of an impact <a href="https://revive.social/most-shared-content/">unless people find it interesting</a>.



Social media posts work best when it’s something people can interact with. Instead of posting a boring, corporate piece of marketing onto your feeds &#8211; be a little more creative. You can devise a game or puzzle for people to solve, a caption contest, a competition or even something hilarious people can’t help but want to share.&nbsp;



By putting your customers at the heart of your social posts, you are much more likely to gain traction, in terms of likes, follows, shares and ultimately table bookings.



<h4 class="wp-block-heading"> Keep On Top Of Progress</h4>



When you’re in your restaurant, you wouldn’t leave a dish unattended for hours on end in the oven. The exact same principle should apply to your social media campaigns too.



After you’ve launched a campaign, within the first hour and throughout the day, <a href="https://buffer.com/library/social-media-analytics-tools">check how many people are interacting with it.</a> If you’ve launched a post and it’s not doing so well, you need to figure out why.



For example, is it bland, long-winded or difficult to understand? <a href="https://stampede.ai/blog/vertical-the-future-of-video-content-for-digital-marketing/">Could the visuals be better</a>? Another tip is to find when your users are <a href="https://sproutsocial.com/insights/best-times-to-post-on-social-media/">most active on social media</a> so you coincide your posts to suit. Restaurants typically do well posting around mealtimes rather than first thing in the morning, so factoring in all these points can help things along.



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">Quality Control</h4>



It’s so easy to post content onto social media these days without a second thought, meaning quality control often goes out the window. Think about handing a dish to a customer without arranging the food on the plate, or checking that it’s properly cooked. You’d never do this, yet in many ways, people do it with their business’s social media.



The text shouldn’t be too long, and <a href="https://app.grammarly.com/">should always be spell checked</a>. Images and video should be landscape rather than portrait (unless for Instagram). You might also hire a freelance graphic designer to create your visuals so they are professional.



If you’re putting some and effort money behind a campaign, the last thing you want is for it to have glaring errors or have a poor image quality. After all, it’s a reflection of your restaurant! To make things easier you may want to create a social media plan on Google Docs. Review it regularly with your team to ensure it’s on-brand and as high quality as possible before it goes out to your viewing public. 



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">Conclusion</h4>



Social media is where most of your customers hang out for a considerable time of the day, so it makes sense to launch your restaurant campaigns on there.



It’s not a simple case of throwing any old thing out there for the sake of it though &#8211; a great social media campaign takes planning, thought and effort.&nbsp;



Firstly you have to know who you’re targeting. See how our software can help you to understand customer insights and create targeted marketing campaigns.



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Get Started with Your Social Media Campaigns in Your Restaurant

To speed up your productivity when moving around Stampede, we’ve built a range of clever shortcuts and quick actions.



Check out our top tips grouped by product feature.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Stampede Marketing</h2>



Save a sent campaign as a template for future use



Click on ‘view’ to open the campaign preview from an email that has been sent out.&nbsp;



<hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity"/>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="754" height="109" src="https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/save-templates-Stampede-1.png" alt="" class="wp-image-23182" srcset="https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/save-templates-Stampede-1.png 754w, https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/save-templates-Stampede-1-300x43.png 300w, https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/save-templates-Stampede-1-150x22.png 150w" sizes="(max-width: 754px) 100vw, 754px" /></figure>



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Then click on &#8216;Save campaign to template&#8217; on the top right.



