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Whether it’s in <a class="" href="https://www.stampede.ai/wifi-in-action">retail, a hotel, cafe or restaurant</a> the presence of fast and reliable <a href="https://stampede.ai/blog/getting-started-with-guest-wifi/">Guest WiFi</a> at your venue is becoming a major factor for potential customers deciding where to take their business. But providing Guest WiFi does not come without potential risks to your business. 



So, you want to provide Guest WiFi at your venue? What’s wrong with handing out a password to your existing network?



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img decoding="async" src="https://cdn2.hubspot.net/hubfs/2735287/Blog/guest-wifi-risk.jpg" alt="guest wifi risk"/></figure>







Because handing out the password to your WiFi could be as bad as handing over the keys to the building. Giving out the password to your WiFi network allows any guest with a small amount of technical knowledge to easily sniff everything on the network including point-of-sale systems (POS), printers, credit card machines and back-office systems. In addition to this, they can “see” other guest devices connected to the network. Most off-the-shelf or ISP provided WiFi equipment is not designed for guest access and hence, is extremely insecure.



<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-where-has-this-happened-before">Where Has This Happened Before?</h4>



The so-called &#8216;DarkHotel&#8217; group is an example of malicious individuals that take&nbsp;advantage of these weaknesses in public networks. They have been active for over a decade, with a signature brand of cybercrime that targets <a class="" href="http://www.zdnet.com/article/traveling-business-executives-targeted-through-luxury-hotel-wi-fi/">business travellers with malware attacks</a> using the WiFi in luxury hotels across the globe.



<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-it-can-happen-to-you-too">It Can Happen to You, Too</h4>



Renting your flat out while you&#8217;re away is a great way to make extra cash on the side with services like <a href="/blog/articles/airbnb-wifi">AirBnB</a>. But what happens when your guests don&#8217;t exactly take everything with them when they go?



By giving your house WiFi password out to AirBnBers, you&#8217;re also giving them keys to the network. A talented (and even not so talented) hacker could easily slip a trojan or listening programme onto your network before they leave. And with the recent breaches discovered in the widely used <a href="/blog/wpa2-breach-is-your-wifi-safe">WPA2 WiFi encryption</a>, your network could be even less secure than you think.&nbsp;



<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-but-there-s-a-better-way">But There’s a Better Way!</h4>



By making your guests login through a <a class="" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Captive_portal">captive portal</a> using their e-mail or social plugin you can gain powerful insights and value through a Guest WiFi network whilst keeping your business secure. A captive portal is a web page that the user of your network is obliged to view and interact with before they can access the internet. This is more secure than a password but will not allow malicious users to view anything else on the network. A branded login page will also make it a lot harder for hackers to imitate your network and cause customers to connect to them which will fully expose them to possible attacks.



<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-stampede-can-help">How Stampede Can Help</h4>



Stampede can integrate with a <a class="" href="https://www.stampede.ai/how-it-works">wide range</a> of existing hardware or we can supply our own range of routers which you can plugin and instantly start supplying better, secure Guest WiFi. It only takes 5 minutes to set up, with no technical knowledge required!



With Stampede you can create two separate networks: one for your customers and another for your back office business activity. This greatly reduces the risk of a malicious user on your guest network breaking into your critical business systems.



Instead of entering a password, guests login through a <a href="/blog/press/marketing-with-wifi">fully branded captive portal</a>&nbsp;by entering their e-mail or logging in through Facebook. You can also ask marketing questions &#8211; such as postal/zip code, age or favourite drink &#8211; turning a security risk into a value-adding part of your business with much more personalised customer experience.&nbsp;



&nbsp;So what are you waiting for?&nbsp;



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

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Take the Risk Out of Your Guest WiFi

Without question, one of the most frustrating things in running a hotel is the tendency of guests to reserve a room but then cancel at the last minute. Or just fail to turn up altogether. It’s not just the annoyance factor, though; last-minute cancellations or no-shows have a real impact on the profitability of your hotel. How do you manage to reduce no-shows and cancellations in your hotel?







Independent hotels may suffer from this inconvenience more than most, due to a tendency (whether real or perceived) to have more lenient policies than multi-site corporations. While there is no solution that could promise to reduce these incidents to zero (we’re dealing with humans, after all!). There are a few simple methods you can use to greatly reduce both the likelihood and the impact of cancellations you suffer from this year. Ready to find out more? Let’s dive in!



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">Method #1: Have a Fair, but Clear Cancellation Policy</h4>



As we touched on in the introduction, the key reason that independent hotels may suffer from an above-average number of no-shows or cancellations is the relative <a href="https://www.hotelminder.com/8-tips-to-reduce-last-minute-hotel-cancellations-and-no-shows">lack of a clear policy</a>. Even more patchy enforcement of the policy.&nbsp;



Review your policy now. See how it compares to those of your competitors. You can usually find these quite easily by browsing to the “terms and conditions” section of their website. Your cancellation policy needs to strike a balance of fairness for both you and the guest. All kinds of things can happen to disrupt the plans of a traveller, after all, so it’s only fair to them to allow them to cancel. 



The more notice they give, the less the impact on your hotel. So make sure your policy reflects this crucial fact. Many hotels allow free-of-charge cancellations provided there is at least 48 hours notice. Giving you some time to make the reservation available to another customer.&nbsp;



It may also be wise to consider a more stringent policy for particularly over-subscribed times of the year. For example over Christmas, or when a large event regularly takes place in your area. Again, make sure that this policy is easy to understand. All your staff have to know exactly what the special policy is and what dates it applies to. Finally that it compares favourably to the cancellation policies by your competitors for the same timeframe.&nbsp;



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">Method #2: Make Sure your Cancellation Policy is Published and Enforced!</h4>



This may seem obvious, but it’s amazing how many hotels have their cancellation policy buried away where customers will only have their attention drawn to it once it’s already too late.&nbsp;



Anyone that makes a reservation, whether online, via phone, or any other method, needs to be provided with a copy of your cancellation policy so they can’t claim ignorance of it later! Ideally, they should confirm their acceptance of the policy when they make the booking. At the very least their booking confirmation should include a clear reference to it. Even if it’s just a short summary with a link to the full policy on your website.&nbsp;



Make sure all staff are trained to refer to the policy and enforce it, politely explaining the costs involved if doing so causes push-back from the customer. If you decide to allow discretion in the enforcement of the policy, you should make it very clear who is allowed to exercise this discretion. Give examples of circumstances that might allow them to do so &#8211; for example, extreme weather conditions.&nbsp;



Finally, any <a href="https://stampede.ai/blog/infographic-how-likely-are-people-to-act-on-promotions/">promotions</a> that you run, whether via email marketing or other advertising, should also include a clear reference to your cancellation policy. Best to cover all the bases!



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">Method #3: Encourage Guests to Communicate Changes to You&nbsp;</h4>



You should allow customers plenty of options to communicate any changes of their plans to you. Providing them with the option to submit a cancellation or re-schedule of their stay via email or live chat on your website will result in a reduction of no-show occurrences.&nbsp;



Some customers are just too embarrassed or shy to pick up the phone and have to explain to someone exactly why their plans have had to change! Give them as many options as possible to get in touch. Emphasise that you’re keen to hear from them and that you understand plans sometimes have to change at the last minute.&nbsp;



For example, if your policy states that cancellations with less than 24 hours notice have to be paid at the full rate. You could send a reminder email or text 36 hours before the reservation starts. Telling them that you are looking forward to seeing them and including all the ways they can let you know if their plans have had to change for any reason. Many <a href="https://www.hospitalitynet.org/opinion/4088497.html">hotel reservation systems</a> can be configured to send such reminders automatically. Though provided all the <a href="https://stampede.ai/blog/how-to-legally-and-safely-collect-and-use-customer-data-in-the-hotel-industry/">necessary information is captured</a> when the reservation is made initially.&nbsp;



Further reading: DIRECT BOOKING



Clear and consistent communication removes the worry of the unknown!&nbsp;



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">Method #4: Re-market Rooms that Become Available due to Cancellations</h4>



As we’ve covered, cancellations are a fact of life &#8211; you’ll never be able to avoid them altogether. Where many independent hotels are missing a trick is in taking advantage of the opportunity created by a cancellation. Use it to make an extra special offer available on the now vacant room.&nbsp;



A room cancellation, especially for one of your premium suites or stay options, give you a valid justification for letting someone else upgrade to. Even more book that room for a lower-than-usual cost. You will reap the rewards of a delighted guest (who will be more likely to tell others and share pictures of the room on their social media). In addition, you’ll recoup some of the monetary loss that the cancellation has caused.&nbsp;



You can advertise the cancelled room in various places. Your reception/bar, on the boards outside your property and of course on social media. Don’t forget your own database of customers, too. <a href="https://stampede.ai/blog/email-marketing-tips-for-the-hospitality-industry/">Email and text (SMS) marketing </a>are a powerful way to drive more traffic to your website and ultimately secure more bookings.&nbsp;



Further reading: <a href="https://stampede.ai/blog/effective-email-marketing-tips-for-hotels/">https://stampede.ai/blog/effective-email-marketing-tips-for-hotels/</a>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">In Conclusion&nbsp;</h4>



We hope these methods for managing this frustrating aspect of running a hotel have given you plenty to think about and implement in your establishment. 



Do you want to find out more about how our solution could help you stay in touch with your guests? Get in touch!



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





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

How to Reduce No-Shows and Cancellations in Your Hotel

A diverse topic content week is ahead of us. It’s time to get your socials ready for Easter, no more egg-cuses! All waffle fans (anyone who doesn’t like waffles?!) will be in food heaven and we will raise awareness for global warming during Earth Hour.&nbsp;



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



Before we dive into what’s coming this week, today is #GoofOffDay. Use it as an opportunity to let go and have some fun. Take some downtime to shake things up, be silly and refresh your mind. Pass your time by the most unproductive means possible. Challenge accepted?&nbsp;



<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-coming-up-easter">Coming up: #Easter</h4>



It’s time to sprinkle a little Easter over your marketing. Get your easter bunnies, eggs, chicks, chocolate, pastel colours and flowers ready! Egg-citing times are around the corner.



It&#8217;s always fascinating to compare how certain events are celebrated around the world. Some traditions are the same, others couldn&#8217;t be any different.&nbsp;



Have you seen Australia’s Easter Bilby? Adorable! Or did you know that Finland has its own Easter witches? And if you’re in the mood for an egg omelette, you should go to France where they create the world’s biggest omelette each year (more than 4,500 eggs).



Some more eggs-cellent ideas for your social media:



<ul>
<li>Crafty Eggs competition &#8211; decorate and share</li>



<li>Virtual Easter Egg Hunt (Website, Socials)</li>



<li>Share Easter brunch &amp; table setting ideas</li>



<li><a href="https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/holidays/easter-ideas/a31405240/cute-easter-puns/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Share your best easter puns</a></li>



<li><a href="https://www.womansday.com/life/travel-tips/g2175/easter-traditions/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Share worldwide traditions</a></li>



<li>Promote your special Easter offers, meal boxes, meal kits etc.</li>
</ul>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-thursday-25th-waffleday">Thursday 25th &#8211; #WaffleDay </h4>



National Waffle Day is a <a href="https://visitsweden.com/what-to-do/culture-history-and-art/swedish-traditions/more-traditions/waffles-day/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Swedish inspired holiday</a>. Though, waffles probably exist in almost every country. Why not take your customers on a <a href="https://blog.musement.com/us/waffles-around-the-world/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">waffle journey around the world</a>? How does a hotdog shaped &amp; sausage stuffed waffle sound? Yum!



Traditionally, they’re eaten with jam and whipped cream but for Waffle Day anything is possible. Only one rule: ideally, you want them crispy on the outside and soft in the middle. Apart from that, waffles are certainly not limited to your breakfast time, indulge in a whole day of waffle celebrations. Now, it’s time to plug in your waffle maker.



Get your customers into the waffle mood:



<ul>
<li>Competition &#8211; get creative with your waffle shapes &amp; colours &amp; flavour</li>



<li>What’s your favourite topping? Share recipe ideas</li>



<li>Team savoury or sweet?</li>



<li>Did you know … waffles inspired Nike’s first pair of sneakers? (the sole!)</li>



<li>Did you know … a shortage of cups and surplus of waffles lead to the ice cream cone?</li>
</ul>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-saturday-27th-earthhour">Saturday 27th &#8211; #EarthHour</h4>



This year’s global Earth Hour event will take place on Saturday! People and businesses all around the world are switching off their lights for an hour (8.30 pm to 9.30 pm) to show their support.



This year is all about “Climate Change to Save Earth” and there are plenty of ways to participate digitally. Make sure to share the &#8216;Virtual Spotlight&#8217; video on your socials. 



Ideas to get your customers ready for Earth Hour:



<ul>
<li>Create an Earth Hour menu using <a href="https://www.wwf.org.uk/updates/wwf-and-knorr-launch-future-50-foods" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">local, sustainable-sourced</a> ingredients</li>



<li>Dinner in the dark or blind tasting ideas</li>



<li>Tips to minimise food waste</li>



<li>Fun ideas to brighten-up the hour without electricity</li>



<li>Recycling challenge &#8211; turn an item into something creative</li>



<li>Host virtual Earth Hour Pub Quiz</li>
</ul>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-more-content-ideas-for-this-week">More Content Ideas for This Week:</h4>



Monday 22nd March &#8211; #CrunchyTacoDay Thursday 25th March &#8211; #PecanDay Friday 26th March &#8211; #NougatDay Saturday 27th March &#8211; #SpanishPaellaDay Saturday 27th March &#8211; #InternationalWhiskyDay Sunday 28th March &#8211; #BlackForestCakeDay 



If you&#8217;re looking to get your stories and promotions in front of your customers <a href="https://stampede.ai/company/#contact" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">get in touch</a> with our team. We’re here to help with your email marketing and much more.

What’s On This Week? – 22/03/2021

The Ultimate Beginners Guide to WiFi Jargon

Yesterday we published <a href="https://www.morningadvertiser.co.uk/Article/2020/06/29/How-can-pubs-collect-customer-data" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">an article in The Morning Advertiser</a> about collecting customer data, and how reopened pubs, bars and restaurants around the world have been doing it.



 If you missed it you can read the article in full <a href="https://www.morningadvertiser.co.uk/Article/2020/06/29/How-can-pubs-collect-customer-data" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">here</a>.



 We spent some time researching how other countries’ approached data collection for track and trace. Our aim was to prepare for if and when the U.K. Government asked hospitality to do something similar to the other parts of the world. What was the reception by the public and the industry in countries like New Zealand, Germany and the USA?



 Our research also gave us a view of the possible future outcomes of data collection programs. It will be interesting to see if the UK mirrors any of these effects in the next few weeks. Will there be news stories about data privacy incidents as in New Zealand?



This article also takes a look at the practical implications. What methods of data collection worked best in other countries? There’s a short review of the pros and cons of the most commonly considered methods that will hopefully clear up any issues around collecting contact details.



 If you’ve got more questions about collecting data and how it might work for your business, then <a href="https://stampede.ai/company/#contact" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">get in touch</a> and we’d be happy to talk it through.

Other Countries Have Already Done Track and Trace

When you&#8217;re running a brick and mortar retail business, you know that every customer counts. Whether you&#8217;re selling the latest in urban streetwear or titanium-reinforced avocado smashers, your customers are what keeps your businesses worthwhile. So what if we were to tell you that you&#8217;re alienating over 3/4 of your retail customers? Not very pretty, is it? That&#8217;s because 78% of shoppers prefer to use in-store WiFi when it&#8217;s available.



So why aren&#8217;t you offering it? Get started with your Retail WiFi today.







<h4 class="wp-block-heading">KNOW YOUR CUSTOMERS</h4>



You can&#8217;t love your customers if you don&#8217;t know them. That&#8217;s why offering them free in-store WiFi through a captive portal solution, like Stampede, makes sense. So how exactly does this work? Easy. Once enabled your customers&#8217; login through a splash screen, branded with your store name and logo, with their email address in order to access the WiFi. But it doesn&#8217;t stop there &#8211; in addition to an email address, you can ask information like age, gender, post/zip code and more! Most customers don&#8217;t mind giving out a few marketing details in return for free WiFi.



Sound too good to be true? It&#8217;s not. Here are a few more <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.networkworld.com/article/3230377/wi-fi/wi-fi-analytics-saas-can-make-retail-cool.html" target="_blank">Retail WiFi stats courtesy of Network World</a>:



<ul><li>82% of shoppers research products online before setting foot in a store.</li><li>60% of retail shoppers want to receive real-time promotions and offers in-store.</li><li>17% of Millennials think being reminded of items they need while they’re shopping is “cool.”</li><li>27% of Millennials think it’s “cool” to be told which foods they should buy, based on their dietary restrictions.</li></ul>



Not only do your customers want free in-store WiFi at your retail business, they want to be &#8220;cool&#8221; as well.



