Brand Autopsy post “Pick up Lines Don’t Work” offers some clear insight into how to build customer advocacy. (paraphrasing a bit)
“Restaurateurs need to stop delivering clever pick-up lines to customers and instead, start building a connection with customers.
It is not enough for a customer to be attracted to a brand. The customer must become invested in the conversation because the more time a customer spends interacting with a brand, the more likely that customers will want to begin a transactional relationship.
My advice? Be playful, be challenging, and be unpredictably predictable.
Be a playful brand. Customers do not want their brands to take themselves too serious.
Be a challenging brand. Customers want to tango, they want a give and take relationship and not one-sided take relationship.
Be a predictably unpredictable brand. Customers are turned off by complacent brands. They value brands that are willing to take calculated risks.
Keeping a customer involved in a transactional relationship is an on-going process. You cannot keep a customer on-the-shelf and simply use them whenever you need a sale. No. Customers need attention, love, cuddling, etc.”
The key that you should focus on is that the relationship is an ongoing process. To often restaurants take their guests for granted and assuming incorrectly that the guest does not need attention, the menu does not need revamping, the space does not need to be revitalized.
Customer Advocacy is a long term relationship and not a one night stand, Wham! Bam! Thank you!
