On hold Messaging Delivers for Pizzerias!
For pizzerias, particularly those without dine-in facilities, your phone system is more than a business tool, it’s the lifeblood of your business and the primary source of contact with your customers. It is therefore critical that the customer’s call experience be maximized at every point – from the moment they’ve dialed your number, to the point at which their pizza arrives.
In fact a marketing exec with Domino’s at a national sales meeting, emphatically talked about the value of a customer, something many people do not keep at the forefront of their mind. He said their research indicated that a customer would spend– in the neighborhood of $8000 with Domino’s in their lifetime. They would emphasize that to their employees who answered the phone, and anyone who had contact with customers. It wasn’t a one-pizza transaction, you were talking to an $8,000 customer.
In a busy pizzeria, sometimes staff don’t have the time to remind take out/delivery customers about the daily special or, by the time the customer gets through to you, they aren’t in the mood to spend time listening to special offers or other attempts at upselling them.
The solution — On-hold messaging! That’s right, the big boys like Domino’s, Pizza Hut and Pappa John’s, right down to the local family owned pizzeria know that From the moment a customer dials your number they should be engaged. When your phone line is busy, or your staff too busy to do more than simply take orders, you can and will miss out on opportunities to answer calls and upsell customers.
On hold marketing is now advanced enough to genuinely work as a successful marketing tool. You can upload high-quality messages that customers have the option to listen to whenever they are in a call queue or have to be placed on hold.
Letting customers know the lunch, dinner and late-night specials is important for your business and your customers alike. You not only help callers feel like they are getting good value but you improve your ability to move inventory quickly and more profitably.
Kamron Karington, marketing specialist, former pizzeria chain owner, and author of “The Book: Your Guide to Creating Staggering Profits In Your Pizza Business,
Says: “Most pizza shops can easily generate an extra $7,000-$37,000 every year just from upselling. In fact, 30 percent to 67 percent of all people can be up sold at the time of purchase. And, of those customers, ticket increases of 15 percent to 25 percent are common”.
Think about it: They customer already has picked you and your operation. Their money is on the table and they’re in “buying mode.” They’re what salesmen call a hot prospect. The on hold system can be set up to switch the message, so that at any given time you are offering specials that get the most profit.
The lesson here? Upselling isn’t just for pizzeria’s! No matter your industry professional, medical, technology, food service, or even manufacturing, discover what the pizza industry has known for years. When hold time happens, On hold marketing delivers!