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">AUTOMATED MARKETING</h4>



Ok, great, so what can you do with all this information? Well, really, the sky is the limit. One option is to import email addresses into your favourite mail marketing program like Mailchimp. Send out an email blast with your latest offers to tempt customers. Or, even better, use Stampede automated marketing to send out <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="/blog/learn-how-to-boost-your-business-with-sms-and-email-marketing" target="_blank">laser targeted SMS or email messages</a> to your most loyal customers (or even the ones you haven&#8217;t seen in a while). Imagine this &#8211; a customer who hasn&#8217;t visited your shop in a set period of time &#8211; say a month &#8211; gets an automated message encouraging them to come back to your shop with a special discount. Who could resist?



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">BUYERS CLUBS</h4>



How about this? Once your customer accesses your store&#8217;s WiFi through your captive portal, they&#8217;re automatically enrolled into your buyer&#8217;s club ALONG WITH a 20% discount off anything they buy today. The best part? Once registered, customers are automatically connected to your WiFi every time they enter your store. That&#8217;s instant tracking and analysis of your customers &#8211; in real-time. <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="http://get.stampede.ai/loyalty-program-ebook" target="_blank">Build your customer loyalty</a> &#8211; automatically.



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">BEATING THE ONLINE SHOPS</h4>



The internet has revolutionised the retail industry with online reviews and discounts. Savvy shoppers search online for discount codes to help them get the best deal and use what they read online, such as reviews and blogs, to inform their purchases. 



As a matter of fact, 30% of shoppers won&#8217;t purchase a product if they can&#8217;t research it online first. What better way to empower your shoppers than offering them awesome WiFi where a mobile signal might be weak? Your customers can use bar code scanners and other cool apps to look up product information.



Want to get into more detail? Here&#8217;s a nice video put out by the good folks at Cisco about how to implement and get the most return out of WiFi in retail:



<figure><iframe loading="lazy" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/V4pEC4ukRu8" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></figure>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">OFFER AWESOME IN-STORE&nbsp;RETAIL WIFI TODAY!</h4>



Avoid customers leaving your shop without buying anything, offer great WiFi and send vouchers by SMS or email to entice them to do an impulse purchase.



So &#8211; what are you waiting for? Get started offering awesome WiFi in your retail store today! Just click the link below to get started.



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

Guest WiFi in the Retail Industry

5 Tips for Setting Up WiFi for Your Restaurant or Pub [Updated for 2022]

The need for fast and reliable guest WiFi at public venues is becoming as common as running water and electricity. Some achieve this better than others and often the reason for a negative experience is not the software being used or the method of delivery but the hardware behind it.
When we were tasked with delivering a guest WiFi solution to <a href="https://www.royalhighlandcentre.co.uk/">The Royal Highland Centre</a> in Edinburgh, I was happy to learn that <a href="https://whysettle.co.uk/">WhySettle</a> out our IT partners for this install had already fitted out the venue fully with Ubiquiti UniFi hardware all managed using an externally hosted cloud controller. The network consists of 103 access points and has a range of indoor and outdoor spaces with over 18’000 square metres of exhibition space.
<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="alignnone wp-image-10886 size-full" src="https://stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/RHS-map.jpg" alt="" width="2724" height="2650" srcset="https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/RHS-map.jpg 2048w, https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/RHS-map-300x292.jpg 300w, https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/RHS-map-1024x996.jpg 1024w, https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/RHS-map-768x747.jpg 768w, https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/RHS-map-1536x1494.jpg 1536w, https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/RHS-map-1200x1167.jpg 1200w, https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/RHS-map-150x146.jpg 150w, https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/RHS-map-1920x1868.jpg 1920w, https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/RHS-map-16x16.jpg 16w, https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/RHS-map-592x576.jpg 592w, https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/RHS-map-62x60.jpg 62w, https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/RHS-map-93x90.jpg 93w" sizes="(max-width: 2724px) 100vw, 2724px" />
The Royal Highland Centre hosts over 250 events annually and welcomes over a million visitors each year so, the guest network has to be top notch. Stampede provides a seamless login experience pointing guests to a captive portal allowing the venue to collect any data on guests that they wish. The RHS decided to collect email and postcode information; from this, we are constantly updating a large mailing list and user origin map.
Some say that data is the new oil but data without the proper software and utilisation is about as valuable as oil would be if engines were never invented. Stampede can integrate directly with the vast majority of marketing automation tools such as MailChimp, ConstantContact and Dotmailer. All opt-ins and verification happens right within our system meaning that all information captured is fully compliant with GDPR and verified to be accurate by the user themselves. 
So far, we have collected fully complaint and verified information of around 15’000 people at The Royal Highland Centre all underpinned by a solid UniFi guest network.
Interested in deploying a Stampede network in your venue? <a href="https://calendly.com/stampedeae/stampede-demo-request?month=2020-02">Find out more</a>.

Providing Guest WiFi to the Royal Highland Centre

Important notice
 This End-User Licence Agreement (EULA) and the Privacy Policy (Privacy Policy) (together the Terms and Conditions constitute the legal agreement between you (You or Your) and Stampede AI Ltd (We, Us or Our)) relating to the provision by Us to You of a wireless internet access service (the Service) to be used by You at any venue where the Service is available (a Stampede Venue). Please read this EULA and the Privacy Policy carefully. If You do not accept the Terms and Conditions, We will not permit access to the Service and the joining process will immediately terminate. By joining and using the Service You agree to be legally bound by the Terms and Conditions. 
Agreed terms:
<ol class="ol1">
<li class="li2">Acknowledgements and consents
 (i) You acknowledge that the Terms and Conditions (as may be amended from time to time) apply to the use of the Service (including any future updates to it) by You at any Stampede Venue. 
 (ii) You acknowledge and accept that We may change the Terms and Conditions at any time. All changes (if any) will be communicated to You through a link on the log-in page for the Service. You will be required to read and accept any such changes to continue using the Service. 
 (iii) You must have obtained the permission of the owner of any computer, tablet, mobile telephone, smart phone or other electronic device (Device) which You use to access the Service (and which is not owned by You) to use the Service. By accepting the Terms and Conditions You accept responsibility for the use of the Service on any Device whether or not you own it. You accept that You may be charged by Your service provider for internet access through the Device. 
 (iv) You acknowledge and agree that internet transmissions are never completely private or secure and that any information which You send by using the Service may be read or intercepted by another party even if there is a special notice that a particular transmission is encrypted. 
 (v) You consent to Us collecting and using technical information about Your Device (and any related software, hardware and peripherals) to evaluate, improve or refine the Service in accordance with the Privacy Policy{&#8221; &#8220;} https://stampede.ai/company/privacy-policy/ 
 (vi) You consent to the transmission, collection, processing, maintenance and use by Us (and Our licensees) of any location data sent from the Device to evaluate, improve or refine the Service in accordance with the Privacy Policy. 
 (vii) You acknowledge that the internet is separate from the Service and that websites accessed by You via the Service are not under the control of Us and that We are not responsible for and do not endorse their content or privacy policies (if any). You undertake that You will use Your own judgement regarding any interaction with any such website including the purchase of any products or services accessible through them. 
 (viii) You acknowledge and agree that all intellectual property rights in the Service (and its underlying technology) belong to Us (or Our licensors) and that You have no rights in or to the Service other than the non-exclusive and non-transferrable right to use it in accordance with the Terms and Conditions. 
</li>
<li class="li2">Provision of the Service
 In consideration of You accepting the Terms and Conditions, We agree to provide the Service to You until such time as We cease provision of the Service to You. You may stop using and We may stop providing the Service at any time. 
</li>
<li class="li2">Acceptable use
 You agree that You will use the Service in accordance with the Terms and Conditions and that You will not (and will procure that any person using Your Device does not) use the Service for any commercial, unlawful, immoral or malicious purpose, nor will You (nor any person using Your Device) in the course of using the Service: 
<ul class="ul1">
<li class="li3"> introduce any code, virus or data which is harmful to the Service or any operating system; or </li>
<li class="li3"> transmit, store, publish or upload any electronic material which is likely to cause damage or limit the functionality of any telecommunications equipment or any computer software or hardware; or </li>
<li class="li3"> infringe any intellectual property right belonging to Us or any other party; or </li>
<li class="li3"> send, receive, publish, distribute, transmit, upload or download any material which is offensive, abusive, defamatory, indecent, obscene, unlawful; or otherwise objectionable; or </li>
<li class="li4"> invade the privacy of or cause annoyance or anxiety to or send any unsolicited correspondence to any other person. </li>
</ul>
</li>
<li class="li2">Limitations and exclusions
 (i) The Service is provided to You on an “as is” and “as available” basis and therefore all warranties, conditions and other terms implied by statute or common law are, to the fullest extent permitted by law, excluded from the Terms and Conditions. 
 (ii) Save as provided in clause 4(iv), We shall not be liable to You for any losses (whether direct, indirect or consequential) caused by failures, errors, delays or interruptions of, in or to the Service. 
 (iii) Save as provided in clause 4(iv), We shall have no liability to You if any third party gains access to Your connection to the Service or Your Device or destroys or damages any data or information held by You or information about You which is held by Us. 
 (iv) Nothing in the Terms and Conditions shall limit or exclude Our liability for (a) death or personal injury resulting from Our negligence, (b) fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation or (c) any other liability that cannot be excluded by law. 
</li>
<li class="li2">General
 (i) The Terms and Conditions constitute the entire agreement between You and Us as to the provision of the Service and they (and any dispute or claims arising from them) are, irrespective of the location from which the Service is accessed, governed by and shall be construed in accordance with the laws of England and Wales with the English courts having exclusive jurisdiction to settle any dispute or claim arising out of or in connection with them. 
 (ii) Any notice to be given by Us to You may be given by post or email to any postal or email address given by You. Any notice to be given by You to Us may be given by post to Customer Services, Stampede AI Ltd, 1 Constitution Street, Leith, Edinburgh EH6 7BS or by email to support@stampede.ai 
</li>
</ol>

End-User Terms

Who would have guessed that the year 2020 would have us in lockdown? That businesses would be pressed to close their doors and that the days as we once knew them would come to a sudden halt? This is, unfortunately, our current reality and it’s a harsh one for all of us. It’s not the end, however. With some positive thinking, innovation, and strategising – you can still make a success of your hospitality business despite the current and seemingly unyielding “downtime”.



If you&#8217;re not furloughed, then the following tips are great for those who are in the hospitality industry. These ideas will keep you productive and they will help you to best prepare your business for when your doors open again.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Spring Clean</h2>



We’re starting with the most obvious and possibly most dull (for some) idea. While your venue is not seeing any foot traffic, you may as well use the opportunity to give it a thorough clean. This is especially important during this time when cleanliness and hygiene is the number one priority.&nbsp;Many readers have probably already done this. But it&#8217;s important to keep it up, as dust will gather even with no one visiting.



Disinfect the nooks and crannies that were low priority before, deep clean cupboards and shelves. Pull everything out of these storage places and get stuck in. Even the staff only areas.



At the same time, you may also want to look into creating a new schedule and cleaning tasks for staff going forward. New expectations and measures have been put in place when it comes to cleanliness and these should be added to your regimen.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Tackle Staff Training</h2>



Platforms such as Skype, Zoom, and Google Hangouts make it possible for staff members to meet and collaborate online. This means that staff training doesn’t pause if employees are furloughed &#8211; in fact getting those staff training is encouraged.



You can use the new found time on your hands to compile training material. Alternatively, you can browse the internet for information to be passed onto your staff that can improve their skills.&nbsp;



Once you have your training material ready, set a meeting date and time that everyone can commit to (giving everyone time to set-up the conference application of choice). You can then continue with your staff training online. This is also a great way to encourage a positive outlook and to keep employees in good spirits during a period of uncertainty.&nbsp;



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Update Your Website and Social Media Pages</h2>



Now’s the time to make those changes and updates to your website that you just never get to. You can:



<ul><li>Make sure all of your contact details are still correct</li><li>Test your contact form to make sure it’s still working</li><li>Add new and more recent photos to your gallery</li><li>Write blog posts for your blog (content is a key component when it comes to SEO and online marketing)</li><li>Contact your web designer for an upgrade or a new user interface design</li><li>Add an E-commerce module and create an online store</li></ul>



The same applies to all of your social media pages. You can make sure your details are correct across all of the platforms and update your “About Us” sections with recent news.&nbsp;



Downtime is also perfect for planning future social media posts. You can compile content and post ideas to schedule for the coming months.&nbsp;



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Update and Optimise Your Directory Listings</h2>



Most hospitality businesses recognise the importance of having listings on both offline and online restaurant, travel, and entertainment directories. While you have some time on your hands, why not make sure that the information on these directories is still correct? Perhaps you can respond to customer reviews too and better your reputation across all channels.&nbsp;



You may also want to do some research to see if there are any new directories that you have not been listed on. During strenuous times for businesses, you want to make sure that your brand is advertised well and even the smaller directories could give you extra exposure.&nbsp;



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Work on Your Marketing Approach</h2>



Just because you’re not receiving customers, it does not mean that you should stop marketing yourself. Continue with your social media campaigns and start strategising for the weeks and months ahead.&nbsp;



An event &#8211; such as the Covid-19 pandemic &#8211; can change how the world reacts to your brand and your advertising methods. Now may be a good time to strategise how you market yourself. For example, the current lockdown has emphasised how important the digital world is. It provides a portal where many businesses can continue to trade or at the very least, engage with customers. Perhaps it’s time to consider improving your email marketing and digital customer communications? Or maybe you want to make more of a prominent appearance on social media?



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Adjust Your Strategy</h2>



When a stick gets thrown in your works, then we encourage you to embrace the event as an opportunity to learn and grow. Do what you can to ensure that your business is stronger and more prepared every time something drastic and unforeseen occurs.&nbsp;



When it comes to adjusting the strategy of a restaurant or hotel, for example, we &#8216;ve got the following suggestions:&nbsp;



<ul><li>You can take your business online and create an E-commerce store where you sell your recipes, secret ingredients, cooking lessons, and vouchers.</li><li>Create a delivery service to get meals and drinks to your customers’ doorsteps.</li><li>Offer your services to those in need. If you have available hotel rooms, you can offer them to those who need to self-isolate or to those who cannot find a flight back home. If you’re a restaurant, you can use your resources to make food parcels for the hungry. This way you can continue to serve your community and you will be remembered for the role you played in giving-back.&nbsp;</li></ul>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">On an end note:</h3>



When you’re stuck at home, why not use the time to get to know your customers better? When you know your customers – you know your business. At <a href="https://stampede.ai/">Stampede</a>, we provide smart technology so that you can connect and communicate with audiences. Helping you to learn their behaviours and expectations with data driven insight. Ready to <a href="https://stampede.ai/contact/">contact us</a> for more information?

Hospitality business owner working on projects

How Your Hospitality Business Can Make the Most of Downtime

Why is Social Authentication so Important?

For travellers, few amenities rival the importance of being connected when staying in hotels, resorts or when visiting public venues, like airports or stadiums.  Good internet connectivity will always be one of the first things travellers demand.
Stampede offers social media authentication, so travellers can provide your venue with a Facebook Like, Facebook Check-In or Twitter Follow to boost your company’s social media growth and exposure.
The benefits of this are plentiful, no access codes /passwords make it easy for users to connect. Most internet users in the modern day are already familiar with common social sites, meaning connecting accounts in exchange for WiFi, is an appealing option for some. This type of authentication helps
<img decoding="async" class="wp-image-2763 alignright" style="width: 79px; margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px; float: right;" title="Stampede Facebook" src="https://cdn2.hubspot.net/hubfs/2735287/Imported_Blog_Media/social-login-ball.png" alt="Stampede Facebook" width="79" data-constrained="true" />
build your social media following, which in turn gets your name out there to the masses. With social media in the picture, every hotel, motel, resort, airport or stadium wants guests and users to share the good times and leave positive feedback; now these users are immediately guided to your social media accounts.
<img decoding="async" class="wp-image-4478 alignleft" style="margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; float: left; width: 79px;" title="Stampede Twitter" src="https://cdn2.hubspot.net/hubfs/2735287/Imported_Blog_Media/Twitterbird.png" alt="Stampede Twitter" width="79" data-constrained="true" />
With social media in the picture, every hotel, motel, resort, airport or stadium wants guests and users to share a good experience and leave positive feedback, allowing a social login guides users to your accounts straight away.
Social Media Authentication through Stampede WiFi can help you and your business to boost social media exposure while providing your guests with a positive guest internet access experience.
<a class="eut-modal-popup" href="https://calendly.com/stampedeae/stampede-demo-request?month=2020-02">Click here to get started.</a>

Social Media Authentication For Guest Wi-Fi

Tammie Hurrell

Montpeliers Group

Sarah Sinclair

Moonwake Beer Co.

