To Gobble or Not to Gobble!

In just TWO days families all over will ruin their Thanksgiving dinner!  Well OK! Not every family, but what a great way to bring in some last minute cash!  Putting a catering order in takes time, we know this!  Think about how great it would be if you had ‘Ready-To-Go’ meals for the ones that burn their turkey, or for the ones whose dog ate the mashed potatoes! If you are open Thanksgiving Day you will most likely be serving dinner with all the fixings.  Package some aside so your customers can call and you can save the day!

We all know how Black Friday can be.  Ever think about opening early that day to have an ‘Extra Early Bird’ special for all those shoppers? Why not?! Offer coffee and breakfast for those ready to run rapid to get their holiday shopping started.  You can even get them in the door two days in a row by having a special ‘Small Business Saturday’ deal that only your Black Friday Customers are able to get. It may be a little too late to get your Marketing Material from American Express for Small Business Saturday BUT never worry! Your personal marketing team here at Ordereze is ready to help! Let us know if you need help with some ideas for Black Friday and Small Business Saturday. You even still have time to have last minute Thanksgiving material made!

BUT WAIT! How can you forgot about Cyber Monday?!  Offering a special promotion for those of your customers who place their order online is a fabulous way to bring in some extra dough.  People get tired of leftovers pretty quickly, offering a special code to enter when placing their dinner order that evening may be a great way to get a surplus of take-out meals that day.

Enjoy your weekend, but don’t get too comfortable! The December Holidays are just weeks away. The more we help, the merrier it gets! Reach out today for Marketing Assistance!

From Our Family to Yours!

Celebration Season Is Here!

Are you ready for this holiday season? For many, this is the busiest time of the year! While many restaurants are gearing up for this rush in business, are you prepared? Don’t fret! We have the list of holidays you should keep in mind to push during the seasonal rush.

Here are just a few of the major upcoming holidays to prepare for:

1. Thanksgiving – November 26th 

Offering a special menu? Closed for the holidays? Let your customers know!

2. Black Friday – November 27th 

Do you offer gift cards? Are you located near a shopping mall or busy area? Offer gift card discounts or specials for those busy holiday shoppers! 

3. Hanukkah – December 6th – December 14th

Are you offering a special menu? Share it with your customers! 

4. Christmas – December 25th 

Are you open for Christmas? Are you offering a special menu or catering? Why not prepare now and get those orders in early! 

5. Kwanzaa – December 26th – January 1st

Are you doing anything special for Kwanzaa? Your customers would love to prepare their holiday's plans to include a trip to your business! 

6. New Year’s Eve – December 31st

Are you hosting a party? Or a special menu for the ball drop? It's never too early to plan for the New Year!

7. New Year’s Day – January 1st

Are you opening for New Year's Day? Running any specials? Tell your customers now to let them prepare for the holidays! 

Let's Get 'Stuffed' This Thanksgiving!

Can you believe that Thanksgiving is just about 3 weeks away?!  MAN, time sure does fly.  What is your business doing to prepare for Thanksgiving? This time of year is a great way to bring in some extra money.  Check out these awesome ideas to help you if you’re stuck!

 First and foremost one of the biggest things to let your customers know about is your Thanksgiving hours!  Are you going to be open for breakfast and close early?  Are you going to be open at all?  Some business’s re open regular hours and have a reservations only list.  Make sure to start planning so your customers can also start planning.

Are you having a special menu?  Maybe one that your guests can only order Thanksgiving weekend, or day?  If you are closed on Thanksgiving think about doing a special Black Friday menu!  It’s a great way to get your customers in the door.  If you are not sure what to add to your menu, take a look at these trending recipes:

 Sweetcorn Spoonbread: This recipe will be sure to add a twist to your Thanksgiving menu!

Pumpkin Hummus: The perfect option as an appetizer for your catering or dine-in Thanksgiving menu!

Bloomin Onion Bread: Not everyone is a fan of pumpkin.  How about this Garlic Bread with a twist? 

