6 Reasons customers choose to buy from your competitors

As a restaurant owner, you will agree with me that unless there are customers, there is no business and unless you create value for your customers, you will lose competition. But have you thought about why your buyers leave and never return?

1. 1. Poor online presence
      
      Investing time and money in enhancing your online presence is crucially important. Failing to generate the required awareness about your restaurant among customers can result in budget problems, low customer volume and, in a worst-case scenario, the closure of your business.
      Make sure your customers can find you online, or they might never find you at all.

   2. Poor products quality
      
      People care about quality, even in a world where cheap comes quick and easy. In most cases, people look for quality food that is worth the money spent. Make sure not to cut costs because of pricing issues at the expense of quality.

   3. Poor customer service
      
      Everyone wants to be treated well. Customers usually look for a friendly and quick staff to meet their needs. Bad customer service will discourage repeat customers and referrals. Word of mouth has been and will always be an effective way for new customers. Negative feedback results in bad online reviews. If you want your customers to take care of your restaurant with more referrals, you need to treat them well first.

   4. Poor restaurant reputation
      
      Consumers enjoy being associated with reliable brands even if your competitors offer the same products at the same prices. Always remember that no matter how good your meals are, you may likely lose prospects to competitors if previous clients aren’t saying good things about your restaurant. It is normal not to be able to satisfy all customers and it happens sometimes that your restaurant might get some negative feedback. What is important here is how to positively respond to these negative reviews.

   5. Poor pricing
      
      It is true that some consumers will prioritize a lower price in their decision-making process. However, you will not increase customer loyalty with low prices, but having competitive pricing with good quality and great customer service can do magic to your restaurant.

   6. Poor Operations
      
      90% of restaurants that close do so because of poor restaurant planning, said Juan Antonio Ferrater (strategy and operational consultant at Restauraniza. In fact, food service attributes have a direct impact on customers’ overall satisfaction, opinions and your restaurant’s profitability.

To conclude, identify your competitive advantage and work it around to specifically appeal to your customers’ needs. You need to know how your restaurant provides your customers with the best experience from the moment they decide to look for a place to eat to the moment they swallow their last bite.