Grant Murray

CRU Holdings

Kitty Evans-Smith

atis

Emma Luke-Ward

Lane7 Group

Steve Watson

Signature Pub Group

Arthur Campbell

Brother Marcus

Deniss Petrovs

Cocktail Embassy

Nick Gregory

Society Manchester

Shivani Kenth

Zindiya Streatery & Bar

Graham Atkinson

Butta Burger

Lottie Bedford

Birdhouse London

Chris Hughes

Mele Group

Chris Aitchison

Bar Tonic

Oliver Etridge

First Restaurant Group

Ieuan Davis

The Coal Exchange Hotel

Untrackable traffic is probably one of the biggest fears of any data-driven marketer.&nbsp;



“Dark social” is an example of such a dreaded source, which has been on the rise over the past couple of years.&nbsp;



We’ve compiled everything you need to know about dark social advocacy and how you can use it to your benefit.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-is-dark-social">What is Dark Social?</h2>



Dark social refers to any web traffic that comes from sharing links that are not trackable. They won’t be picked up by Google because they usually don’t contain any <a href="https://stampede.ai/blog/3-clever-tools-that-simplify-how-you-measure-marketing-results">UTM tracking code</a>.



As a consequence the original traffic source remains unknown, instead, those leads will show up as “direct traffic” in your analytics.&nbsp;



What makes this type of sharing so dark is the fact that it happens on private messaging platforms such as chat apps or instant messengers and not on public social media platforms.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Why the Channel is Growing</h2>



Recently, there has been a shift in how much people share on social media. This is mainly linked to privacy concerns and how their data is used.&nbsp;



Contrary to social media, private messaging platforms allow for end-to-end encryption, so people can better control their personal information.&nbsp;



Up to <a href="https://www.convinceandconvert.com/social-media/what-is-dark-social/">80% of shares are in fact happening in the dark</a>, probably more than you might have expected.



This is even more so the case in the hospitality industry where people are looking for recommendations from their family and friends. So chances are high that they will share it privately.&nbsp;



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">3 Ways Dark Social Affect Businesses</h2>



The impact of dark social on businesses can be broken down into 3 main points:



<ol>
<li>Untrackablilty</li>
</ol>



As mentioned already, the major issue is that you can’t put an exact number on this type of channel.&nbsp;



There are ways you can measure it to a certain extent, such as through Google Analytics (Source: direct traffic) or by using special tools.



<ol start="2">
<li>Exclusion from the customer conversation</li>
</ol>



The actual content that is shared through dark social remains invisible to companies.



You don’t know what is said about your business. Also, you can’t control the conversation and whether it is in line with your brand voice and values.



<ol start="3">
<li>Lower reach</li>
</ol>



In general, your reach might be limited on dark social. People tend to share within their network, i.e. like-minded people with the same interests and behaviours.



It’s therefore not necessarily a channel to attract a new type of customer.



However, if you look into the demographics, you can reach an older audience as younger customers still tend to share their content on social media.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">3 Actionable Tips For More Transparency</h2>



The good news, there are a couple of ways you can increase measurability. It’s all about making your content more traceable in the first place.



<ol>
<li>Encourage trackable ways of sharing: add share buttons/links to your content containing <a href="https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/what-are-utm-tracking-codes-ht">referral data</a>.</li>



<li>Chime in on the conversation: create your own community with loyal customers, i.e. a Whatsapp group.</li>



<li>Use <a href="https://free-url-shortener.rb.gy/">URL shortener</a> for social posts: shorter links with UTMs attached look cleaner and are easier to copy and paste.</li>
</ol>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">The Power of Dark Social</h2>



Taking all the above into account, dark social should definitely not be seen as a threat to marketers.



Even though it is a channel that is hard to control it contributes a lot to your brand awareness and engagement.&nbsp;



Think about it this way &#8211; if customers share your content privately it’s a sign of trust and loyalty. It is a form of unexpected <a href="https://stampede.ai/blog/breakdown-3-ways-customers-advocate-your-hospitality-brand">brand advocacy.</a>&nbsp;



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



<a href="https://stampede.ai/blog/how-hospitality-operators-can-use-data-to-reveal-loyal-customers">Learn more</a> about how you can identify and grow your most loyal customers using data insights and our customer retention cohort report.

Shedding A Light On Dark Social And How It Increases Brand Awareness

Who are your customers, and what exactly do they want? The fundamentals of what makes a business either work or fail ultimately come down to this one question, which can be explored by looking at the customer journey as a whole, as well as <a href="https://stampede.ai/blog/engaging-customers-through-wi-fi-marketing/">personalisation</a>.







Both the customer journey and personalisation boils down to understanding all the interactions your customers are having with your business. It can be likened to your wait staff asking “how’s your meal?”, but looking at the broader picture.&nbsp;



By knowing about every aspect of your customer journey, and how customers are interacting with your business, you can begin to build a bigger picture of what they ultimately want from you.&nbsp;



If you own a restaurant and are looking to improve the understanding between your business and your customer base, here are some of the best places to start.&nbsp;



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">Understanding The Customer Journey</h4>



The customer journey is not just the time from when they walk into your restaurant until they pay and then walk out again. Instead, the customer journey covers every interaction your restaurant has with your patrons.&nbsp;



For example, searching for your website &#8211; how easy is the process, and are they able to book online? Then there’s dining in your restaurant, what type of experience are they having? Are your wait staff attentive and knowledgeable about your food? The customer journey also extends to following up with them afterwards, in the form of feedback forms or marketing.



If you really want to get into the mindset of your customers, then i<a href="https://www.salesforce.com/uk/blog/2016/03/customer-journey-mapping-explained.html">t’s important to understand their overall journey</a> and how your business fits in with each of these milestones. After all, if there’s a weak link the chain, it can pull everything else down too.&nbsp;



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">Personalise The Experience</h4>



Restaurants are not simply a place to eat. From catch-ups to celebrations, they provide the backdrop to some of our most memorable events throughout our lives.&nbsp;



If a customer calls to book a table or room for a special event, it’s the perfect time to incorporate personalisation. After all, it’s a real honour to be chosen as the place to celebrate a milestone event in someone’s life.&nbsp;



As management, you should look to incorporate personal touches into the event. What steps can you take to make the experience unique, versus what a chain restaurant would do?&nbsp;



Personalisation is also about <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y6OwbWcFhfM">tailoring your business to meet a particular trend or demand</a>. For example, when you walk into a coffee shop &#8211; do they simply sell tea and coffee, or have they thought about caffeine-free options too?&nbsp;



The more people are able to personalise the experience, the more your business model is able to fit into their needs. Remember, happy customers, equals return customers!&nbsp;



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">Anticipating Their Needs</h4>



Starting with your restaurant, how comfortable is it for people to spend long periods of time in? If it’s a draughty old building with rigid seating, it’s probably not going to be great for spending hours catching up with friends. However, throwing some armchairs in and putting a log fire in there changes things completely. This is anticipating your customer&#8217;s needs.&nbsp;



If service is a little slow, what steps can you take to prevent customers from becoming irate? Serving free drinks or even having fresh bread on the table, can act as a natural buffer to this situation. After all, there’s nothing worse than waiting hours for food when you are hungry. Dealing with this scenario effectively before it becomes an issue, is also part of anticipating the needs of the customer.&nbsp;



In essence, <a href="https://smallbusiness.chron.com/topfive-basic-services-customer-needs-restaurant-24669.html">the more you get into the mindset of your restaurant clientele</a>, the more you can anticipate what steps need to be taken to reach them. Looking at steps that can be taken to minimise issues throughout all stages of your customer experience is what will set you apart from your competitors.&nbsp;



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">Take Inspiration From Other Service Industries</h4>



Think about the experience you have on a plane, and how the airline and flight attendants anticipate your every need. For example, passengers are hungry and thirsty. So snacks, food and drinks are regularly served. On-board entertainment is provided to keep you from becoming bored or restless.&nbsp;



There’s also <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/christopherelliott/2018/07/11/these-companies-have-the-best-customer-service-heres-why/#750e6082b80a">a real emphasis on meeting the needs of the passengers</a>, provided by visible service at regular intervals. Someone has thought of all these things in advance, and as a reaction to previous feedback.



While your restaurant might be located firmly on solid ground rather than 30,000ft up, that doesn’t mean to say you can’t follow the same approach when it comes to anticipating your customer&#8217;s needs. It starts by asking what could be improved on, and what steps do you need to take to do this?



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



Customer service doesn’t stop when your patrons leave the building. By building <a href="https://stampede.ai/product/features/">a clear picture of your customer insights</a>, you can stay on top of their experiences, good and bad.&nbsp;



Getting to the heart of what your customer wants is the core of any business. At Stampede, our software has the exact same ethos. 



Start your journey to understand your customers&#8217; journey, as well as learning how to personalise your business based on <a href="https://stampede.ai/blog/the-marketing-power-of-wifi-analytics-for-your-business/">real-time analytical data</a>.&nbsp;



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





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

Personalise Your Customer Journey at Your Restaurant

How often should you email your customers? According to research by <a href="https://pos.toasttab.com/resources/restaurant-guest-industry-report" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Toast</a> 34% of consumers want emails from restaurants a couple of times a month.&nbsp;



 To get those two emails in the bag, we’d recommend a newsletter style email to kick-off with a variety of topics, followed by a special offer or&nbsp;promotion email 4 &#8211; 9 days after that.



Tying that promotional email back to the newsletter content will be especially effective at converting readers into repeat customers.



 However, two emails a month can easily get swallowed up in a busy inbox. Let’s look at what else customers might want by email.



 Toast’s <a href="https://pos.toasttab.com/resources/restaurant-guest-industry-report" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">research</a>&nbsp;indicated that the most popular topics are promotions/discounts and relevant updates on COVID-19, but after that people want announcements about new menu items and then birthday coupons.



 We covered <a href="https://marketing.stampede.ai/in-browser?message_id=mkm_a9fea0f4a95da1991ec3c941f9313a32&amp;profile_id=" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">birthday offer emails</a> a few weeks ago &#8211; with the right technology this can be super high converting email with minimal effort, via <a href="https://stampede.ai/how-it-works/automations/#campaigns" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">automation</a>.



 Menu item announcements are a brilliant opportunity to get creative and experiment with new content formats, such as videos. Likewise, you can increase customer engagement by directing them straight to your social media for more details of your new menu.



Email is an immensely powerful tool to connect with your customers and build a relationship with them that leads to more repeat business.&nbsp;



To learn more about <a href="https://stampede.ai/how-it-works/marketing/#email" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Stampede&#8217;s email marketing tools</a>, please <a href="https://stampede.ai/company/#contact" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">get in touch</a> with one of our team.

When & What to Send Customers

The key to running a successful business is understanding who your customers are. So you can tailor your products or services to suit them. Going beyond vague age and gender brackets, <a href="https://stampede.ai/blog/the-marketing-power-of-wifi-analytics-for-your-business/">data analytics</a> can give you an accurate breakdown of exactly who is visiting your restaurant. As a result, you can make informed decisions on how to market what you do and to whom. Learn more about how you can use data analytics to get to know your customers in and out.







In the digital age, it’s never been easier to find data analytics to use to your advantage and get to know your customers. In fact, even social media can tell you the average age of your followers. Even more, when they are most active online, making it simple to build an overall picture. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6BVLVFH38ps">More advanced data analytics</a> can even share how often your customers visit you, how much they spend with you and what their interests are.



Such insight matters, because it’s the best way of getting in sync with what your customers really want. By doing so, you can improve your business model and streamline your overheads too.&nbsp;



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">Read minds</h4>



No crystal ball required. By having your customer data presented in a way that’s easy to toggle between, you can ensure <a href="https://www.wordstream.com/blog/ws/2017/04/06/how-to-market-a-product">your marketing hits a bullseye every time</a>. For example, if pizza is the most popular item ordered in your restaurant. You can deliver deals to your most loyal customers. When it comes to social media marketing, you could use storytelling to show your customers how your famous pizzas are made.&nbsp;



Compared with generic content you put out to try and boost your followers with no real insight behind it, this tactic is a lot more likely <a href="https://stampede.ai/blog/tracking-digital-marketing-roi/">to generate ROI</a>. That’s because you are getting to the heart of what your customers come to you for. If your analytics show people are searching for ‘pizza in Edinburgh’, then you can even tailor your paid posts to pick up on these keywords too.&nbsp;



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">Identify your best customers</h4>



It’s not a question of picking favourites here. Studying your <a href="https://www.towerdata.com/blog/what-is-customer-demographic-data">data analytics can paint an interesting picture</a> when it comes to your acquisition costs. In particular, who is responding best to your marketing. For example, if you are spending the most money trying to attract students. However, find out that your biggest customer base is working professionals coming in on their lunch break. This gives you a chance to reassess your marketing strategy. So that overall it’s a lot more cost-effective.&nbsp;



You can also understand who is spending the most money with you, and what are your most popular products or services. As a restaurant, this might be a particular meal deal you serve that’s popular with the lunchtime crowd. If your analytical tools are even more advanced, you can even identify what each individual customer orders most often, to <a href="https://stampede.ai/blog/how-marketing-with-wifi-benefits-your-business/">create tailored marketing.</a>&nbsp;



Further reading: <a href="https://stampede.ai/blog/personalise-your-customer-journey-at-your-restaurant/">https://stampede.ai/blog/personalise-your-customer-journey-at-your-restaurant/</a>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">Target their location</h4>



Geography is huge when it comes to marketing your business. If your customers are coming from far and wide but your marketing is only concentrated to a 1-mile radius of your restaurant, you could be missing out on vital trade. Similarly, if you advertise nationally but 90% of your customers live within 5 miles of your restaurant. This could be eating up your marketing budget providing a poor ROI.&nbsp;



The great thing about data analytics is that you can find out <a href="https://marketingland.com/getting-back-to-basics-with-location-based-marketing-256512">the towns and cities closest to you</a> that are pulling in the most customers. You will be able to access both the reach and engagement, as well as the potential reach if you were to extend your campaign from the city to the whole county.



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">Maintain steady business</h4>



The thing about analytics is that it shows both upwards and downwards trends. <a href="https://www.whishworks.com/blog/big-data/data-analytics-explained">By studying your data regularly</a>, you can see when certain demographics aren’t purchasing as regularly. Or when the business as a whole is receiving less traffic to its social media pages, which is impacting bookings. Going beyond simply noticing less cash in the till, the specifics of who isn’t buying from you and why can allow you to take informed action.&nbsp;



For example, you might notice fewer students are visiting because it’s the end of the summer term. You can prep for freshers week to bring in even more trade than usual, to make up for the shortfall. In addition, you could switch to marketing towards families who are more likely to be receptive in the school holidays instead. Therefore, your data analytics can assist both your business forecasting and recovery too.&nbsp;



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



Do you know who your customers are? Answering this question accurately can be really tricky for any restaurant business. After all, customers tell you their order not their date of birth or any other key information that would help you tailor your marketing strategy better. Then there’s the challenge of getting this key information in the first place, especially in the age of GDPR.&nbsp;



Our branded WiFi portal allows your customers to keep connected. While simultaneously allowing you to be more connected to your customers too.&nbsp;By monitoring the connection closely you can get insight on how your business is performing. But also how to improve it.&nbsp;On the same time, you can use data analytics to get to know your customers better and reach out to them in a <a href="https://stampede.ai/blog/how-to-set-up-your-first-email-campaign-guide-2019/">more tailored way</a>.



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

Using Data Analytics to Get to Know Your Customers

The Power of Reviews and Recommendations

Team Update

Compared: 4 Time-Saving Social Media Scheduling Tools [Updated 2023]

<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-3-fabulous-food-n-drink-content-topics">3 Fabulous Food ‘n’ Drink Content Topics </h3>



This week’s social media topics will make the foodies amongst your customers happy. Offering you lots of great opportunities to engage with your audience.



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



<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-internationalteaday-15th">#InternationalTeaDay &#8211; 15th</h4>



Tomorrow is a celebration of the health benefits, economic importance, and cultural heritage of tea, all the while ensuring a more sustainable production from fields to our cups.&nbsp;



 Many hospitality venues have great tea selections with equally fantastic sustainability credentials. It’s worth sharing your tea selection with your customers on your socials. You might also provide them with some background information about the origin, give some tips on how to make the perfect cuppa and which food matches best.



 How you drink your tea is a matter of personal choice but definitely offers room for discussion. Whether you go for milk and/or sugar or prefer it black. There are all kinds of different tea colour shades coming with funny names like spray tan, true brit or dirty tap.



 Tip: Social Media Poll &#8211; how do you like your cuppa?



<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-chocolatecoveredanything-day-16th">#ChocolateCoveredAnything Day &#8211; 16th</h4>



Chocolate addicts, this is your day! All those times when you’ve been asking yourself “How might this taste all covered in chocolate?” this is your perfect opportunity to find it out!&nbsp;



 Maybe you’re less adventurous and prefer to stick to the basics like fruits or sweets. But maybe you want to test your limits (fish fingers?) and create a new chocolaty trend dish for 2021. Anything can be covered in chocolate.&nbsp;



 Ok maybe not anything&#8230; but the festive period is usually full of sweet treats to satisfy your chocolate cravings and flex your creativity.



