Unseen Losses: The Hidden Cost of Your Outdated Wi-Fi System

By Emin Kara | August 2, 2023

In today’s digital age, customer expectations have expanded beyond great food and friendly service. Now factors like ambient lighting, Instagram-worthy décor, and yes, a strong Wi-Fi connection, can significantly influence the overall dining experience. As such, providing good Wi-Fi in your hotel or restaurant isn’t just a value-added service… it’s a CRUCIAL element of effective marketing!

This article was inspired by my observations last week at my favorite burger spot. Whenever I’m in the city of Manchester, I always go to this one place to get a smash burger. And every time I hope they fix their Wi-Fi situation. Now, I can happily go without my phone for 30 minutes to an hour, the issue isn’t that. My issue is, they’ve implemented an online ordering system instead of at-the-counter service, while being in the worst area for signal and offering no Wi-Fi! I swear, if it wasn’t for the burgers, I’d never go back. 

Marketing does not just stop at ads. Marketing is an umbrella term for a plethora of different segments. One of those segments is customer experience. Customer experience doesn’t just start when they enter your restaurant, it starts from the very first interaction a customer has with your business. Do you have an easy-to-navigate website? Is your customer service team easy to contact? Do you send a thank you email to the diner after they’ve visited your restaurant? Customer experience goes deeper than you may think, and good Wi-Fi is at the top of their list!

So why is Wi-Fi so important? 

Social Media Marketing and User-Generated Content (UGC):

A strong Wi-Fi connection doesn’t just benefit your customers, it benefits you too! Many patrons LOVE to share their dining experiences on social media. This can range from a quick snapshot of a beautifully presented dish, a group selfie, a glowing review, a unique experience your restaurant offers, or creating a TikTok. This is word-of-mouth marketing on steroids. Before word-of-mouth was restricted to a small town, now someone on the side of the world could hear about your restaurant through social media.

Funnily enough, I went to share a photo of my burger on social media the other day, the video didn’t upload because of no signal and no access to Wi-Fi and the restaurant missed out on free marketing and new customers.

Collecting Valuable Customer Data:

The smart restaurants that get this will often have a sign-up page to grant you access to use their Wi-Fi. So the user puts in their information: their email, name, and possibly address. And just like that they can now retarget you with promotional offers and track your behavior. This can inform targeted marketing campaigns, menu development, retargeting, service improvements etc.

Increasing Customer Loyalty:

By providing high-quality Wi-Fi, you show that you understand and cater to your customer’s needs, increasing their overall satisfaction. Additionally, you could use Wi-Fi as part of a loyalty program, offering faster speeds or other perks to frequent customers. This can encourage repeat visits and foster a loyal customer base.

I think my favorite reward system has to be Harvey Nichols’, a UK premier luxury fashion retailer. You can find their reward system here.

Online Ordering: 

As we move further and further into the future, new technology and online systems are constantly being implemented in restaurants. But please, just ensure you provide a strong Wi-Fi connection, especially if your restaurant is in a bad signal zone! 

To conclude, a strong Wi-Fi connection in your restaurant is much more than keeping your customers connected. Done correctly, it can be used as a very powerful marketing tool! 

As always, I’ll be over in the Hotel Interactive community stream ready to answer any questions you may have, to offer guidance in your efforts to utilize social media! If you need me to review your video, I’ll be there to lend a helping hand! So, get curious, get to work and get winning!