Bacon-Blanketed, Herb Roasted Turkey: Everyone who's everyone knows that Bacon is in right now.  Your customers will be sure to love this one!

Carrot "Pumpkins": Simple and easy, we love it! Think about adding this to your kids menu for Thanksgiving!

Let Ordereze know what you are doing for Thanksgiving so we can help you with all your marketing needs!  Anything from flyers to email blasts we got you covered!

Are You Afraid Of The Dark?

With Halloween creeping closer, it’s time to start thinking about your marketing plan. Don't be afraid, we're here to help! This is the time of year to pull out all the stops. Need help getting into the "spirit" of Halloween? Here are some ideas to help put your business on the map!

1. Halloween Party:
Halloween is brewing with fun, why not share the fun with your customers? Host a Halloween party or even a costume contest to get your customers excited for the big night! Offer prizes for those who are best dressed!

2. Halloween Specials:

Whether you are creating a special drink specifically for Halloween night (Slasher shots anyone?) or extending your happy hour for the night crowd, let your customers know!

3. Halloween Catering:

Not hosting a party yourself? There is still time to get those last minute catering orders in for everyone’s spooktacular events! Promote your catering or offer a special Halloween menu for those FANGtastic Halloween parties your customers are planning.

 

4. Happy Halloween:
Not doing anything for Halloween? Simply wish your customers a Happy Halloween!

Any other Halloween ideas we missed? Please share your comments below! 

4 Best Practices For Responding To A Negative Review

     In today’s age people like to hear about a place before they try it.  Big review sites like Yelp, TripAdvisor, Google+, and Facebook have allowed their platforms to be the sounding boards of the internet where people can see all reviews at the click of a button.  Most business owners view review sites as the enemy.  However, they aren’t!  In the past year about 75% of reviews that have come through our system are positive reviews.  

     You want to embrace your online reviews and encourage your customer to write reviews about your establishment.  This way when the negative review that does come in the other 25% of the time does come in you have a nice cushioning of positive reviews behind it.  These negative reviews are bound to come in at one time or another as the world does not operate perfectly and we as humans are bound to have off days.  So in preparation for this we suggest you do the following 4 things to help combat the negativity that is posted about you.

1. Claim Your Profiles
   You want to claim all of your profiles.  Let’s face it, the world can be a cruel and harsh place.  Last thing you want is a negative review you can’t respond to… or even worse your competitor claiming your place and marking it as permanently closed.  Not saying they will but coming from a company that has seen it happen, it can and you want to be prepared.  Each platform has either a contact email or phone number in which you can get in touch with their representatives to help you claim all pages.
   
2. Address the Pain Points
   When addressing a negative review you want the customer to know you heard their concerns and issues (even if you do not agree with them).  If there is a valid reason you do certain business practices and feel the customer will gain insight feel free to write it, but do not make it look like an ‘excuse’.  The last thing a person with a bad experience wants to hear is an ‘excuse’ as to why they had a bad experience.
   
3. Be Brief and Polite
   Being too wordy gives you more ‘rope to hang yourself with’. Be brief, address the pain points and apologize where needed.  Always ‘thank’ the customer for their feedback even if it is negative.  Responses like ‘we encourage feedback’, ‘we cannot fix what we don’t know is broken’ and ‘your feedback will help us become better’ show the customer that you truly care about your business and how people perceive your restaurant.
   
   
4. Offer a Solution
   Solutions should always be made off-line.  Meaning you should never offer a giveaway or freebie of any sorts on a public forum.  This will help promote more negative feedback in hopes of getting something free.  This is something we do not want!  Kindly let the customer know to contact you at the business so you can gain more clarity and insight on the situation.  When the customers calls is when you can offer them something for their less than stellar visit.

Have any ideas on how to respond to a negative review that we missed?  Comment below to give us your feedback!  We always love hearing from you.

Written By: Colleen Leonardo