 Tip: Social Media Contest &#8211; get creative and create your own chocolate-covered dish to win.



<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-maplesyrupday-17th">#MapleSyrupDay &#8211; 17th</h4>



Nutritionists discovered it years ago as a healthier alternative for refined sugar. It’s linked to Canada the way Marmite is to the UK. I’m talking about Maple Syrup!



It’s the classic topping for pancakes and waffles as well a key ingredient for many baked treats! But it’s also a great match with savoury food, every tried maple glazed bacon? Maybe on top of your pancake? Maple Syrup is a true allrounder in the kitchen. It even works nicely in cocktails, salads and sticky sauces. There is really no limit here. Why not surprise your customers with a new Maple Syrup creation?



Tip: Video time &#8211; get those breakfast stacks ready for some slow-mo, mouthwatering pour videos for your socials.



Got some awesome content to share with your customers? Sling it in an email and get it in front of them &#8211; we all need a break from online order update emails in our inbox! <a href="https://stampede.ai/company/#contact" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Get in touch </a>with one of our team if you need any help with emails.

What’s On This Week – 14/12/2020

“Full with reduced capacity.” A statement that many hospitality venues can report on after trading again for a couple of weeks now. However, operating on a reduced capacity in combination with table-service only restrictions also means that the average revenue per day is still way below making profit again.&nbsp;



Adding to this are logistical difficulties and potential staff challenges (hygiene, social distancing, etc.) that make it difficult to cater to walk-ins, so most places have to rely on advanced bookings with dedicated time slots. 



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



<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-to-increase-revenue-per-head-and-table">How to increase revenue per head and table</h4>



If venues can’t increase bookings per day, a fallback solution is to increase sales per head and table to boost revenue. What’s the best way to achieve this? Through upselling.&nbsp;



<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-upselling-techniques">Upselling Techniques</h4>



Let’s have a look at three different upselling techniques that help you increase your order values:



<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-1-promotions">1. Promotions</h4>



One of the most popular techniques is to make use of marketing promotions to encourage upselling.



Before customer comes to your venue:



<ul><li>You’ve got your customer booking details, so send special deals and offers via email and/or SMS in advance</li><li>You can also highlight your daily/seasonal specials or any other high-margin items you want to push</li></ul>



Whilst customer is at your venue:



<ul><li>Make use of in-store marketing and display menu specials on the table, in your venue and also in front</li><li>Be clever with your menu design and place high-margin items at the top right</li><li>Host “Happy Hour” offers for slower days and times of the day</li><li>With the right <a href="https://stampede.ai/how-it-works/marketing/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">WiFi marketing tools</a> you can send digital in-venue promotions whilst customers are there</li></ul>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-2-staff-training">2. Staff Training</h4>



“Would you like chips with that?” A common hospitality phrase with big potential as many of your customers will say “yes!”. Almost every customer interaction offers an opportunity for your team to impact customer spending.&nbsp;



It’s vital that staff are trained and coached properly.&nbsp;Upselling can quickly sound like a sales pitch and even turn customers off instead of being perceived as part of a good and anticipative service.



Quick tips for a successful at-the-table upselling:



<ol><li>Consultative approach<ul><li>Your staff have the best knowledge of your menu, offering pairing recommendations is one of the easiest ways to upsell</li><li>Within this, drinks are the most straight forward pairing recommendation</li></ul></li><li>Financial approach<ul><li>Focusing on upselling high-margin items is a typical upselling method to boost sales</li><li>Always suggest the larger option first, e.g. regular-sized coffee rather than small-sized</li></ul></li><li>FOMO (fear of missing out) approach<ul><li>Highlight your daily specialities on your menu and add “only 2 left” or “very popular today”</li><li>Likewise with seasonal menu items “last chance to enjoy our …”</li></ul></li></ol>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-3-digital-upselling">3. Digital Upselling</h4>



Time to take your upselling to the next level and let technology do it for you.



<ol><li>Increase spend with an order &amp; pay app&nbsp;<ul><li>An order app not only contributes to a safe and contactless customer experience but can also <a href="https://www.flipdish.com/resources/blog/grow-in-store-orders-restaurants" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">increase average order value by 10?–30%</a></li><li>Open a <a href="https://www.bizzon.com/en-gb/the-latest/open-tab-functionality" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">(digital) tab</a> to allow your customer to quickly add another pint to their order and increase average spend dramatically</li></ul></li><li>Make use of your POS customer data<ul><li>Offer personalised recommendations based on historical customer data&nbsp;</li><li>This will not only wow your customer but also offer you a way to upsell on previously ordered items &#8211; cappuccino as usual?</li></ul></li><li>Let your Guest WiFi do the promotions for you<ul><li>Once your customers have signed up to your Guest WiFi (working on a captive portal) you can contact them digital straight away with automated messaging</li><li>Forget about on-table displays and go for <a href="https://stampede.ai/upsell-in-action/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">real-time marketing</a> through email and/or SMS to promote special deals and offers</li></ul></li></ol>



<a href="contact@stampede.ai" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Get in touch</a> with one of our team to find out how our Guest WiFi solution can help you increase your order values through upselling immediately.

3 Quick Tips on Upselling to Increase Order Values

We at Stampede are on a big mission. 



We want to make the hard-to-do marketing easy and accessible for all hospitality operators. How do we do this?



It&#8217;s simple. We provide hospitality businesses with smart and innovative tech tools to help them make the best use of their customer data. So they can start building a strong mailing list and market to their customers to drive repeat visits.



We are therefore very honoured to be amongst the finalists for the “Best Use Of Data 2022” award by the <a href="https://businesstechawards.com/">UK Business Tech Awards</a>.



<h5 class="wp-block-heading">Effortless Growth Through Digital Marketing</h5>



Our award application focuses on the UK-wide rollout of the Stampede platform at the <a href="https://www.bestwestern.co.uk/">Best Western GB hotels</a>. We want to equip their hotels with the right tools to succeed with data and digital marketing.



Until now, most of Best Western GB’s guest data is withheld by Online Travel Agencies (OTA). Hotels are therefore not able to get in touch with their guests after their stay. Plus, a lot of hotel operators feel inexperienced and unsure about doing email marketing, which is holding them back from using it.



Our platform is built to make marketing easy, especially for busy operators. With Stampede, hotels can now start building their own customer mailing list through their Guest WiFi. This means, that customers who have booked via OTAs can be contacted via email marketing and turned into direct bookers moving forward. 



By using Stampede, Best Western GB hotels can easily create low-cost and high-return email campaigns. What makes those quick-to-set-up campaigns so effective is the intelligent use of guest data insights. 



In addition, our innovative reporting suite allows operators to better track their guest interaction, both online and in-venue. By linking those insights, they can create targeted and personalised campaigns to increase bookings and customer loyalty.



<h5 class="wp-block-heading">Helping Other Hospitality Operators Grow</h5>



Clever technology powered by valuable data leads to proven massive ROI. 



Our joined project with Best Western GB shows how simple it can be for hospitality businesses to strive by making the best use of their data. 



We want to share this success story with all hospitality operators, especially now as the industry faces difficult economic times.



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



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><a href="https://stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Best-West-CJF-Infographic.png"><img decoding="async" src="https://image.stampede.ai/fill/1894/4651/ce/0/aHR0cHM6Ly9zdGFtcGVkZS5haS93cC1jb250ZW50L3VwbG9hZHMvMjAyMi8wOC9CZXN0LVdlc3QtQ0pGLUluZm9ncmFwaGljLnBuZw==" alt="" class="wp-image-22099"/></a></figure>

Best Use of Data 2022 Finalist

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

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

Stampede announces Springo acquisition

Report – 2020 Data Insights in Hospitality.

Stampede announces global channel launch of hospitality martech platform

How Tripadvisor’s Safety Measures Are Impacting Hospitality Businesses

New service keeps spontaneous pub trips alive while supporting track and trace

In <a href="https://stampede.ai/blog/how-to-thoroughly-spring-clean-your-digital-places-part-1/">Part 1 of this series</a>, we discussed how you can give your online places a good clean. In this post, our focus is going to be on wider digital spaces, with emphasis on digital devices, web and mobile applications, file storage, and software. You’ve probably put this type of detailed spring cleaning off in the past, but with COVID-19 temporarily closing the doors of hospitality businesses around the globe, now’s a good time to optimise these digital places for easier operations. 



We recommend the following activities to polish your digital places and make technology work harder for you:&nbsp;



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">1. Start by Weeding Out All of Your Devices</h2>



Do you have more than one digital device lying around? Your answer’s likely going to be a big “yes”. It’s time to round the lot up and organize their contents. Transfer useful files from older devices onto the devices you are currently using. Organise files so that they can be easily found, delete irrelevant files, and uninstall apps that you no longer use. This way you will have a cleaner user-interface on each device and you will have tons of space for new downloads going forward (which is important because your business is going to have to rely on new technologies and applications in the future).&nbsp;



Now, you can safely store your older devices for later use or you can donate them to a good cause and create some extra space for yourself in your physical workspace.&nbsp;



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">2. Polish Your Apps</h2>



The future of digital marketing is going to be very much web and mobile application based. Since you’ve cleared space on your devices, you should be able to store more files and programs. You can 1.) download new helpful and innovative apps and 2.) declutter and reorganise the applications you’re already using.&nbsp;



Popular apps for the hospitality industry include:



<ul><li>OpenTable (a table reservation app)</li><li>Flypay (an app that allows patrons to choose a listed restaurant or bar location, enter their table number, and have their bill instantly retrieved)</li><li>Bamboo HR (assists with streamlining HR processes within your business)</li><li>Mind Meister (an app that assists with the planning of events, restaurant, and coffee shop marketing)</li><li>Typsy (a staff training platform for hospitality businesses)</li></ul>



Electronic Point of Sale Systems have also become an essential component of most successful hospitality businesses. You may want to use this time to get to know your current ePos system better or research other options that may better suit your niche. 



When it comes to organising your apps, you can look into removing users who are no longer with your organisation, improve your layouts to make them more user-friendly for your staff, and you make sure that everything is working systematically as it should (.i.e. get to know your apps back to front). 



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">3. Just Do the Updates</h2>



Update reminders can be a thorn in the side of daily work life, but we cannot keep putting them off indefinitely. If we fail to do software updates, then we threaten the security of our digital devices. They will also run more slowly. As a result, the work we try to do on them will be completed at a reduced pace (which is no help when you’re trying to implement the best promotion techniques, for example).  



When you have downtime, then use the opportunity to prepare some non-computer work. This way you can allow your computers, tablets, and smartphones to run their hour-long (or maybe five-hour-long) update processes to optimise their systems.&nbsp;



Tip:&nbsp;don&#8217;t forget to back up your files beforehand, just in case something goes awry! Which brings us to our next point.&nbsp;



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">4. Take Advantage of File Sharing</h2>



You probably have a plethora of work files just hanging around on your desktop. Keeping these files on your computer alone, however, can present risks to your businesses’ security and knowledge base. If your laptop is stolen or loses functionality during a power surge (for example), then all of this important information will be gone – possibly forever. And that’s where file-sharing can be your saving grace.



If your business has a shared server, you can store your files under your umbrella. Alternatively, you can look to cloud storage solutions so that you can have access to your files from anywhere at any time. For documents that are more team-beneficial than sensitive, we suggest you look to <a href="https://www.google.co.uk/drive/">Google Drive</a>, <a href="https://www.dropbox.com/">Dropbox</a>, or other file-sharing platforms for an effective solution. 



Once you have your file-sharing process set up, you can organise your information so that it’s even easier to access – and you can create some extra space on your devices at the same time!



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">4. Declutter Your Email Account</h2>



Some may refer to their email accounts as the central data hub of their business. If you receive your notifications and communications from customers and suppliers via email, then this will hold to you.&nbsp;



Now’s the time to declutter your inbox and file your emails accordingly. You can:



<ul><li>Delete all the emails you no longer need</li><li>Delete and block junk mail</li><li>Store the emails you want to hold onto by using cloud storage solutions</li><li>Delete email accounts you no longer use</li></ul>



By removing important information from your email account and storing it on a safe file-storing server, you can reduce the chances of your email account being hacked for your private information. It also gives you a clean and organized account to work from going forward – think of it as room to breathe!&nbsp;



With COVID-19 (and other unforeseen events) interrupting systems as we once knew them, it’s always good to prepare for the future of marketing. So, once you’ve spring cleaned and spruced your platforms, then it’s time to research new types of marketing and what they will mean for you going forward. 



For more information on intelligent marketing tools that will help you push through tough economic times, please <a href="https://stampede.ai/contact/">contact Stampede</a>.

cleaning and updating your digital spaces and devices

How to Spring Clean Your Digital Places: Part 2

<h1 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-free-february-march-2024-social-media-calendar">Free February &#8211; March 2024 Social Media Calendar</h1>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-no-more-last-minute-brainstorming-for-your-social-media-posts">No more last-minute brainstorming for your social media posts.</h4>



Operating a business and at the same time staying on top of your social media content can be tough. Constantly coming up with new and engaging ideas for your next posts takes time you might not always have.



Download your free social media calendar for February and March 2024 now.



It features 60 days worth of post ideas, hashtag suggestions and image theme inspiration for each month. There&#8217;s something for every kind of hospitality business, from Valentines Day to Six Nations Rugby, Pancake Day and Mother&#8217;s Day, plus many others.

February – March 2024 Social Media Calendar

Whenever we have a question or an idea, we immediately turn to our best friend, the Internet. The easiest and fastest way to find out more about that topic that’s been keeping us up at night. Today, the world wide web is filled with information on just about every topic, probably being the most reliable way to gather facts. 







During the research process, in particular about products and companies, online <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.stampede.ai/blog/5-star-review-google-form" target="_blank">reviews will pop-up</a>. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, as they tend to help shoppers with their decision-making. Though, online reviews are one of those tricky things, can be a real blessing for your business, but can also have a major negative impact on your revenue.



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">A sense of legitimacy</h4>



Before we were able to find everything on the Internet, we were still reliant on recommendations of friends and family. Just to give you an idea of how immense the impact of online reviews really is, think about this fact.



 90% of shoppers trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations. In other words, the Internet replaced personal recommendations as the most powerful way of referrals. Impressive right?



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">Don’t panic!</h4>



Adding this extra layer to online reviews and referrals is not necessarily the end of the world. However, being aware of its magnitude and extent is crucial for discovering new opportunities. 



Websites like TripAdvisor, Google reviews or Facebook reviews see millions of visitors every month and being present on those online review pages is an absolute must today. But presence alone might not be enough. Control is what you need.



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



<div class="wp-block-media-text" style="grid-template-columns:35% auto"><figure class="wp-block-media-text__media"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="600" height="600" src="https://stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/img-reviews_300.png" alt="" class="wp-image-12864" srcset="https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/img-reviews_300.png 600w, https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/img-reviews_300-300x300.png 300w, https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/img-reviews_300-150x150.png 150w, https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/img-reviews_300-96x96.png 96w, https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/img-reviews_300-560x560.png 560w, https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/img-reviews_300-16x16.png 16w, https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/img-reviews_300-592x592.png 592w, https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/img-reviews_300-100x100.png 100w, https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/img-reviews_300-60x60.png 60w, https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/img-reviews_300-90x90.png 90w" sizes="(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px" /></figure><div class="wp-block-media-text__content">
Looking to take more control over your reviews?



<a href="https://stampede.ai/reviews/">Check out our Reviews tool.</a>
</div></div>



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



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">Let’s walk through that open door</h4>



In the latest Stampede eBook we put together very interesting stats, concerning online reviews. You will learn why online reviews are important and how they directly impact your business. Download your eBook right and see how reaching your customers, building your brand presence and increasing your revenue is made easy.



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





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



From time to time the unpreventable might happen. Someone leaves you a negative review. Good news, there are ways to deal with them in a more efficient way. 



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">How to deal with negative online reviews</h4>



As we all know, not all reviews will be positive. Even though you might have done your best to satisfy your customers during their visit. Fast service, good food and drinks, always responsive to their needs. But they&#8217;ve complained about the lack of decoration in your Cafe. 



Well, sometimes you just cannot prevent a negative review from getting online is what you might think now. I&#8217;ve done everything I could, what else am I supposed to do? We might have a <a href="https://stampede.ai/blog/how-to-respond-to-positive-and-negative-customer-reviews-online/">solution.</a>



Our solution does not only help you to <a href="https://stampede.ai/blog/how-wifi-can-help-boost-guest-reviews-of-your-venue/">get more reviews</a>, even better allows you to filter out the negative ones coming in. That way, you&#8217;re able to deal with them behind closed doors first. I.e. get back in touch with the customer and do some follow-up. You might even be able to turn that &#8216;lost&#8217; customer into a repeat one. 



