Resources

 Thinking about adding an On-Hold message to your restaurant advertising efforts? Are you looking to update the one you have, but you’re not sure what to say? Here are some topics that can make your message stand out and entice your callers to become customers!

1. Location, Location, Location

It’s a gimme that you are going to mention your address and hours in the first paragraph of your production, but your location is a potential selling feature and deserves a bigger role in your production.  If you are close to sports stadiums, concert halls or other entertainment venues and you specialize in getting people to their event on time, you need to mention it. Whether it’s as simple as being close to a subway stop or steps away from the local movie theatre, or as spectacular as overlooking a landmark or beautiful garden, it’s an important point to tell your callers. Who doesn’t like easy when it comes to an evening out, or fabulous when your restaurant is the main event?  A great location deserves a special place in your production.

2. Your Expert Staff

It is often said a business is only as good as its people, and that definitely goes for the foodservice industry. If your staff knows top quality service better than any other establishment in the area, you should sing their praises.  Does your banquet/party/meeting co-coordinator dot every “i” and cross every “t”? If so, you should tell callers in your On-Hold production to ask for them by name.  As well, if you have an award-winning or fantastic executive chef, or if Mom is still overseeing every dish that leaves the kitchen, people like to know that the members of your team make your place a truly unique dining experience.

3. Your One Thing

What is the one thing that sets you apart from the myriad of dining establishments in the area?  A one of a kind signature dish or specialty? A wood-fired oven imported straight from Tuscany? An impressive wine collection?  Or, Perhaps the fact, that you use all freshly sourced ingredients and support local suppliers?  Were you mentioned on a “Don’t Miss This Place!” type TV show? You know what you do best, and you should be sure that you mention it in your On-Hold production. Waving your own flag will not only feed interest but also get a caller excited to visit your establishment.

4. Special Celebrations And Events

When it comes to landmark birthdays, special anniversaries, retirement parties or even a corporate power lunch, the perfect venue can make all the difference.  Whether your place has an incredible view of the countryside or cityscape, an elegant room adorned with a fireplace, or even a presentation room that covers all the technical bases, informing potential clients of all the extra’s you offer can lead to unexpected sales.  Do you have a special seasonal menu? Or perhaps you are participating in a city-wide prix fixe menu promotion, hosting a fantastic wine pairing course in your dining room, or presenting the best Mother’s Day brunch ever created. Hold time is the perfect time to inform diners.  Let callers know that your restaurant can make a special night out…perfect!

5. Online Specials and Presence on the Internet

In this hurry up and wait world, everyone likes to multi-task.  Waiting on the phone is no exception; as a rule, phones and computers are very close neighbors on a desk. Many people do some surfing and use their computers while On-Hold, and this is why it’s the perfect time to mention your social media presence and online reservation feature. If you offer special deals to your Facebook followers, this is a great opportunity to add another like or follower to your page. If you have posted another Readers Choice award photo to your Instagram, send the caller there to take a look.  Mentioning your web address can be very helpful to a caller who can check things out, and in effect, make your On-Hold info the soundtrack or narration to your place on the World Wide Web!

The On-Hold scriptwriters are experts on how to take these topics and really make them work for you with a creative spin on the hi-lights of your restaurant. Let them recommend the perfect script/ voice/ music pairing for you!  Please contact them so they can get working on the best promotional message for your restaurant today!

“The restaurant business is something that you have to treat like a baby. You have to constantly be there. You can’t trust it to anybody else, because no one’s going to love it like you do.” – Action Bronson