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<figure class="wp-block-image size-full is-resized"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/save-tamplates-Stampede-1.png" alt="" class="wp-image-23183" width="392" height="155" srcset="https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/save-tamplates-Stampede-1.png 522w, https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/save-tamplates-Stampede-1-300x119.png 300w, https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/save-tamplates-Stampede-1-150x59.png 150w" sizes="(max-width: 392px) 100vw, 392px" /></figure>



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<div class="wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-1 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex">
<div class="wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow">
Insert preheader text within a campaign



You can include a pre-header text to your campaign that follows your subject line.&nbsp;



When editing your campaign content click on ‘body’ and you can add your pre-header text within the email settings.
</div>



<div class="wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow">
<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="387" height="556" src="https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/preheader-Stampede-1.png" alt="" class="wp-image-23184" srcset="https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/preheader-Stampede-1.png 387w, https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/preheader-Stampede-1-209x300.png 209w, https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/preheader-Stampede-1-150x216.png 150w" sizes="(max-width: 387px) 100vw, 387px" /></figure>
</div>
</div>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Stampede Table Booking Platform</h2>



Selecting multiple tables for a booking combo



In the day planner view, click and drag in an available time slot to create a new table booking.



Hold Shift and click on the other tables you&#8217;d like to include in this booking.



Quickly block a table from being booked online



This quick action is handy if you want to pause your online bookings for a certain period, i.e. you have a big group walk-in.



To do this, in the day planner view click on the square on the table you&#8217;d like to block and click save.



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<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="891" height="141" src="https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/block-tables-Stampede-1.png" alt="" class="wp-image-23185" srcset="https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/block-tables-Stampede-1.png 891w, https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/block-tables-Stampede-1-300x47.png 300w, https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/block-tables-Stampede-1-768x122.png 768w, https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/block-tables-Stampede-1-150x24.png 150w" sizes="(max-width: 891px) 100vw, 891px" /></figure>



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<div class="wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-2 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex">
<div class="wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow">
View a cover breakdown



Within whatever view you&#8217;re on, click on ‘total covers’ on the top right.&nbsp;



This will open a covers breakdown listing all bookings by status for the day you&#8217;re currently viewing.
</div>



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<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="405" height="342" src="https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/covers-breakdown-Stampede-1.png" alt="" class="wp-image-23186" srcset="https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/covers-breakdown-Stampede-1.png 405w, https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/covers-breakdown-Stampede-1-300x253.png 300w, https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/covers-breakdown-Stampede-1-150x127.png 150w" sizes="(max-width: 405px) 100vw, 405px" /></figure>
</div>
</div>



Resend booking confirmation email



Click on the booking you would like to resend the confirmation email to



Head to ‘actions’ and ‘resend confirmation email’ at the bottom.



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<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="776" height="382" src="https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/resend-confirmation-Stampede-1.png" alt="" class="wp-image-23187" srcset="https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/resend-confirmation-Stampede-1.png 776w, https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/resend-confirmation-Stampede-1-300x148.png 300w, https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/resend-confirmation-Stampede-1-768x378.png 768w, https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/resend-confirmation-Stampede-1-150x74.png 150w" sizes="(max-width: 776px) 100vw, 776px" /></figure>



<hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity"/>



We’re here to help if you have any questions and make sure to head to our&nbsp;<a href="https://help.stampede.ai/en/?utm_source=hs_email&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;_hsenc=p2ANqtz-8FRrbhL0kZbwyJbyx1fgd600KVlKug7RnMX_qJUVB5K0Q_YzN78E_XaNKmGTKOju5gT5f-" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">support page</a>&nbsp;for more information and guidance on the Stampede features.

Become A Stampede Pro With These Hidden Features

Track and Trace is a scheme that allows the hospitality industry to keep track of potential COVID-19 cases. It requires the capturing of customer data that then needs to be stored for 21 days. If anyone who has visited reports symptoms, then the business can facilitate contact to let customers know they could be at risk of catching the virus.&nbsp;



In the age of GDPR, how such data is captured is equally as important as all the other restrictions that are in place. If you are looking to set up track and trace for your hospitality business, here’s what to look out for. 



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Ease of Use</h2>



When you hired your hospitality staff, their ability to get up to speed with brand new business-critical technology probably wasn’t high on your check-list. Yet, we are now in a situation where lots of new technology is being installed, very fast. If the software is complicated or glitchy to use, this leaves the whole system open to failure. So, it’s vital your track and trace app is simple and straightforward to use from the get-go. 