Sounds too good to be true? Why not sign-up for a free trial today and experience it yourself?



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





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Alternatively, get in touch with us directly and we&#8217;ll set you up with our online Reviews Feature in no time.



<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>

The Importance of Online Reviews for Your Business

A new kind of marketplace for hospitality apps

October Update – 3x Faster Guest WiFi and more

New Features & Updates – September 2023

Feature Update – Improved campaigns, reporting and imports

How To Make The Most Of Your Restaurant Outdoor Seating Space In Summer

A Quick Guide On First-Party Data Strategy For Hotels

UGC Revolution: How User-Generated Content is Reshaping Marketing Strategies

AI In Hospitality Marketing: A Complete Guide

4 Ways To Optimise Your Hospitality Business With AI

3 Tools To Get More Customers On Your Mailing List

Can A Guest WiFi Solution Step In For Your Ordering App?

Avoid These 3 Common Guest WiFi Mistakes

WiFi Marketing: 3 Powerful Ways It Can Grow Your Business

How To Build An Email List For A Non-Digital Business

Introducing: Stories

The tinsel is down, the streets are filled with discarded Christmas trees and you&#8217;ve finally pieced together what happened on New Year&#8217;s Eve. That can only mean one thing: 2018 is here and there&#8217;s not a damn thing you can do about it.

But that&#8217;s ok, since we here at Stampede are always looking to the future. The past is past and onward and upward.  That&#8217;s why we wanted to take this opportunity to showcase some of the trends and events we see happening with WiFi in 2018.
<h3>Still Champion &#8211; 802.11ac</h3>
Approved in 2012 and introduced to consumers the next year, 802.11ac is the current wireless standard used throughout the world. For now. Nipping at 802.11ac&#8217;s heels is the next breed of wireless standards &#8211; 802.11ax. The killer feature behind this latest standard is something called OFDMA, short for Orthogonal Frequency-Division Multiple Access. This this technology allows one access point to to host multiple devices on the same WiFi channel, which will greatly boost the capacity of routers and access points for heavy usage areas like stadiums and public spaces.
But that doesn&#8217;t mean you&#8217;ve got to trash your current network setup and start shopping. The 802.11ax standard hasn&#8217;t been approved by the IEEE yet, so it might not be until 2019 that we see the next generation of WiFi.
<h3>Intent Based Networking</h3>
IBN started popping up on the radar in 2017 and will start to get mainstream in 2018. IBN utilizes Machine Learning to make networks smarter and faster. Think of IBN as the first step towards Skynet from the Terminator movies. IBN probably won&#8217;t make much difference to you if you&#8217;re simply offering WiFi to customers in your local coffee shop, but if you&#8217;re managing WiFi as part of a larger network topology, you could see IBN making your networks in 2018 more hassle free.
<h3>5G Makes an Appearance</h3>
5G, the cellular connectivity standard that follows (naturally) 4G is finally going to get a rollout in 2018. Expect 5G to hold center stage at the <a href="https://www.ces.tech" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Consumer Electronic Show</a> that begins in January. In the United States, both Verizon and AT&amp;T are <a href="http://www.zdnet.com/article/5g-takes-center-stage-at-ces-2018-with-actual-deployments-later/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">planning rollouts for selected markets in 2018</a>. However, there is still some confusion surrounding 5G &#8211; including exactly WHAT consitutes 5G. There&#8217;s concern that unscrupulous providers might just take a gussied up 4G signal and rebrand it as 5G. Still, don&#8217;t expect WiFi to be consigned to the dust bin quite yet. There are sill 8 times as many devices connected to WiFi networks than there are to mobile networks.
<h3>Growth of Free WiFi</h3>
It&#8217;s becoming more and more common to see cities launching free WiFi initiatives and this isn&#8217;t going to be stopping any time in 2018. If fact, it&#8217;s predicted that by 2020 the <a href="https://www.vpnmentor.com/blog/free-wifi-hotspots-research/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">number of public WiFi hotspots will grow to 549 million</a> &#8211; that&#8217;s a sevenfold increase from the 2015 figure of 64 million. It&#8217;s predicted that there&#8217;s going to be so much free WiFi, in fact, that mobile providers are already starting to grow concerned.
<h3>WiFi As a Service</h3>
You&#8217;ve seen it with software packages like Office365 and Adobe Creative Suite, streaming services like Netflix and Hulu, and now even movies theaters are offering a monthly subscription model for all you can watch flicks. So why not the same thing with WiFi? Introducing WiFi-as-a-Service, the latest entry into the monthly recurring revenue model marketplace. WiFi as a service makes a lot of sense to businesses, who would rather, you know, be running their businesses instead of wrestling with persnickity WiFi controllers and updating passwords. The other advantage to this model is that firmware and other upgrades can be done automatically through the cloud. Which can come in handy the next time there&#8217;s an issue <a href="https://www.stampede.ai/blog/wpa2-breach-is-your-wifi-safe" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">like the recent WPA2 breach</a>. 
<h3>What Else Will 2018 Hold?</h3>
It&#8217;s hard to say exactly what&#8217;s around the next bend. But that makes high tech kind of exciting, isn&#8217;t it? In any case, if you&#8217;re ready to step into the future by offering safe and secure WiFi for your business, why not give Stampede a try?
<a class="eut-modal-popup" href="https://calendly.com/stampedeae/stampede-demo-request?month=2020-02">Click here to get started.</a>

WiFi as a Service and other Trends for 2018

DIY meal-kit demand has skyrocketed in the past year. Businesses have put a lot of effort into coming up with their own kits. And their customers loved it! Lots of us have discovered some unknown chef talent. Indeed, meal-kits seem to be a win-win for businesses and customers alike.



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But now that venues start to reopen again and customers are able to enjoy their meals at your venue, what will happen to your meal-kit offers? How could you further increase your meal-kit sales?



According to the recent report “A Tale of Two Tables” by <a href="https://kam-media.co.uk/resources/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">KAM Media and Slerp</a>, 89% of customers want the restaurant brand to continue delivering and 62% want their favourite restaurant brand to start selling meal boxes nationwide.&nbsp;



So is it worth keeping your meal-kit offering available to satisfy this demand, whilst also reopening for normal service?



<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-reasons-why-meal-kits-are-here-to-stay">Reasons Why Meal-Kits Are Here to Stay</h4>



Our <a href="https://twitter.com/stampede_speaks" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">#PrepStartsNow</a> partner Flipdish sees meal-kits as a <a href="https://www.flipdish.com/resources/blog/why-meal-kits-are-here-to-stay-and-a-smart-new-revenue-stream-for-your-business" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">key revenue stream for restaurants in the future</a>.



Here’s why:



<ul><li>The number of bookings allowed in venues is still limited and lots of your customers might not be able to secure a booking.</li><li>They are an additional revenue stream with little additional costs.</li><li>You can reach more potential customers with your offerings. Some might not be able to travel to your physical location.</li><li>It’s convenient for your customers &#8211; no need to look for recipes and buy ingredients.&nbsp;</li></ul>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-to-create-more-meal-kit-ordering-buzz">How to Create More Meal-Kit Ordering Buzz</h4>



<a href="https://stampede.ai/blog/quick-tips-to-drive-more-sales-at-home-kits/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Customer awareness about DIY meal-kits has reached a mainstream level.</a> It’s now on to you to make the most out of this and secure more revenue from your meal-kit sales.



<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-1-spread-the-word">1. Spread the Word</h4>



Leverage your social channels and share regular posts about your meal-kits. Highlight the fact that customers can still order your popular kits to enjoy at home. Pin your posts and add an “order direct” button to make it as easy as possible for customers.



Don’t forget to add your meal-kit offerings to your regular newsletters to increase sales. For a little extra sales push, combine them with a promotion.



<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-2-come-up-with-new-meal-kit-ideas">2. Come Up With New Meal-Kit Ideas</h4>



With Summer just around the corner, customers might want to take their dining experience outdoors. What about <a href="https://lovindublin.com/lovin-home-comforts/bbq-kits-order-cook-at-home" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">BBQ</a> or picnic meal-kits? Get creative to make your offerings even more attractive.&nbsp;



Consider special event meal-kits for birthdays, anniversaries, sports events, etc. You might also offer a premium version of it with limited or high-end specials and ingredients.



<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-3-get-the-maximum-out-of-your-online-store">3. Get the Maximum Out Of Your Online Store</h4>



Make sure that your online store lets you upsell and cross-promote your entire product range for additional revenue.



Also, allow your customers to add special dietary restrictions during the ordering process. You might also think about making your meal-kits available in different group sizes and offering a special family version.



<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-4-go-the-extra-mile">4. Go the Extra Mile</h4>



Turn your DIY meal-kits into a special at-home customer experience, provide more than just food and drinks. This could be table decorations or a curated playlist of music.



<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-5-bonus-tip-nationwide-delivery">5. Bonus Tip &#8211; Nationwide Delivery</h4>



By offering your meal-kits nationwide you can upscale your reach and increase meal-kit sales massively. You can connect to a whole new range of customers. Plus, you can also deliver to your regular customers whilst they are on their staycations.



Several operators already offer this such as Pizza Pilgrims. The biggest challenge is packaging, but if others can solve that, so can you!



Need some assistance with spreading the word about your meal-kit offerings via email and SMS marketing campaign? <a href="contact@stampede.ai" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Reach out</a> to our team. We are happy to help.

4 Creative Ways to Increase Your Meal-Kit Sales

New feature alert! <a href="https://stampede.ai/how-it-works/loyalty/">Loyalty</a> by Stampede launches today. Bring more customers back to your venue with our digital stamp cards. Become your customers’ preferred place to go and reward them to increase their loyalty.



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Customer loyalty is more important than ever before. Acquiring new customers comes with a notably higher cost than building a long-term relationship with your existing ones. Plus, regular customers spend up to 67% more in your venue compared to one-time visitors.&nbsp;



Loyalty and reward programs are a proven way to keep your customers coming back in. It’s time to ditch your paper stamp cards and take them to the next level. <a href="https://stampede.ai/how-it-works/loyalty/">Go digital with Loyalty by Stampede</a> and start saving time and money on printing fliers and paper cards immediately.&nbsp;



<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-to-get-started">How to Get Started</h4>



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Loyalty by Stampede is easy to use and quick to set up for your business. You set the reward and decide how many stamps it takes to redeem it.
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<div class="wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-center is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow" style="flex-basis:33.33%">
<figure class="wp-block-image size-medium is-resized"><a href="https://stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Loyalty-design-1.png"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" src="https://image.stampede.ai/fill/300/300/ce/0/aHR0cHM6Ly9zdGFtcGVkZS5haS93cC1jb250ZW50L3VwbG9hZHMvMjAyMS8wNC9Mb3lhbHR5LWRlc2lnbi0xLTMwMHgzMDAucG5n" alt="loyalty design" class="wp-image-19829" width="271" height="271"/></a></figure>
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<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-improved-customer-experience">Improved Customer Experience</h4>



Improve your customer experience with our digital stamp card. Loyalty by Stampede offers your customers an uncomplicated way to get rewarded for each visit. What’s more, all your returning customers will be automatically issued with their digital stamp card and stamps!



Your customers only need to download the app once to start collecting points. The Stampede loyalty app allows them to keep all their stamp cards from different venues handy in one place. They&#8217;ll never miss a stamp, forget a card or end up with duplicate cards again.



<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-benefits-of-using-loyalty-by-stampede">Benefits of using Loyalty by Stampede</h4>



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<ul><li>Increased spend per head and visit</li><li>Fast and easy change of promotions and offers&nbsp;</li><li>Customise your loyalty cards to your own branding</li><li>No staff training required</li><li>Save money on printing costs for flyers and posters</li></ul>
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<div class="wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-center is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow" style="flex-basis:33.33%">
<figure class="wp-block-image size-medium is-resized"><a href="https://stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Loyalty-redeem-1.png"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" src="https://image.stampede.ai/fill/300/300/ce/0/aHR0cHM6Ly9zdGFtcGVkZS5haS93cC1jb250ZW50L3VwbG9hZHMvMjAyMS8wNC9Mb3lhbHR5LXJlZGVlbS0xLTMwMHgzMDAucG5n" alt="loyalty redemption methods" class="wp-image-19831" width="257" height="257"/></a></figure>
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<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-customers-get-their-stamps">How Customers Get Their Stamps:</h4>



<ul id="block-4ebaf83e-1901-41be-b998-75a21aba3b8f"><li>By logging into your <a href="https://stampede.ai/how-it-works/wifi/">Guest WiFi</a>&nbsp;</li><li>Through scanning a QR code</li><li>Through taping a unique NFC tag with their phone</li></ul>



<a href="https://stampede.ai/company/#contact">Get in touch</a> with one of our team to set up Loyalty by Stampede at your venue today. Sign up your business before 15th May 2021 and you’ll get Loyalty for free for 6 months.

New Feature – Loyalty By Stampede

GDPR isn&#8217;t another networking acronym or government agency. GDPR is short for the <a href="http://www.eugdpr.org">General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR),</a> which takes effect on May 25, 2018 throughout the EU.

<a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/risk/our-insights/tackling-gdpr-compliance-before-time-runs-out">Any business established in the European Union</a>  will have to comply with all the GDPR laws. Of course, with Brexit approaching rapidly, requirements may fluctuate with the UK, but even UK based businesses that deal with EU customers will be bound by the GDPR rules.
<iframe loading="lazy" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/n5WJOncaHt4" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
Basically the goal of GDPR is to empower individual data privacy. It ensures that when people give their personal information out to a business, that data is used for a specific purpose, kept only for specific period of time and stored securely.
<h3>What does GDPR Mean for Your Business WiFi ?</h3>
<a href="https://arstechnica.co.uk/information-technology/2016/08/public-wi-fi-forget-the-scare-stories-read-this/">There are a lot of myths</a> floating around about what exactly GDPR is going to mean for your business &#8211; from multi million dollar fines for users downloading pirated movies on your network, to businesses being required to retain personal data for all users on their WiFi network. Some of the stories are just that &#8211; stories &#8211; while other rumors are filled with half truths.
<h3>Why even bother with the hassle?</h3>
With Stampede, you can offer your patrons <a href="https://www.stampede.ai/how-it-works#security">safe, secure and &#8211; yes &#8211; GDPR compliant WiFi. </a>
Terms and Conditions, data retention, <a href="/blog/blackbx-wifi-and-gdpr" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">GDPR requirements</a> &#8211; we&#8217;ll take care of all of that for you so that you can get on with what you really want to do: run your business.
Users in your business connect to your WiFi through our secure captive portal (<a href="https://www.stampede.ai/how-it-works#marketing">fully brandable as yours, of course</a>) where they can authenticate with a social media profile, like Facebook, or by using an email address. You can use this opportunity to then <a href="/blog/press/marketing-with-wifi">gather marketing data about your customers</a> &#8211; name, age, post/zip code &#8211; and even ask questions. Once connected, users need never log in again.
The end result? Customer data is kept safe, secure and, most importantly,  GDPR compliant.
<h3>Get GDPR Compliant Today</h3>
You can get started getting your business GDPR compliant for FREE!
Stampede <a class="" href="https://www.stampede.ai/how-it-works#integration">integrates with most of the world&#8217;s leading WiFi equipment providers</a> &#8211; award winning names like UniFi, Open Mesh, LigoWave, Cisco and more. Don&#8217;t have your own WiFi equipment? No problem, we can help you out there, too.
Don&#8217;t let GDPR ruin your business &#8211; try Stampede today!
<a class="eut-modal-popup" href="https://calendly.com/stampedeae/stampede-demo-request?month=2020-02">Click here to get started.</a>

Offer GDPR Compliant WiFi with Stampede

4 Types Of Customer Loyalty: How Loyal Are Yours?

Breakdown: 3 Ways Customers Advocate Your Hospitality Brand

Making a Success of Loyalty Programs [Part II]

Making Sense of Loyalty Programs [Part I]

Can Your Customer Database Help With Recruitment?

How to Maximise Revenue from Your Loyalty Stamp Cards

How to Unlock Hidden Revenue From Your Gift Cards

According to Hubspot,&nbsp;<a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://blog.hubspot.com/service/customer-loyalty-statistics" target="_blank">loyal customers spend 67% more than new customers</a>. Loyalty programs, therefore, can contribute a good amount of&nbsp;additional revenue to your bottom line. But there are a wide array of different loyalty programs on the market. So how do you find the one that works best for your business and your customers?



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<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-4-loyalty-programs-explained">4 Loyalty Programs Explained</h4>



To help you find the right one, we’ve broken down the main differences of 4 common loyalty programs that are used in the hospitality industry.



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">1. Point-Based Loyalty Program</h4>



The point-based loyalty program is the most widely used one. It is often described as being “easy to earn and easy to redeem”. It’s pretty straightforward and aims to encourage frequent and short-term purchases. Points are earned per £ spent and translate into rewards or freebies.



