A new blog can help ISOs and agents gain credibility with restaurant operators, the site’s owner says.
AdvanceMe Inc., a Kennesaw, Ga.-based merchant cash advance provider, began offering advice to restaurateurs on the blog on Oct. 3 and plans to continue the series for nine weeks, Mark Lorimer, chief marketing officer for Capital Access Network Inc., parent company of AdvanceMe, tells ISO&Agent Weekly.
ISOs and agents can strengthen their relationships in the restaurant business simply by telling restaurant owners about the blog, Lorimer says. Sharing that knowledge would indicate an ISO’s or agent’s a commitment to the restaurant industry, he says.
The site could serve as a conversation-starter, giving agents a reason to contact an established account and thus helping to cement relations, observers say.
Mentioning the blog to prospective customers would provide an opening other than talking about undercutting competitors’ rates for processing, according to observers.
The blog invites comments from visitors, giving ISOs and agents an opportunity to post useful information that demonstrates their engagement with the restaurant business, Lorimer says.
AdvanceMe identified subjects for the blog by surveying restaurant owners, Lorimer says. The informal poll indicated 77% consider “getting customers” their most challenging marketing task, while 14% say “getting customers to back” is most the most difficult and 9% believe “making customers happy” constitutes their biggest marketing chore.
Each of those three challenges will come up for a three-part examination during the nine weeks of blogging, Lorimer says.
Issues AdvanceMe intends to address in the series include getting to know current and potential customers through demographic research, soliciting comments from diners, using loyalty rewards effectively and keeping employees happy enough to contribute to a great dining experience, he says.
In a more specific example of the advice the blog will offer, Lorimer suggests a technique that begins with having the maitre d’ find out how many times a customer has frequented the restaurant.
First-time patrons receive green napkins that indicate servers should offer a free dessert and the manager should stop by the table for a conversation, he says.
Red napkins provided to second-time diners alert servers to offer a reward, Lorimer says.
If customers visit a restaurant for the third time they are becoming regulars, he notes.
AdvanceMe is offering that sort of advice without bringing on new employees to handle the site, Lorimer says. Web-savvy staff members have worked out the details of the blog, including a new look for the site, he notes.