Typically, track and trace works by capturing customer information via a QR code as they enter the building. Staff can then check in with that person when ordering or paying the bill. When the customer leaves the building, the software should also check them out again. Doing so will give businesses an accurate view of who was in the building and when should they need to contact people. All of which needs to be easy to manage through the track and trace method you use. 



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">GDPR Compliance</h2>



With so much focus on the coronavirus itself, it’s easy to let GDPR catch you out. Doing so could be very costly for your business, at a time when the industry has already taken a significant hit. Paper track and trace systems are costly to implement with huge overheads and are not only encouraging unnecessary physical contact but also is vulnerable to anyone viewing that customer information. The data can even be stolen if it’s just laying on the table! 



That doesn’t mean digital track and trace is always plain sailing either. Despite its infancy, reports of <a href="https://twitter.com/roselyddon/status/1281885086347075588">track and trace data breaches</a> have cropped up on social media. So, alongside adequate GDPR training for your staff, the system you use for track and trace needs to be fully watertight. Given there are companies who have set up <a href="https://www.landmobile.co.uk/news/hospitality-track-and-trace-app-developed-in-a-day/">track and trace apps in a day</a>, it’s important to ensure the system has been fully road tested before you trust it with your customer data. 



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Customer Support</h2>



If the company has only been up and running a few weeks or even days, it’s important to ascertain whether there is adequate customer support in place. If there’s no contact emails, phone numbers, opening hours or even social media accounts for a track and trace app, how do you as the customer ensure that your data is safe or contact them if there is a problem? 



Given problems with the app could spell disaster for your business, the software you choose must have customer support in place. Adequate customer support is just one of the reasons it pays to go with an existing company that has a fully GDPR compliant track and trace system in place. This is especially the case if they already work with hospitality clients because they understand the demands of the business, better than someone who is only factoring in the tech side of things, and not the day to day reality of a hospitality business. 



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Cost</h2>



Does the solution you are looking at offer flexible, transparent pricing? Track and trace is a massively helpful tool in the fight against COVID-19 and mandated in some countries, and as such there may be companies looking to profit from this. So, it’s important to get a demo, see the people producing the app online and ask what’s included for the price. 



For example, is the software GDPR compliant? Is it easy to use for staff and customers, and does it offer support? How about <a href="https://stampede.ai/covid-19/track-and-trace/?utm_source=google&amp;utm_medium=cpc&amp;utm_campaign=track_and_trace&amp;utm_content=104637033260&amp;utm_term=%2B%20track%20and%20trace&amp;ads_cmpid=10459120507&amp;ads_adid=104637033260&amp;ads_matchtype=b&amp;ads_network=g&amp;ads_creative=446800362177&amp;utm_term=%2B%20track%20and%20trace&amp;ads_targetid=kwd-921624364049&amp;utm_campaign=&amp;utm_source=adwords&amp;utm_medium=ppc&amp;ttv=2&amp;gclid=CjwKCAjwr7X4BRA4EiwAUXjbt0BEIxdhbCwYHSIqdymzPVOMPoSPpaXc7Ow7aoU3M1e3jHhg5ES5NhoCdlUQAvD_BwE">footfall analysis</a>? Does it allow you to keep track of the number of people in the space? If the system goes down, what guarantees are in place?&nbsp; Does it automatically delete the data after 21 days? Does it differentiate between customers who want to stay on the system longer than 21 days and those that don’t? The cost can be broken down as monthly, annual or recurring. There could also be setup fees too, so it’s important to ask about those.&nbsp;



As track and trace is a new product to the market, there’s likely to be some large inconsistencies between what different companies charge. Some may offer free trials, and others can also offer <a href="https://stampede.ai/covid-19/">wider marketing services</a> as part of the package, making it cheaper overall. The key is to ensure you’re investing in a well-tested, solid product that can hopefully pay for itself, rather than a cheap option that might lay you open to fines or worse. After all, your customers aren’t getting in the building without it! 