Two successful industry examples using point-based loyalty can be found in&nbsp;<a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.dunkindonuts.com/en/dd-perks" target="_blank">Dunkin’ Donuts</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.pizzahut.co.uk/hut-rewards/" target="_blank">Pizza Hut</a>.



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">2. Tier-Based Loyalty Program</h4>



Tier-based loyalty programs give their&nbsp;members ranks&nbsp;(e.g. silver, gold, elite) based on their spend and are often used by higher-priced businesses, such as airlines or hotel chains.



Usually, small rewards are given as base offerings which increase in value for higher tiers. What makes this type of loyalty program so attractive is the fact that&nbsp;customers are committed to spend more in order to move up the tiers&nbsp;to unlock even more benefits. However, tier-based programs are more long-term oriented and customers don’t usually get an immediate benefit.



Hotel chains such as&nbsp;<a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.marriott.com/loyalty.mi" target="_blank">Marriott</a>&nbsp;or the US restaurant chain&nbsp;<a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.chick-fil-a.com/one" target="_blank">Chick-fil-A</a> are examples for tier-based systems.



<h4 class="wp-block-heading"><meta charset="utf-8">3. Paid Loyalty Program</h4>



Paid programs or VIP membership programs aim to create an element of exclusivity for their members. Members usually pay a monthly or annual fee to be able to access all kinds of free perks.



This program is probably best known from the retail industry, e.g. Amazon Prime. Arguably Brewdog’s ‘<a href="https://support.brewdog.com/support/solutions/articles/11000036773-what-benefits-do-i-get-as-an-equity-punk-">Equity for Punks</a>’ program comes under this umbrella too. It offers shares in the company as well as discounts in bars and online. Plus some other perks such as an invite to the “Annual General Mayhem (AGM)” &#8211; the reality of this was essentially a one-day beer and music festival.



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">4. Stamp or Punch Loyalty Card</h4>



Our last loyalty program, the stamp card is probably one of the&nbsp;most simple, yet highly effective&nbsp;ones. Customers earn a stamp for every purchase which they can exchange for rewards once they have a certain number of stamps.



In general, stamp cards are great for&nbsp;any type and size of business. It’s a simple method of encouraging customers to come back by promising something for free in return for their loyalty, at&nbsp;a small cost to the business.&nbsp;Also, compared to other programs, stamp cards have a visual appeal. Customers can see how many stamps they have left.



Stamp cards are often a typical loyalty program for coffee shops, but big chains, such as&nbsp;<a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.mcdonalds.com/gb/en-gb/deals/mccafe-loyalty-card.html" target="_blank">McCafé</a>&nbsp;also use it.



To get the most out of this type of loyalty program, businesses should opt for a&nbsp;<a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://stampede.ai/how-it-works/loyalty/" target="_blank">digital version</a>. A digital stamp card is not only more convenient for customers (no more missed stamps or losing cards), but also allows venues to collect valuable customer data. This data can be used for personalised marketing outreach.&nbsp;



Watch out for <a href="https://stampede.ai/blog/making-a-success-of-loyalty-programs-part-ii/">Part II of this blog article</a>, all about how you can turn your loyalty program into a success, including some inspiring customer examples.

[vc_row padding_top_multiplier=&#8221;&#8221; padding_bottom_multiplier=&#8221;&#8221; equal_column_height=&#8221;middle-content&#8221; font_color=&#8221;#000000&#8243;][vc_column width=&#8221;1/2&#8243;][fildisi_empty_space el_class=&#8221;m-hide&#8221;][fildisi_slogan title=&#8221;&#8221; heading_tag=&#8221;h3&#8243; heading=&#8221;h3&#8243; subtitle=&#8221;Better together&#8221; button_text=&#8221;&#8221; button2_text=&#8221;&#8221; el_class=&#8221;bx-caption&#8221;]Cloud controlled access points and the ability to offer beautifully branded captive portals, word class analytics and marketing automation all at the click of a button[/fildisi_slogan][fildisi_empty_space][fildisi_button button_text=&#8221;Start Trial&#8221; button_shape=&#8221;extra-round&#8221; button_link=&#8221;url:https%3A%2F%2Fsignup.stampede.ai%3Fvendor%3Dopenmesh|title:Free%20OpenMesh%20Captive%20Portal%20Trial|target:%20_blank|&#8221; button_class=&#8221;free-trial&#8221;][/vc_column][vc_column width=&#8221;1/2&#8243; css=&#8221;.vc_custom_1530737589539{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}&#8221;][fildisi_empty_space][fildisi_single_image image=&#8221;13060&#8243;][fildisi_empty_space][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row padding_top_multiplier=&#8221;&#8221; padding_bottom_multiplier=&#8221;&#8221; equal_column_height=&#8221;middle-content&#8221; font_color=&#8221;#0a0a0a&#8221;][vc_column width=&#8221;1/2&#8243; css=&#8221;.vc_custom_1531064993448{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}&#8221; el_wrapper_class=&#8221;slider&#8221;][fildisi_single_image image=&#8221;13059&#8243;][fildisi_empty_space][/vc_column][vc_column width=&#8221;1/2&#8243;][fildisi_slogan title=&#8221;&#8221; heading_tag=&#8221;h3&#8243; heading=&#8221;h3&#8243; subtitle=&#8221;Captive Portal Analytics&#8221; button_text=&#8221;&#8221; button2_text=&#8221;&#8221; el_class=&#8221;bx-caption&#8221;]We&#8217;ve defined a new standard for captive portal analytics. This isn&#8217;t about bits and bytes, its about people connecting.[/fildisi_slogan][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row bg_type=&#8221;color&#8221; bg_color=&#8221;#f7f7f7&#8243; section_id=&#8221;stickywicket&#8221;][vc_column][fildisi_callout title=&#8221;Start 14 day free trial&#8221; heading=&#8221;h4&#8243; button_text=&#8221;Start Now&#8221; button_shape=&#8221;extra-round&#8221; button_link=&#8221;url:https%3A%2F%2Fsignup.stampede.ai%3Fvendor%3Dopenmesh||target:%20_blank|&#8221; button_class=&#8221;free-trial&#8221;]So you have a Open Mesh and lots of access points? [/fildisi_callout][/vc_column][/vc_row]

Open Mesh

How can hotels get ahead of their local competition? These days, it’s not only about defeating direct hotel competitors but more importantly the self-catering options that might be nearby. Keep on reading for our clever hotel promotion ideas that will help you get your messaging right.



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The main message should be centred around the benefits of staying in a hotel. Remind customers why staying in a hotel is what they need right now to fully unwind.&nbsp;



<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-to-get-the-messaging-right">How to get the messaging right</h4>



However you promote your rooms and venues, whether it is through email and SMS to existing customers; or on social media and adverts, there are widely applicable messaging strategies that you can use to capture potential guests&#8217; attention.



Here are some hotel promotion messaging ideas that will make your offers stand out.



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">Focus on the price advantage</h4>



It goes without saying that this approach is aimed at price-sensitive consumers first and foremost. Let’s look at how to get their attention.



Go through the online booking and research journey like your customers would and have a closer look into your local self-catering competition. Research their prices as well as offers and deals they have. Now you’ve got the data to craft some carefully worded, price-based messaging based on their offers like this:



“Save £XX per night when you stay with us versus local self-catering options!”



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">Highlight your hotel amenities</h4>



When developing your messaging, really focus on what sets you apart from self-catering properties specifically. Why should guests choose to stay in your hotel? How can you create a unique and memorable experience for them?&nbsp;



Think about what you’re proud of and known for. What are the main reasons that your most loyal customers come back?&nbsp;



Here is some hotel amenities inspiration:



<h5 class="wp-block-heading">In your rooms:</h5>



<ul><li>Welcome surprise, gift basket with homemade/local treats</li><li>Coffee/tea kit, mini bar</li><li>Room service</li><li>Toiletries, slippers, bathrobe</li><li>Pillow menu &#8211; choice of different pillows</li></ul>



<h5 class="wp-block-heading">On-site facilities:</h5>



<ul><li>F&amp;B offers &#8211; exclusive afternoon tea, wide selection of spirits, etc.</li><li>Experiences &#8211; cocktail masterclass, whisky tasting, etc.</li><li>Spa &#8211; special offers/deals (pamper spa weekend deal)</li><li>Fitness centre and classes</li><li>Essential travel items available (in case your guests forgot something)</li></ul>



<h5 class="wp-block-heading">Things to do:</h5>



<ul><li>Seasonal events</li><li>Arrangements for special occasion &#8211; romantic getaway, birthday weekend</li><li>Activity breaks &#8211; bike, archery, tennis, etc.</li><li>Concierge services</li><li>Highlight must-see tourist activities around your hotel&nbsp;</li><li>Local business collaboration for food/drinks (distillery tours)</li></ul>



<h5 class="wp-block-heading">Travelling with furry friends:</h5>



<ul><li>VIP pet offer</li><li>Pet room amenities &#8211; food/water bowls, mats, bed, toys</li><li><a href="https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/life/pets/g23026561/homemade-dog-treats/">(Homemade) tasty treats</a></li><li>Special canine menu upon request</li></ul>



Have you read Part I of this article already with tips on <a href="https://stampede.ai/blog/how-to-outsmart-the-self-catering-competition-part-1/">how to draw in customers to outperform your local competition</a>?



Do you want some help reaching out to your guests via email or SMS marketing? <a href="mailto:contact@stampede.ai?subject=&amp;body=" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Get in touch</a> with one of our team. We&#8217;re happy to help.

[Part 2] Hotel Promotion Ideas to Outsmart the Self-Catering Competition

Up close and personal: Why WiFi might be the best way to direct marketing to your guests

SaaS Agreement

Back in January of this year, we launched our <a href="https://www.stampede.ai/blog/press/revolutionising-the-way-you-charge-for-guest-wifi">integration with Stripe</a> which allowed our customers that have a <a href="https://www.stampede.ai/blog/press/revolutionising-the-way-you-charge-for-guest-wifi">paid network</a> to get a larger cut of the charge. 
We also <img decoding="async" class="" style="width: 320px; float: right;" title="Stampede Invoice Stripe" src="https://cdn2.hubspot.net/hubfs/2735287/Blog/invoice-white.jpg" alt="Stampede Invoice Stripe" width="320" data-constrained="true" />started using it for managing our subscriptions &#8211;  which worked great up until we started attracting larger customers who may not necessarily have a company debit or credit card. It quickly became very apparent that we needed another solution, both from within the company and direct feedback from our customers themselves.
 This is something that we encourage and appreciate, as customer feedback helps both the customer and us to grow. 

<div class="caption"><a href="https://cdn2.hubspot.net/hubfs/2735287/Imported_Blog_Media/Screen-Shot-2017-08-03-at-12_17_41.png"><img decoding="async" class="wp-image-5259" style="margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px; float: right; width: 288px;" title="Stampede Preview of a Consolidated Invoice" src="https://cdn2.hubspot.net/hubfs/2735287/Imported_Blog_Media/Screen-Shot-2017-08-03-at-12_17_41-800x826.png" alt="Stampede Preview of a Consolidated Invoice" width="288" data-constrained="true" /></a>Another piece of feedback that was often brought up was Consolidated Invoicing, which is not supported by. Add this to the fact that direct debit not yet being supported in the UK, it became clear that we could not wait any longer.  Enter <a href="https://www.chargebee.com/">ChargeBee</a>.</div>
So the way our Invoicing currently works is something along these lines: 
n Subscriptions = n Invoices and n Charges. 
This can create financial chaos for both parties, more so when it comes to resellers as they typically will have more than one location. With the new billing, we create one invoice with all their locations and charges listed for that month. Easier and more organised all around. 
Moving our billing platform to ChargeBee also allows us not to have to worry about the payment gateway. That way, we can still offer Stripe to our customers but also services like <a href="https://gocardless.com/">GoCardless</a> for Direct Debit. We can also have future support for <a href="https://www.chargebee.com/payment-gateways/">any gateway that ChargeBee supports.</a> 
Although these features are not live yet, they are close and there will be another post to announce the release. So, be sure to subscribe to our social media channels on <a href="https://twitter.com/Stampedewifi/">Twitter,</a> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/blackbxwifi/">Facebook</a> and <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company-beta/10502754/">LinkedIn</a> to get notifications about new updates as soon as they go out. Also &#8211; be sure to check out our <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCxc2sJ3nBYJhLGQr_2RM60w">YouTube</a> channel for all the latest product and HowTo videos (believe us, it&#8217;ll get more exciting in the future.) 
 
Got an idea for a feature you want to see in Stampede? Feel free to leave us a comment below. 

<a class="eut-modal-popup" href="https://calendly.com/stampedeae/stampede-demo-request?month=2020-02">Click here to get started.</a>

New Features Preview: Consolidated Invoicing & Payment Via BACS

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<ul><li><a href="https://www.digital-restaurant.co.uk/blog/social-media-kpis-matter-2018-improve/">Over 1 billion restaurant</a> visits are influenced by online marketing</li><li>The <a href="https://wearesocial.com/uk/blog/2019/03/digital-in-the-uk-data-and-learnings-for-2019">average time individuals spend on social media</a> each day in the UK is 1 hour 50 mins</li><li>According to <a href="https://www.bighospitality.co.uk/Article/2018/06/04/Restaurant-reservations-technology">ResDiary 64%</a> of restaurant searches on mobile convert to bookings within an hour</li></ul>







These are just three very persuasive statistics that show why cafes, restaurants and bars are recognising the importance of digital marketing. But it&#8217;s not enough to be in it – or in the case of social media, on it &#8211; to win it. 



Unless you&#8217;re tracking the return on investment (ROI) from the time and money spent on digital marketing, you won&#8217;t know how best to direct your cash. Without tracking, you can&#8217;t align your marketing and business goals. Nor can you evolve your strategy so your budget consistently drives enquiries, bookings and sales. But how do you track digital marketing ROI in an offline business like a restaurant, coffee shop or bar? 



Let&#8217;s talk tracking what, why and tactics…



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">Why you need to track Digital Marketing ROI in your offline business</h4>



Tracking your digital marketing ROI allows you to make data-driven decisions that put money in your till. You might already be doing some monitoring and analysis of your marketing at a simple level. For example, you could be recording your social media follower numbers, reach and engagement. If you&#8217;ve taken things up a notch you might be plotting it against the time you&#8217;re spending on social media, noting any uplift in bookings or reviews. You might also be tracking how many people open your marketing emails. Or looking at the take up of events or bookings featured in them.



This type of monitoring is great as a starting point. But to get to grips with what&#8217;s working and what&#8217;s not and the performance of different elements of your digital marketing, you need to get specific.&nbsp;



You can track return on investment across your digital marketing efforts, including:



<ul><li>Social media marketing</li><li>Paid social media ads</li><li>Email marketing</li><li>SMS marketing</li><li>WiFi marketing</li><li>Paid search ads</li></ul>



And by tracking return on investment, you can better understand how online and offline marketing efforts fuel one another. This will allow you to fine-tune your marketing efforts. Monitoring can also reveal valuable insights to bring back into your business. You might find your social media audience is going nuts over a new dish, helping you to identify a new trend. Or you may discover your ideal customer isn&#8217;t who you thought.



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">Taking a campaign approach to your digital marketing ROI</h4>



You&#8217;ve looked at the reservation data that shows you that your quietest time is 4-6 pm on a Wednesday. So you decide to launch a new midweek early evening set menu special. In the past, you&#8217;ve advertised this kind of offer in your local newspaper. Now, you&#8217;d like to test some digital marketing techniques. Here&#8217;s how you work out your ROI and find out which channels work best for this particular campaign.



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">The campaign ROI formula</h4>



To calculate ROI, you should total the sales for any tables booked for your new midweek early evening set menu.



<ul><li>Subtract from this your cost of goods to get your gross profit&nbsp;</li><li>Subtract your marketing spend for the campaign to get your net profit</li><li>Your ROI is your net profit on your investment divided by the cost of your investment x 100</li></ul>



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" src="https://stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Screenshot-2019-12-16-at-16.14.23.png" alt="" class="wp-image-13748" width="462" height="52" srcset="https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Screenshot-2019-12-16-at-16.14.23.png 814w, https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Screenshot-2019-12-16-at-16.14.23-300x34.png 300w, https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Screenshot-2019-12-16-at-16.14.23-768x87.png 768w, https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Screenshot-2019-12-16-at-16.14.23-150x17.png 150w, https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Screenshot-2019-12-16-at-16.14.23-592x67.png 592w, https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Screenshot-2019-12-16-at-16.14.23-190x21.png 190w, https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Screenshot-2019-12-16-at-16.14.23-750x85.png 750w" sizes="(max-width: 462px) 100vw, 462px" /></figure></div>



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" src="https://stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Screenshot-2019-12-16-at-16.13.08.png" alt="" class="wp-image-13746" width="380" height="98" srcset="https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Screenshot-2019-12-16-at-16.13.08.png 654w, https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Screenshot-2019-12-16-at-16.13.08-300x77.png 300w, https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Screenshot-2019-12-16-at-16.13.08-150x39.png 150w, https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Screenshot-2019-12-16-at-16.13.08-592x152.png 592w, https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Screenshot-2019-12-16-at-16.13.08-190x49.png 190w, https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Screenshot-2019-12-16-at-16.13.08-350x90.png 350w" sizes="(max-width: 380px) 100vw, 380px" /></figure></div>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">Tracking digital marketing conversions</h4>



As a business owner or restaurant manager, it&#8217;s incredibly satisfying to know that a marketing email you sent out drove a customer into the store. But how exactly do you find this out? 



