Building strong relationships with your guests doesn’t happen overnight—but it’s easier than you might think. Taking small, thoughtful steps to make guests feel valued can help turn casual visitors into loyal regulars. And genuine connections mean more repeat visits, better reviews, and ultimately, higher revenue.
Read on for nine best practices for building guest relationships that grow trust, loyalty, and revenue.
1) Keep it simple
Managing customer relationships starts with keeping it simple. Guests don’t just notice the quality of your food. They also pay close attention to how your staff makes them feel during their visit. Training your team to anticipate guests’ needs and handle situations by taking a proactive approach goes a long way to building customer relationships that last.
For example, servers at restaurants known for great hospitality often get the simple things right, like refilling drinks before guests even notice they’re empty or bringing an extra chair without being asked. It might be offering a toddler seat for families with young children. Maybe it’s noticing someone seems chilly in the outdoor seating area and offering them a blanket or adjusting the heating slightly.
Small gestures, like warmly greeting regulars by name or remembering favorite seating areas, can turn occasional diners into loyal regulars.
2) Personalize the experience
We all appreciate when a dining experience feels tailored just for us, whether it’s a server recalling our favorite cocktail or a thoughtful touch to celebrate a special occasion. If you know a regular loves your house-made pasta, suggesting new seasonal dishes they might enjoy shows genuine care.
Similarly, noting a guest’s birthday or anniversary and surprising them with a complimentary dessert can leave a lasting impression. Managing customer relationships involves paying attention to these small details and using them to make each visit unique and memorable.
3) Reward customer loyalty
Rewarding loyalty is an important part of managing customer relationships because it gives your guests a real reason to return. Regular diners appreciate when their continued visits are recognized through special offers or exclusive events.
A restaurant might offer early access to holiday reservations or host an exclusive tasting event specifically for loyal diners. Another example is providing diners who frequently visit your restaurant with complimentary items or personalized discounts based on their previous orders. Thoughtful gestures strengthen the bond between your restaurant and its guests, helping turn those occasional diners into long-term advocates.
4) Keep in touch to build stronger relationships
Staying connected with your guests is a simple way to build stronger customer relationships. Regularly reaching out will help make diners feel more valued, all while keeping your restaurant fresh in their minds.
You could email guests about upcoming special events or seasonal dishes that can spark their interest and encourage repeat visits. For example, Stock Hill used targeted emails with OpenTable to announce exclusive seasonal menus and special wine dinners, which helped draw diners back and enhanced their overall experience.
5) Listen to guests and show you’re paying attention
Asking for feedback is another powerful way to strengthen your customer relationships. Guests appreciate when their voices are heard and when restaurants genuinely care about their experience.
If enough diners suggest they’d love to see more vegan dishes on your menu, adding new vegan-friendly choices shows you’re really listening. Inviting feedback and making meaningful changes based on what guests share not only enhances your offerings but also makes diners feel valued.
6) Train your team to create memorable moments
Your staff plays a central role in building customer relationships. They’re the face of your restaurant, interacting directly with guests and shaping their experiences. Training your team to spot opportunities to surprise and delight guests can lead to unforgettable moments.
Let’s say a server notices guests celebrating something special, they might quietly arrange for a complimentary dessert or celebratory toast. Similarly, the team at Brennan’s went the extra mile to provide flip flops to a guest whose shoe had broken. Gestures like these don’t just improve that particular visit—they also build genuine connections that encourage diners to come back.
7) Create added value beyond the meal
Managing customer relationships goes beyond great food and attentive service and means creating extra value for your guests. Restaurants that find unique ways to offer more than just what’s on the plate build stronger, longer lasting connections.
Consider creating specialized experiences, like cooking classes or exclusive tasting evenings to give diners experiences they can’t find anywhere else. Or perhaps partner with local sustainable suppliers and artisans to offer limited-time products or merchandise. Creative ideas like these not only set your restaurant apart but also keep guests engaged long after the check is paid.
8) Give guests reasons to keep coming back
Building stronger customer relationships often means offering thoughtful extras that keep guests interested. Guests love when restaurants do something special that genuinely aligns with their interests or tastes.
You might occasionally invite regular diners to preview new menu items, or surprise them with something complimentary based on their previous visits. These types of gestures make diners feel appreciated and encourage them to return because they feel a real, personal connection to your restaurant.
9) Use a CRM system to improve customer relationships
Learning how to build customer relationship management can improve the way your restaurant connects with guests. A reliable CRM system makes it simple for your team to access valuable guest information at any moment.
It can store details about diners’ seating preferences or track their visit history, so staff can anticipate their needs in advance. Managing customer relationships becomes much simpler when you have all guest insights stored in one convenient place. By leveraging the guest data within your CRM, your restaurant can deliver exceptional, personalized service and tailored communications that keep diners coming back—and spending more.
Better customer relationships with OpenTable
Calling a diner a customer doesn’t do them justice. It’s so much more personal than that, and guests can become regulars who feel genuinely connected to your restaurant, returning not just for the food, but for the way you make them feel.
OpenTable gives you the tools to build strong guest relationships by automatically capturing helpful guest details with every reservation. Features like guest notes, dining history, and easy-to-access insights help your team consistently personalize visits, while customizable communication tools help you stay connected. Instead of juggling complicated CRM software, OpenTable is designed for restaurants and makes managing customer relationships straightforward, giving you more time to focus on hospitality.
Turn first-time guests into regulars, and regulars into VIPs, with OpenTable
How to build customer relationship management
Creating genuine relationships with your guests doesn’t require grand gestures. Small acts of thoughtful service, personalized attention, and meaningful communication are enough to turn occasional diners into loyal regulars. Making your guests feel valued every time is how you build customer relationships and create lasting connections that keep your restaurant thriving.