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">To Sum Up</h3>



Track and trace is imperative in some countries, but it’s also a key part of hospitalities’ armoury in reassuring customers who want to come back but are cautious. By monitoring who is in the building and how many people are in the space, you can reopen and most importantly, keep everyone safe. What to look out for as a buyer includes a system that works well both from a customer and business perspective. It needs to store your customer information in a GDPR compliant way, including deleting the data after 21 days. 



Here at Stampede, we provide track and trace through our existing software. Your guest WiFi will automatically check people in through two clicks on their phone, with no messy paperwork or huge amounts of staff time. If there’s some reason they can’t use WiFi, or it’s a problem for your business, they can use a QR code which is fully integrated into the system. Businesses can monitor the footfall to comply with social distancing regulations. We’ll even send you a free COVID-19 readiness pack so that you can get up and running with track and trace straight away. We have customer support available too and can talk to you about your WiFi system and what’s the best solution for you. <a href="https://stampede.ai/covid-19/track-and-trace/?utm_source=google&amp;utm_medium=cpc&amp;utm_campaign=track_and_trace&amp;utm_content=104637033260&amp;utm_term=%2B%20track%20and%20trace&amp;ads_cmpid=10459120507&amp;ads_adid=104637033260&amp;ads_matchtype=b&amp;ads_network=g&amp;ads_creative=446800362177&amp;utm_term=%2B%20track%20and%20trace&amp;ads_targetid=kwd-921624364049&amp;utm_campaign=&amp;utm_source=adwords&amp;utm_medium=ppc&amp;ttv=2&amp;gclid=CjwKCAjwr7X4BRA4EiwAUXjbt0BEIxdhbCwYHSIqdymzPVOMPoSPpaXc7Ow7aoU3M1e3jHhg5ES5NhoCdlUQAvD_BwE">Click here to find out more</a>, and to watch a video of our track and trace app in action.

Buyers guide to track and trace apps for hospitality

Track and Trace Systems: A Buyer’s Guide

The hospitality sector has overcome a fair share of crises over the past decades. But nothing has shaken this industry quite like the COVID-19 pandemic. With lockdown restrictions shutting down businesses across the globe, hotels and restaurants were forced to suddenly re-examine fundamental strategies.&nbsp;



Now, with the re-opening date for restaurants, pubs, and hotels fast approaching, the question is –



How will the hospitality industry adjust?



Hoteliers and restaurant owners are considering different ways to reopen after Coronavirus, and a great amount of thought is being put into what will happen when they do. As it stands, it seems that technology is every business’s saving grace. Knowing this, the hospitality sector is making the re-evaluation of technology strategies a top priority.&nbsp;



If you’ve found that you’re in a similar boat and need to lean on technology for a helping (or guiding) hand, then this article is for you.&nbsp;



Let’s take a look at:



The 5 Trending Technology Tools You Can Use to Safely and Successfully Reopen After Lockdown



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-1-cashless-and-contactless-payments">1. Cashless and Contactless Payments</h3>



Cashless and contactless payments have one very clear benefit in a post lockdown business: reducing the need to handle cards and cash.&nbsp;



Did you know that money can carry more germs than a household toilet?<a href="http://content.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1914560_1914558_1914544,00.html" target="_blank" aria-label="undefined (opens in a new tab)" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow">[1]</a>.



Gross.



Using technology, such as the&nbsp;<a href="https://squareup.com/us/en/hardware/reader" target="_blank" aria-label="undefined (opens in a new tab)" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow">Square Reader</a>, means that businesses can accept payment via contactless cards – anywhere.&nbsp;



The benefits are threefold and this innovative system:



<ol class="wp-block-list">
<li>Enables faster payments (so you can reduce queuing time)</li>



<li>Boosts the confidence of patrons who are wary of handling cash</li>



<li>Keeps staff members safe by removing the need to handle money</li>
</ol>



At this point, you may be wondering – “how do cashless payments work, exactly”?