With email marketing, you can use trackable links within your emails to find out who clicked through, and who booked. You can use similar links across your social media and paid ads too. You can even set up your Facebook posts and ads to feature a &#8216;message&#8217; option so that people can message to book with you. Straight from the ad.&nbsp;



Paid Marketing Consultant Hannah Strong says it&#8217;s also worth separating your new customers from old. This way, you can begin to track the lifetime value of digital marketing generated customers. You can also track the long-term impact of campaigns, different platforms and channels. 



&#8220;Use remarketing audiences to exclude anyone who has visited your website before from seeing the ad (within Instagram, Twitter, Facebook or paid search). Then, pop a discount code/offer in your ad copy. Whether you offer a percentage discount or something like a free drink or dessert. This is a highly trackable way of measuring if your ads have generated new customers. Just make sure your employees are aware of the code and how to process it, or you have a counting system for redeemed freebies. For improved measurement, have a different code per marketing activity or platform – i.e. for your Facebook, Instagram or for paid ads.&#8221;



Using a different code or offer is a great tip you can apply to discover which marketing has driven a customer in the store. You can combine the offer code with creative elements such as videos and imagery to grab social media user&#8217;s attention. For example, you could use <a href="https://stampede.ai/blog/rock-your-restaurant-with-wifi-and-instagram/">Instagram stories</a> to promote a flash sale on a dish, drink new menu. Simply combine a drool-worthy video and specific offer for customers to use when booking or redeeming.&nbsp;



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">WiFi Marketing and ROI</h4>



Offering Captive WiFi on your premises can really supercharge your tracking efforts. You can ask where and when new visitors heard about your venue, offer or event as part of their sign up process. This helps to identify who is a marketing originated customer. If you know where the customer has been converted from, there&#8217;s the potential to calculate the customer acquisition cost. 



Their email address can be used alongside other useful data for restaurant marketing to fuel future marketing campaigns. With <a href="https://stampede.ai/blog/how-marketing-with-wifi-benefits-your-business/">WiFi marketing</a>, you can track that a customer has booked thanks to the birthday email offer you sent them. And most importantly, you can gain insight into the seven friends they brought with them. When these friends use your captive WiFi portal you have the chance to expand your email list. And let&#8217;s not forget the advertising value of those food photos they took and tagged your venue in on Instagram. This all helps to give you a <a href="https://stampede.ai/blog/3-powerful-ways-wifi-marketing-can-grow-your-business/">fuller picture of each customer</a>, tracks their lifetime value and your digital marketing ROI.



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">What&#8217;s a good digital marketing ROI?</h4>



It&#8217;s hard to set a fixed percentage on what makes for a good ROI. It goes without saying that you&#8217;ll want to generate more money than you spend on the initial marketing. It&#8217;s good to set goals. But if you&#8217;re planning some marketing you may well be trying to solve a problem. You might need to liven up a weeknight or be looking to shift your customer base after a change in the economy. These types of scenarios mean that you&#8217;ll want to track the return on your investment over a longer-term. You might want to monitor impact month on month by platform or tactic to see what puts bums on seats and money in the till.&nbsp;



Monitoring your digital marketing ROI can really give you the edge when there are changes in the wider economy or to our leisure and social media habits. Why? You have data at your fingertips that allows you to switch up your strategy. You can calculate if you&#8217;re hanging out where your customers are or you need to target different customers altogether. 



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">Getting the best from your digital marketing budget</h4>



When you first start tracking your digital marketing ROI you&#8217;ll soon begin to realise that your marketing budget isn&#8217;t nearly as important as ensuring you use it effectively. Divert your cash to the wrong areas and you&#8217;ll miss out on customers. If you fail to translate the energy put into organising events, new menus and providing the best customer service around, your marketing efforts go to waste.



Want to know more about linking up and measuring your digital marketing ROI to increase the value of <a href="https://stampede.ai/blog/engaging-customers-through-wi-fi-marketing/">new and old customers</a>? Book a no-obligation chat to find out how Stampede WiFi acts as your missing link.



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





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

Tracking Digital Marketing ROI

If the Coronavirus pandemic has taught us anything, it’s that flexibility needs to be a key component of a business. Those who remain versatile and open to change are the ones who are managing to successfully overcome the sudden curveball that was thrown.&nbsp;



Focusing on the food and beverage industry, the last few months have confirmed that online ordering is the way of the future. As such, many restaurants and bars are adapting their strategies to perfect their takeaway process and meet the demand for digitisation. This way, customers can feel both safe and gratified when ordering their meals.&nbsp;



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



Below, we’ll share 5 essential methods and strategies that will help to make your takeaway easier to operate. Whether you’re a large 5-star restaurant or a small corner-coffee shop, these ideas will kick your innovative thinking.



<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-1-organise-your-staff-with-management-tools">1. Organise Your Staff with Management Tools</h4>



For your takeaway service to function more efficiently, your staff must be up to the task. They need to be ready and willing to adapt to the new procedures. You’ll have to schedule in training to make sure everyone’s on the same page and that the new processes are acknowledged.&nbsp;



“Often, when smaller restaurants transition to online services, they neglect the fact that their daily order volumes are now going to increase.” <a href="https://restolabs.com/blog/online-mobile-ordering/restaurant-guide-5-tips-help-you-transition-better-delivery-and-takeaway">[1]</a>&nbsp;



This may also be a good time to investigate training assistance. There are some reliable digital management tools available to assist with scheduling and workplace efficiency. For example:



<ul><li>Typsy is a staff training platform that uses online videos from the best in the hospitality business to teach essential skills and compliance.&nbsp;</li><li>Tap my Back provides managers with in-depth reporting on staff engagement and how members are coping while at work (which can be helpful as we all try to navigate the COVID pandemic).</li><li>7Shifts helps to keep track of staff rosters so that you can approve staff availability and ensure that you have a constant flow of hands-on deck.&nbsp;</li></ul>



Once you have created an order in your kitchen, the process of offering takeaways will be easier with fewer hiccups along the way. It will also set the foundation for keeping you, your staff, and your patrons safe and satisfied. 



<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-2-adapt-your-menu">2. Adapt Your Menu</h4>



If crumbed mushrooms are a hit at your restaurant, don’t be under the assumption that they will receive the same adulation when customers order the dish as a takeaway. Fried items tend to lose their crispiness and juicy flavour after a while and may not be the best food to package for delivery. The bottom line is, not all foods are meant for deliveries and takeaways.



Perhaps it’s time that you revise your takeaway menu to only include meals that can endure the time between order and delivery. This way, you’ll still get a good rep for rustling up divine dishes.&nbsp;



From an economic point of view, it’s best to choose items that don’t take up a lot of time for preparation and packaging.&nbsp;



Also, if you haven’t yet done so – it’s time to create an online menu. To really streamline your takeaway service, you could consider investing in software (new or third party) that allows customers to order directly through your menu. These tool types typically integrate with a delivery system to encourage a seamless process.  



Did you know? Digital ordering is growing 3x the rate of on-site ordering. <a href="https://tacitcorporation.com/online-food-ordering-statistics/">[2]</a>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-3-streamline-delivery">3. Streamline Delivery</h4>



When it comes to streamlining food and beverage delivery, one of the key decisions to make is whether you will be using an in-house system to deliver orders &#8211; or if you are going to partner with a third party. Both choices come with their own list of pros and cons and in the end, the decision will come down to personal preference and budget. Of course, if you go the third-party route, you’ll want to in engage in a company that has the same ethos as yours. 



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">Great advice</h4>



Make sure that your own delivery staff are well-informed about your brand and meals so that they can answer all queries and concerns posed by customers.&nbsp;



And then &#8211; as with the importance of digitising your menu &#8211; an online ordering system has become an expectation by customers and if you’re not part of this new movement, you’ll be losing out on tons of potential business.&nbsp;



Some of the UK’s top online food delivery tools that are worth looking into include:



<ul><li>Just Eat</li><li>Food Hub</li><li>Uber Eats</li><li>Deliveroo</li><li>Hungry House</li></ul>



When researching these products, some intense introspection is required. To choose an application that’s going to work best for your brand, ask yourself — what features do you need? Can you integrate your current POS with the online restaurant ordering system? Are any marketing tools included in the deal? Are there any hidden charges? How compliant is the service with new COVID-19 regulations? Does the service provide access to cashless payment software?



<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-4-cashless-payments">4. Cashless Payments</h4>



Cashless payment technology for restaurants enables quick and easy customer transactions. It also reduces the risks that come with having cash on hand. The good news is that this type of technology is no longer reserved for large restaurant chains. Even the smallest takeaway joints can access affordable cashless payment systems.&nbsp;



The advantages include:



<ul><li>Transparency, reliability, and security in the system</li><li>Increased speed of service</li><li>High customer satisfaction</li><li>A surge in online orders</li></ul>



Ask your bank if they provide any cashless payment facilities or browse online for cashless payment applications that are available to your area.&nbsp;



<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-5-get-the-word-out">5. Get the Word Out</h4>



Last – but way far from least – take advantage of tools that allow you to get the word out. If this is the first time that you’re offering takeaway as an option, then you need to let folks know that you now provide this service. If you’re a takeaway veteran, inform your patrons that you have improved your system so that they can experience even better customer satisfaction.&nbsp;



In this regard, social media is your friend. This is still one of the best marketing tools for those who are on a budget. You could also look into <a href="https://stampede.ai/how-it-works/marketing/">SMS and email marketing tools</a>, or encourage ye’ old faithful “word of mouth”.&nbsp;



The more you market yourself, the wider your customer base will be. Having a dedicated customer base is what will make offering take-out a breeze. The best customers are the ones who create more customers through word of mouth. Referral and recommendation programs are a great way to activate this marketing method.



When getting the word out, remember to reassure your audiences that you have put all the relevant local health measures in place and that their health and safety is paramount to you.&nbsp;



References:



<a href="https://restolabs.com/blog/online-mobile-ordering/restaurant-guide-5-tips-help-you-transition-better-delivery-and-takeaway">[1] Resto Labs. 5 Tips to Help You Transition Better for Delivery and Takeaway</a>



<a href="https://tacitcorporation.com/online-food-ordering-statistics/">[2] Tactic. 20 Online Food Ordering Statistics</a>

5 Essential Ways to Make Offering Takeaway Easier

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<div class="wp-block-media-text alignwide is-stacked-on-mobile"><figure class="wp-block-media-text__media"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="340" height="340" src="https://stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Case-Study-Icons-1.png" alt="case study marketing roi icon" class="wp-image-21409 size-full" srcset="https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Case-Study-Icons-1.png 340w, https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Case-Study-Icons-1-300x300.png 300w, https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Case-Study-Icons-1-150x150.png 150w, https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Case-Study-Icons-1-96x96.png 96w, https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Case-Study-Icons-1-16x16.png 16w, https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Case-Study-Icons-1-100x100.png 100w" sizes="(max-width: 340px) 100vw, 340px" /></figure><div class="wp-block-media-text__content">
<h3 class="wp-block-heading">+ £15,800 marketing ROI</h3>



Trackable ROI from personalised marketing campaigns.
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<div class="wp-block-media-text alignwide is-stacked-on-mobile"><figure class="wp-block-media-text__media"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="340" height="340" src="https://stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Case-Study-Icons.png" alt="case study GDPR Compliant" class="wp-image-20341 size-full" srcset="https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Case-Study-Icons.png 340w, https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Case-Study-Icons-300x300.png 300w, https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Case-Study-Icons-150x150.png 150w, https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Case-Study-Icons-96x96.png 96w, https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Case-Study-Icons-16x16.png 16w, https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Case-Study-Icons-100x100.png 100w" sizes="(max-width: 340px) 100vw, 340px" /></figure><div class="wp-block-media-text__content">
<h3 class="wp-block-heading">GDPR compliant</h3>



Totally secure data collection and marketing processes.
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<div class="wp-block-media-text alignwide is-stacked-on-mobile"><figure class="wp-block-media-text__media"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="340" height="340" src="https://stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Lane7-icon2-340x340-1.png" alt="case study icon growth graph" class="wp-image-19670 size-full" srcset="https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Lane7-icon2-340x340-1.png 340w, https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Lane7-icon2-340x340-1-300x300.png 300w, https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Lane7-icon2-340x340-1-150x150.png 150w, https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Lane7-icon2-340x340-1-96x96.png 96w, https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Lane7-icon2-340x340-1-16x16.png 16w, https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Lane7-icon2-340x340-1-100x100.png 100w, https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Lane7-icon2-340x340-1-60x60.png 60w, https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Lane7-icon2-340x340-1-90x90.png 90w" sizes="(max-width: 340px) 100vw, 340px" /></figure><div class="wp-block-media-text__content">
<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Over 17,500 contactable customers</h3>



Growing their mailing list with automated data capture.
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<div class="wp-block-media-text alignwide is-stacked-on-mobile"><figure class="wp-block-media-text__media"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="340" height="340" src="https://stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Case-Study-Icons-2.png" alt="Case Study Icons Loyalty" class="wp-image-21240 size-full" srcset="https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Case-Study-Icons-2.png 340w, https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Case-Study-Icons-2-300x300.png 300w, https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Case-Study-Icons-2-150x150.png 150w, https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Case-Study-Icons-2-96x96.png 96w, https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Case-Study-Icons-2-16x16.png 16w, https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Case-Study-Icons-2-100x100.png 100w" sizes="(max-width: 340px) 100vw, 340px" /></figure><div class="wp-block-media-text__content">
<h3 class="wp-block-heading">98% marketing opt-in rate</h3>



Building an engaged customer database to support marketing efforts.
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<h1 class="wp-block-heading">Overview</h1>



Mele Group is a family-run restaurant group that currently operates 3 Italian restaurants and one pub in the London area. Their venues aim to create an authentic feel from the traditional Northern Italian Trattorias and are popular amongst both locals and visitors.



Mele Group uses&nbsp;<a href="https://stampede.ai/how-it-works/">Stampede</a>&nbsp;to grow their mailing list and build a loyal customer base through targeted marketing.
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<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Mele-small-I.png"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1003" height="1024" src="https://stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Mele-small-I-1003x1024.png" alt="Mele small I" class="wp-image-22169" srcset="https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Mele-small-I-1003x1024.png 1003w, https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Mele-small-I-294x300.png 294w, https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Mele-small-I-768x784.png 768w, https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Mele-small-I-150x153.png 150w, https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Mele-small-I-16x16.png 16w, https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Mele-small-I-592x604.png 592w, https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Mele-small-I.png 1071w" sizes="(max-width: 1003px) 100vw, 1003px" /></a></figure>
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<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Mele-small-II.png"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="823" height="1024" src="https://stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Mele-small-II-823x1024.png" alt="" class="wp-image-22170" srcset="https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Mele-small-II-823x1024.png 823w, https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Mele-small-II-241x300.png 241w, https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Mele-small-II-768x955.png 768w, https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Mele-small-II-150x187.png 150w, https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Mele-small-II-592x736.png 592w, https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Mele-small-II.png 1115w" sizes="(max-width: 823px) 100vw, 823px" /></a></figure>
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<h2 class="wp-block-heading">The Challenge</h2>



Most hospitality venues offer free WiFi access. Whilst this benefits the customers, businesses are often missing out on a massive data capture opportunity that comes with it.



As Chris Hughes, Co-Owner of the Mele Group describes, before Stampede: “There wasn’t a real strategy for capturing people’s email addresses. But I was seeing&nbsp;data capture done through WiFi&nbsp;more and more in other venues.”



Mele Group used to get their customer details mainly through competition entries and via their website, which left them with a rather slow-growing database.
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<figure class="wp-block-pullquote"><blockquote>&#8220;The more I use Stampede, the more it makes my life easier.&#8220;</blockquote></figure>



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“Stampede will ultimately help me get more in touch with my customers, which is crucial. It will help me market the restaurants in a more sophisticated way. Especially as we grow, Stampede is invaluable for our restaurants.”
<cite>Chris Hughes&nbsp;– Co-Owner, Mele Group </cite></blockquote>
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<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-solution">The Solution</h2>



Since implementing&nbsp;<a href="https://stampede.ai/how-it-works/wifi/">Stampede Guest WiFi</a>, Mele Group has grown a&nbsp;database of over 17,500 records&nbsp;within 5 months. As Chris says: “It’s a completely new datastream that I’ve never had access to before.” The increased amount of data helps them better connect with their customers and increase repeat visits.