Currently, there are a few options to choose from. We’ll highlight the two most popular choices.&nbsp;



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Mobile apps that connect to a customer’s card/s.&nbsp;To complete a transaction, one would use a smartphone to enter payment information or scan a code.&nbsp;</li>
</ul>



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Plug-in credit card readers.&nbsp;Here, you’ll be supplied with a tiny swiping device that plugs into a smartphone. It syncs with an app to keep track of payments and allows patrons to pay without having to handle dirty keypads. This is the perfect tool for those who will be delivering food and beverages to homes and offices.&nbsp;</li>
</ul>



As for security, you’ll be encouraged to know that most cashless applications encrypt credit card information the moment a swipe is made.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-2-ordering-and-delivery-tools">2. Ordering and Delivery Tools</h3>



COVID-19 has certainly led to an influx of food ordering and delivery software, and for good reason. Trying times have forced consumers to stay at home as much as possible and restaurants will host fewer patrons for many months post-COVID-19. Social distancing laws, as well as some customer’s desire to reduce the risk of exposure, have created a new preference for ordering meals to be delivered.&nbsp;



With this in mind, businesses should opt for software that’s going to best integrate with their current systems. Tools that have proved to work seamlessly and include added perks will also have the advantage.&nbsp;



Best to browse the internet to see what type of ordering and delivery tools are available in your region. Most applications do come with free trials and we encourage you to make use of these opportunities before subscribing to a service.&nbsp;



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-3-touchless-digital-menu-systems">3. Touchless Digital Menu Systems</h3>



Touchless digital menu systems were invented before the COVID pandemic but their need is now imperative.&nbsp;



How do they work?



Whether you use your own website or decide to use third-party software – the concept remains the same. Essentially, you will provide a link to an online version of your menu that patrons can access with their smartphones. This eliminates the need for handling actual menus that would need to be constantly sanitised or printing screeds of single-use, disposable menus. It will save a fortune on printing costs!



However, typing out a web address on a small device can be tedious and mistakes are easily made. As a suggestion, you can save your customers from frustration by using scannable QR Codes. This means that your guests can simply open the cameras on their phones, scan the code, and then have immediate access to your menu.&nbsp;



Additionally, some technology tools allow users to order meals through a digitised menu on their mobile devices. You simply select what you want to eat, and the order is sent straight through to the kitchen.&nbsp;



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-4-contactless-check-in-check-out-and-keyless-room-entry">4. Contactless Check-In/Check-Out and Keyless Room Entry</h3>



Contactless technology may be the new normal – so, embrace it now! For example, contactless check-in/check-out tools allow guests to check-in, check out, and unlock rooms using their mobile devices. This encourages social distancing and eliminates the need to handle room keys.



Two great contactless check-in/check-out and keyless mobile apps available to the hotel industry are:&nbsp;



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li><a href="https://www.fueltravel.com/digital-key/">Fuel</a> &#8211; an awesome app that can be customised with your own colour palette and logo, and;</li>



<li><a target="_blank" href="https://www.openkey.co/" rel="noreferrer noopener">OpenKey</a>&nbsp;– which can be added to your own branded app.&nbsp;</li>
</ul>



Both of these apps are subscription-based. They’re similar in price and work effectively to reduce time spent in the hotel lobby where handling social distancing may be tricky.&nbsp;



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-5-communication-tools">5. Communication Tools</h3>



Communication with customers has always been a key factor in a good relationship. But now, more than ever, you need to communicate with people so that they know that you are making every effort to guarantee their safety while proving your efficiency.&nbsp;



You can use traditional methods of social media marketing to convey your messages, you can invest in a <a href="https://stampede.ai/blog/how-marketing-with-wifi-benefits-your-business/" target="_blank" aria-label="undefined (opens in a new tab)" rel="noreferrer noopener">Wi-Fi marketing tool</a> that connects you to customers, or you can take on another growing technology trend that uses chatbots.&nbsp;



Chatbots are the equivalent to a modern-day concierge. They provide a constant flow of well-timed communication to encourage a flawless customer experience.&nbsp;



For example, they can be used to check guests in and out, to make reservations, and they can even give local restaurant recommendations, etc.&nbsp;



Five current chatbot tools to research include:



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>LiveHelpNowSuite</li>



<li>NewBook</li>



<li>ManyChat</li>



<li>Crisp</li>
</ul>



* Once again, remember to take advantage of free trials so that you can select a ChatBot that will integrate well with your current systems and communicate effectively with your type of audiences.&nbsp;



On an end note:



Stay calm and remain flexible.



References:



<a target="_blank" href="http://content.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1914560_1914558_1914544,00.html" rel="noreferrer noopener">[1] Time. Top 10 Things You Didn’t Know About Money</a>



Sources:



<ol class="wp-block-list">
<li>Hospitality.Net &#8211;&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.hospitalitynet.org/opinion/4099000.html" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Importance Of Technology In Post COVID-19 Hotel Operations</a></li>
</ol>

5 Technology Tools for hospitality businesses to reopen with after lockdown

5 Technology Tools to Help Hospitality Reopen After Lockdown

We recently applied a major update to the system to make managing user roles across multiple brands or locations easier to do. Stampede users have more control over who can access what, and be able to roll out updates and campaigns across multiple locations without having to repeat processes.&nbsp;



Let’s dive in.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">People and Locations</h2>



Built in response to customer demand and as a logical step in making the system easier to use for bigger organisations. There are two main elements to organisations: People and Locations.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">People</h3>



This is how you assign user roles to people using <a href="https://product.stampede.ai">Stampede</a> at your organisation. Their access to certain features and specific locations is defined with their user role.



Some examples of roles would be Admin, Venue Owner, Marketer and so on, with different rules for each.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Locations</h3>



To allow different access levels, locations have been set up in a tiered system. You might have regional teams who only need access to certain venues, while a head office would want access to all locations. Likewise there might be external IT or marketing partners involved who also need specific access. It can even work at individual site level to enable control at ground level by staff at that venue.



Here’s a quick example to show what it might look like



<ul class="wp-block-list"><li>Head Office<ul><li>Super User Admin</li><li>Marketing Department</li><li>Region 1 <ul><li>Regional Manager</li><li>External IT Company 1</li><li>Pub 1<ul><li>General Manager</li></ul></li><li>Pub 2<ul><li>General Manager</li></ul></li><li>Pub 3<ul><li>General Manager</li></ul></li></ul></li><li>Region 2 <ul><li>Regional Manager</li><li>External IT Company 2</li><li>Pub 4<ul><li>General Manager</li></ul></li><li>Pub 5<ul><li>General Manager</li></ul></li></ul></li></ul></li></ul>



In this example, the Super User Admin could be responsible for adding and removing locations, while the marketing team has access to all locations for <a href="https://stampede.ai/blog/new-product-feature-multi-site-reporting/">company wide campaigns and reporting</a>.



Each region might use a different local IT company to handle technical setups, therefore there’s no need for them to have access to the entire network of locations.



If you’re ready to start leveraging this new feature for your teams, or add new locations then <a href="mailto:support@stampede.ai?subject=Organisations%20Setup">contact our Customer Success Team</a> who will take you through it in an online session.

product update-organisations allowing for better control of users and locations within Stampede

Organisations: People and Locations

Black Friday is one of the biggest sale events in the world. Some might question its relevance in the U.K. (it’s rooted in U.S. traditions following Thanksgiving), but thousands of businesses here lean into the demand and prepare a range of strong deals and discounts to ‘launch’ the Christmas shopping season.



Despite its strong association with the retail industry, there are ways that hospitality businesses can, and are, using Black Friday promotions to gain some incremental revenue. Something which is all the more important this year for businesses.