On top of that, they were able to&nbsp;boost their Instagram following. Customers that have logged in to their WiFi are automatically redirected to their Instagram accounts, making it as straightforward as possible for customers to follow them.



Mele Group also switched over from Mailchimp to Stampede to manage their email marketing. As Chris acknowledges: “I’m very happy with Stampede, it seems&nbsp;more sophisticated than Mailchimp. Writing newsletters and doing segments is pretty straightforward, I prefer it to Mailchimp which took longer to get used to.”



Mele Group saw a&nbsp;+£15,800 return visit ROI from 9 email campaigns&nbsp;promoting their regular events, such as their popular Supper Clubs.



When it comes to customer feedback, manually asking for reviews is time-consuming, so in addition to regular campaigns, Chris is also using&nbsp;automated emails to get them more reviews. For this, customers automatically receive a review request post-visit. Having this part of their business run on autopilot is another time-saving gem.
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<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Coming Up</h2>



Mele Group have recently sent their first&nbsp;SMS birthday offer campaign&nbsp;to customers using Stampede.&nbsp;“Customers are now happy to receive text messages and they’re responding to them. I’m keen to see the impact”.&nbsp;



Looking ahead, Chris is certain that&nbsp;“the more I use Stampede, the more it makes my life easier.”
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<div class="wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow" style="flex-basis:33.33%">
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Screenshot-2022-09-15-at-12.02-1-1.png"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1024" height="926" src="https://stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Screenshot-2022-09-15-at-12.02-1-1-1024x926.png" alt="Mele group small III" class="wp-image-22216" srcset="https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Screenshot-2022-09-15-at-12.02-1-1-1024x926.png 1024w, https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Screenshot-2022-09-15-at-12.02-1-1-300x271.png 300w, https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Screenshot-2022-09-15-at-12.02-1-1-768x695.png 768w, https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Screenshot-2022-09-15-at-12.02-1-1-1200x1086.png 1200w, https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Screenshot-2022-09-15-at-12.02-1-1-150x136.png 150w, https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Screenshot-2022-09-15-at-12.02-1-1-592x536.png 592w, https://website-backend.stampede.ai/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Screenshot-2022-09-15-at-12.02-1-1.png 1449w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></a></figure>
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The new year started off with a BANG! During the <a style="background-color: transparent;" href="https://www.stampede.ai/blog/ces-2018-wpa3-smart-tattoos-and-more" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Consumer Electronics Show</a> in Las Vegas, the latest enhancements and brand new features for WiFi Protected Access (WPA) were announced. Sounds nerdy, we know, but if you use WiFi in any way at all, it concerns you! But let’s take a step back, as this topic can be explained easier than it might sound at first.

<h3>A Brief History of WiFi </h3>
The term “WiFi” is widely used today. We&#8217;re now to the point that there are <a href="https://www.gartner.com/newsroom/id/3598917" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">more WiFi connected devices</a> on this planet than actual people. When we look back to the introduction of the term “WiFi”, we find ourselves in the year 1999. In this year, some visionary minds from all sorts of industry-leading companies came together, they decided to put brands aside and form a group that would improve interoperability, ubiquity and value of WiFi worldwide. The adoption of WiFi continued to grow globally and their common vision inspired more members to join in. All they were missing was a remarkable, striking and cool name- and then they came up with <a href="https://www.wi-fi.org" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">“WiFi Alliance”</a>.
The WiFi Alliance is striving for constant innovation and development, which is also aiming at enhancing WiFi security constantly. That’s why in 2003 the first WiFi Protected Access (WPA) protocols were introduced, the second (and improved) protocol was then published in 2006 (interestingly enough called WPA2) and this year we are welcoming the latest protocol: WiFi Protected Access 3, in short WPA3.
<h3>What’s new about WPA3?</h3>
WPA2 is known for its ability to ensure security by giving control over who access the WiFi network and encrypted transmission across the network, which ensures data is safe. Unfortunately, there were some incidents that demonstrated the vulnerability of all networks around the globe, for example <a href="https://www.stampede.ai/blog/wpa2-breach-is-your-wifi-safe" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">the KRACK</a> Attack, which was discovered in October last year. 
In order to prevent future attacks and to reduce the potential for vulnerabilities, the WPA3 protocol will be introduced later this year. New changes in that protocol include two new features that aim to deliver better protection, even if the user’s password is not exactly safe (helpful for all of us). Furthermore, the process of configuring security for devices will be made easier. Another feature to strengthen user privacy in open networks will be implemented.
<h3>To Infinity and Beyond </h3>
WiFi Security is just as old as WiFi itself and is constantly evolving to keep up with changing needs. WPA2 has been with us for 13 years &#8211; which is ancient in terms of the fast paced world of technology. If you&#8217;re a history buff and  want to learn more about the last 19 years of WiFi, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RDOi4oEDb4U&amp;feature=youtu.be" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">click here</a>.
And if you want to stop worrying about the security of your Guest WiFi network and see how Stampede can help, please get in touch with us and hit the button below.
<a class="eut-modal-popup" href="https://calendly.com/stampedeae/stampede-demo-request?month=2020-02">Click here to get started.</a>

WPA3: The Next Generation in WiFi Security

Have you ever wondered if it would be a good idea to use coupons for your restaurant business?&nbsp;The simple answer is that sales promotions can do wonders for businesses in the hospitality industry because people love a good deal!&nbsp;So offering sales promotions in your restaurant is not a matter of choice, its a must.







Related Article&#8211; <a href="https://stampede.ai/blog/infographic-how-likely-are-people-to-act-on-promotions/">https://stampede.ai/blog/infographic-how-likely-are-people-to-act-on-promotions/</a>



Consider this; <a href="https://www.retailmenot.com/digitaldiners2017">80% of diners</a> have expressed that they are more likely to try a new restaurant if they can find a good deal and <a href="http://www.valassis.com/about-us/newsroom/item/160829/new-valassis-research-points-to-rise-in-print-and-digital-coupon-use">57% of millennials</a> actively look for restaurant coupons online before they plan to eat out.&nbsp;



So the fact is that consumers in the online age naturally expect restaurants to give them discounts, deals and coupons. And if you aren’t giving them any, then chances are that your competitors are more than happy to oblige them.&nbsp;



But restaurant sales promotions aren’t a one-time campaign. These should be implemented over a long time to help you attract and retain patrons to increase the customer lifetime value for your business.&nbsp;



Remember, promotions create happiness. Even a small discount can increase oxytocin levels in humans by 38%, making them feel unique and joyful. This is all the encouragement that some people need to order something at your restaurant.



Ultimately, there is no denying the fact that promotions can have a considerable influence on your prospective customers.&nbsp;



Businesses have to engage their guests and make them feel valued if they are to succeed in the hospitality industry. Make your customers believe that they are investing in an experience and not just spending money on food.&nbsp;



Here are six ways that restaurants can reach out to their guests using promotional tactics that are sure to work.



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">Restaurant Promotion Ideas That Work</h4>



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



This infographic clearly shows that 42% of millennials and Gen Z prefer an upfront discount over free gifts.



Discounts can be seasonal, time-based or flat-off and all of these work very well – after all, <a href="https://blog.twitter.com/en-gb/2014/foodie-tweets-10-facts-about-twitter-restaurants-and-food">52% of diners</a> have said that they went to a restaurant because of discounts they found online.&nbsp;



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



If you want to experiment with the way your restaurant makes and serves dishes but don’t want to risk losing existing customers, specials are a great way to build on the novelty.



Create <a href="https://stampede.ai/blog/free-restaurant-promotions-ideas/">theme-based seasonal events</a> or chef’s specials to entice a different kind of customer &#8211; someone who would enjoy seasonal items that aren’t commonly on the menu.&nbsp;



Plan these promotions around major events in your area such as concerts or cricket matches etc. For example, you could offer 10% off to people who have a ticket to an upcoming game.



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">Loyalty Programs</h4>



Fast food restaurants have made a lot of money through loyalty programs; these can sway <a href="https://financesonline.com/restaurant-statistics/">50% of customers</a> when they are selecting a place to dine out.&nbsp;



They also give guests an incentive to keep coming back for more and enjoy the benefits offered only to those in the program – also giving them a sense of accomplishment about the whole endeavour.&nbsp;



So, for example, if you have a bar or pub, you can tell your clientele to try every beer on the list to be eligible for a 5% discount for the rest of the year.



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



‘Buy One, Get One’ restaurant deals are one of the most <a href="https://stampede.ai/blog/how-to-use-pricing-and-promotions-to-make-customers-happy/">irresistible sales promotional</a> offers for anyone who loves good food.&nbsp;



And since 18-30-year-olds are always looking for affordable dining options and bar-restaurants, you can encourage them to pour into your eatery with the right BOGO and Happy Hour promotions. Keep the drinks cheap and flowing; also offer combo meals and free snacks with beer to keep them happy.&nbsp;



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



Take a look at your menu and see what items complement each other and sell them together. It’d be a good idea to bundle a mid-priced item with a more extravagant dish or a high-priced wine. Or you could take something from the fixed-priced menu and put it together with two extras that people wouldn’t usually buy – discount the bundle by 10% and we promise it will generate interest amongst the public.



As long as these dishes work well together and offer real value for money, people will come in to try them.



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">Host Giveaways And Contests</h4>



If you want to build a lasting relationship with your customer base, you must incentivise them to follow you and keep them interested in all that you have to offer.&nbsp;



Running giveaways and contests on <a href="https://stampede.ai/blog/rock-your-restaurant-with-wifi-and-instagram/">social media</a> is the key to increasing your follower count and gaining better engagement on your posts.&nbsp;



Common gifts and giveaways can include a gift card to your restaurant, a group lunch, a romantic dinner for two or whatever else the occasion and event demand.&nbsp;



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



Sales promotions don’t just help increase sales but also offer an opportunity to enhance brand awareness in your restaurant. As such, they compel 27% of consumers to opt for retailers they wouldn’t usually buy from<a href="https://stampede.ai/blog/infographic-how-likely-are-people-to-act-on-promotions/?referrer=stampede.ai">.</a>



We’d love to know if you plan to use these or other promotional tactics at your restaurant. <a href="https://stampede.ai/">Get in touch</a> with us to learn more about deploying the right marketing ideas for your restaurant business.&nbsp;



<a href="https://calendly.com/stampedeae/stampede-demo-request?month=2020-02">Book your demo!</a>

6 Restaurant Sales Promotions –  Which One’s Right For You?

Online reviews can make or break a business. Plus, they are a major deciding factor for customers. However, it can be difficult and time-consuming for hospitality operators to manage their reviews on a daily basis.



This is when the newest technological advancements, such as AI work a treat. Those tools help businesses to stay on top of their online reputation by identifying patterns and common themes, supporting response handling and much more with incredible efficiency.



In this blog post, we explore the key benefits of AI-powered reviews management as well as different ways operators can utilise it.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-4-key-benefits-of-using-ai-in-reviews-management">4 Key benefits of using AI in reviews management</h2>



The use of AI in reviews management offers numerous benefits that improve decision-making and ultimately boost businesses.



Here are the 4 main benefits:



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">1. Time-saving and efficiency</h4>



With AI, reviews can be analysed in a fraction of the time it would take staff members to go through them. Therefore, operators can take quick action and turn unhappy customers around.



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">2. Consistency&nbsp;</h4>



AI also provides consistency as it takes a standardised, unbiased approach to review analysis. Compared to a manual spreadsheet analysis this is also less prone to errors.&nbsp;



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">3. Scalability&nbsp;</h4>



Scalability is another benefit, especially for bigger companies. AI can handle large volumes of reviews coming from different platforms in a short time.



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">4. Multiple languages</h4>



Lastly, AI can analyse reviews in multiple languages. This makes it an unmissable tool for companies operating internationally.



In this second part, we take a look at how AI tools can support and speed up review management for busy marketers. 



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-ai-sentiment-analysis">AI sentiment analysis</h2>



The manual sifting through reviews can prove to be a daunting task, which takes up valuable time and resources. This is where AI reviews sentiment analysis come in.



First, AI automates the analysis of written text and identifies keywords and tags and categorises them accordingly. It can also sort reviews by their overall sentiment into positive, neutral or negative categories.



In addition, AI can help highlight common themes and also present them visually so that they are available to staff at one glance.



With all this, operators can save time and quickly identify any issues that customers may be facing, such as slow service. So that operators understand where to focus their efforts and resources to improve their service and customer experience.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">AI-generated review responses</h2>



While all feedback is valuable, responding to each and every comment in a timely manner can be quite a challenge. Especially during peak season when the venue is busy.&nbsp;



But with AI-generated responses, businesses no longer have to worry about falling behind. By analysing the sentiment of each review, the algorithm is able to suggest a response that is both timely and appropriate.&nbsp;



And because hospitality operators can train the AI to use their unique tone of brand voice, responses will sound more personalised.&nbsp;



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-ai-reviews-generator">AI reviews generator</h2>



As technology continues to advance, AI-powered reviews generators are offering a new way for hospitality businesses to gather more customer feedback.



The <a href="https://stampede.ai/blog/how-to-get-maximum-value-from-customer-review-sentiments">written part of the reviews matters</a> more to business than the overall star rating. It’s where the real value and insight can be found from which they can make improvements.



Though it can be a challenge to ask customers to leave a more detailed review. With the help of AI, this process has become more efficient and time-saving for the customer.



AI tools analyse customer input based on provided keywords. From this, they can quickly generate a written review that uses common phrases. Additionally, they also perform spell- and grammar checks to make sure the response is clear and accurate.



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



Ultimately, AI-powered reviews management is a must-have add-on for hospitality operators that lets them take back control over their online reputation and drive customers through their door.&nbsp;



With features such as sentiment analysis and auto-generated responses, they can quickly respond to requests and solve any issues in a timely manner. This gives them the ability to <a href="https://stampede.ai/blog/part-2-how-to-win-back-unhappy-customers">win back dissatisfied customers</a> and turn them into loyal ones moving forward.



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.

How AI Can Facilitate Reviews Management For Hospitality Operators

Customer service failures are an inevitable part of operating in the hospitality industry. However, this doesn’t necessarily mean that the customer is lost forever. With the&nbsp;right service recovery strategy in place, those failures should be seen as an opportunity&nbsp;for businesses.



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



<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-from-customer-anger-to-customer-loyalty">From customer anger to customer loyalty</h4>



What is <a href="https://stampede.ai/blog/service-recovery-in-the-hospitality-industry/">service recovery in the hospitality industry</a>? In short, service recovery allows businesses to handle a complaint or negative review in such a way that they can&nbsp;turn a dissatisfied customer into a loyal one.&nbsp;



<a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://blog.hubspot.com/service/service-recovery" target="_blank">Studies have shown</a>&nbsp;that the customer satisfaction level is higher after a successful service recovery than it would be without the incident happening. In fact,&nbsp;customer retention rates can increase by up to 70%&nbsp;after the recovery.&nbsp;



The reason for this phenomenon is that it allows businesses to prove that they truly care about every single customer. They are willing to&nbsp;go the extra mile to exceed customer expectations. The level of trust in their brand has risen, which in return nurtures their relationship and helps them to retain customers.



What’s more, is the knock-on effect of a successful recovery. Satisfied and loyal customers act as brand ambassadors. Hence, chances are high that they’ll share their turnaround story based on your excellent customer service with others and recommend you. 



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">Steps involved for a successful service recovery in hospitality</h4>



However, it’s important to have a defined service recovery process in place that staff can use when dealing with complaints. This provides them with a structure and ensures that all complaints are handled in the same way.&nbsp;



The&nbsp;LEARN framework&nbsp;is a proven service recovery method that is used by bigger hotel brands, such as The Ritz-Carlton hotels.&nbsp;



It follows 5 steps:



Listen



<ul><li>Let customers talk and don’t interrupt</li><li>Take notes and ask questions to fully understand their complaint</li></ul>



Empathise



<ul><li>Take ownership of the problem</li><li>Look at it from your customer’s point of view</li><li>Show understanding and repeat the key issues</li></ul>



Apologise



<ul><li>Offer a sincere apology, tailored to the problem</li><li>Avoid making excuses &#8211; “I am sorry but …”</li></ul>



Resolve



<ul><li>Rectify the issue in a timely manner</li><li>Over deliver on customer expectations&nbsp;&#8211; offer something extra</li></ul>



Notify



<ul><li>Follow-up to ensure everything has been resolved</li><li>Document the failure to identify trends</li></ul>



 Watch out for part two of our service recovery in hospitality series. We will have a closer look at staff empowerment and choosing the right compensation as part of a successful recovery strategy in the hospitality industry.