Let’s take a look at some ideas:



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-gift-cards">GIFT CARDS</h2>



We’re going to start with some low-hanging fruit. Every hospitality business can sell gift cards and it’s something that they can sell online, promote easily and create discounts or deals for. They are a reliable source of revenue regardless of restrictions.



Selling online &#8211; Black Friday owes it’s worldwide recognition to eCommerce. This year lends itself to a perfect storm for online sales on Black Friday, including the lead up to it (Black Friday Week) and the following week (Cyber Monday).



For hospitality businesses, the best solution in the face of this is an online gift card selling system. These can be added to almost any website quickly, and some companies even offer to host a gift card transaction micro-site just for businesses using their system. This enables operators to fire up their digital marketing channels to drive traffic to the website for easy gift card sales.



The added bonus of eGift cards is that they&#8217;re totally contactless and you don&#8217;t need to print, post, design or package anything. And you get to grow your email database at the same time.



Creating discounts and deals for gift cards is remarkably simple &#8211; after all, it’s only one product! Two common ways to do this are discounts and added value.



A discount example would be: 20% off, Get a £30 gift card for £24.



An added value example would be: Buy a £50 gift card and we’ll top it up to £75



Essentially they work the same way, it’s just how customers perceive the value. For Black Friday we’d recommend a discount offer, the event is all about big savings.



A lot of people will be feeling like they’ve missed out on visiting their favourite food and drinks businesses this year. Gift cards are a great way to recapture some of that trade.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-merchandise">MERCHANDISE&nbsp;</h2>



From Hard Rock Cafe&#8217;s <a href="https://shop.hardrock.com/en-us">huge catalogue</a> of merch to independent coffee shops selling reusable cups, branded merchandise offers a few opportunities <a href="https://stampede.ai/blog/turn-customers-into-fans-with-merchandise/">that we’ve covered before</a>. Black Friday is an ideal promotion to shift some extra units and make space for a fresh batch of stock and any new designed you had planned.



Thanks to lockdown(s) many venues have now got simple eCommerce shops to sell merchandise, among other things. Simple website plugins like WooCommerce for WordPress or standalone systems like Shopify can be set up quickly. These utilise online payments using Stripe or Paypal that are equally quick to wire in.



Many of these off-the-shelf eCommerce tools offer discount code mechanisms that customers can use at checkout.&nbsp;



Setting up a “BLACKFRI20” code and sending it out by email to your loyal customer database is bound to drum up sales from fans who’ve seen merchandise in store but never quite committed to it.



The above also applies if you don’t just sell merchandise. Meal kits, experience vouchers, ready-meals, anything you’re selling using an online shop is fair game for a Black Friday discount.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-takeaway-delivery-and-collection">TAKEAWAY, DELIVERY AND COLLECTION</h2>



Something that 12 months ago would be quite strange to consider in the scope of Black Friday discounts. But as things have moved online en masse, operators benefit from takeaway, delivery and collection resembling retail in the way that people buy them.



Many online ordering systems work just like online shops at the customer side of things. That includes the discount code fields we mentioned before. Apps like <a href="https://www.hungrrr.co.uk/">Hungrrr</a> (used by Brewdog) and <a href="https://www.flipdish.com/gb/">Flipdish</a> are designed to be familiar to customers. 



This familiarity is your friend. You can use it to launch a Black Friday offer in a way that customers will be able to use.&nbsp;



They’ve already bagged a new TV with a huge saving, why not put that saving to good use on a celebratory meal from their favourite places to eat and drink, with another discount too!



Maybe they just spent a bit too long shopping and forgot to start dinner…



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-rounding-up">ROUNDING UP</h3>



The rapid adoption of online purchasing behaviour and technology in the hospitality industry is a portal to new opportunities. Gift cards, merchandise and even food and drink ordered online can all be put in to play to give more businesses the benefit of Black Friday. It’s not all about what you sell, simply how you sell it.&nbsp;