How to automate CNY bookings and promotions for restaurants
With the Chinese New Year festivities just around the corner, restaurant owners have a golden opportunity to boost their business and connect with customers. Since WhatsApp is such a popular messaging platform that people use to build in-depth connections, having a Chinese New Year WhatsApp marketing strategy can definitely help restaurants establish close relationships with customers.
In this article, we'll take you through methods you can use to streamline your Chinese New Year marketing efforts, complete with specific examples, along with free message templates to send this Chinese New Year.
1. Update your special Chinese New Year menu on WhatsApp catalogue
Have an alluring menu that features traditional CNY delicacies such as the Prosperity Toss (Yee Sang), Treasure Pot (Poon Choi), and Signature Steamed Fish? Upload your Chinese New Year menus and packages with WhatsApp Catalogue to seamlessly showcase them on WhatsApp. This eliminates the need for customers to download and save a PDF file and provides your customers with a convenient browsing experience to enhance their customer experience.
If special packages are sold out halfway through, you can easily update the availability on your WhatsApp catalogue. Your customers will then have the most up-to-date information on dishes or packages to avoid potential disappointments.
Remember to utilise the engaging visuals for your menu in the WhatsApp Catalogue to present your offerings. Incorporate high-quality images adorned with CNY-themed colours and decorations, including red packets, lanterns, oranges, and more. Ensure each dish is accompanied by a detailed description, elucidating its significance, ingredients, and pricing to stimulate anticipation for dining in your restaurant.
Not sure how to upload a menu to your WhatsApp Catalogue on the free WhatsApp Business App? Find out more in our WhatsApp catalogue blog guide.
2. Get customers to chat with you from multiple WhatsApp entry points for Chinese New Year
Create compelling click to WhatsApp ads with messages like "Chat with Us for Exclusive Chinese New Year Offers" or "Get Instant Reservations Now" to captivate attention and generate interest. Chinese New Year marks a festive season ripe with opportunities, and your social media ads can attract many individuals who turn to online platforms to find the perfect venue for their reunion dinner.
In addition, you can integrate a WhatsApp chat widget to your restaurant’s website for your customers to facilitate seamless communication with your businesses. Simultaneously hyperlink keywords like “Chat with WhatsApp” and “Contact Us” or a WhatsApp icon with a WhatsApp link on various web pages. Upon clicking the chat button and ads, customers should be directed to a WhatsApp chat with your restaurant.
To enhance overall accessibility, you can also generate a WhatsApp QR code and prominently display it on your web pages, event posters, banners, receipts, and packaging, so that customers can quickly contact your restaurant through various online or offline entry points.
Complementing this, you can customise a preset WhatsApp message to simplify the process for customers to start a conversation. It’s also convenient for you to identify customer sources. For instance, you’ll know that the customer is from QR codes on receipts when you receive the message “ I want to make a feedback and redeem a free dish.” Likewise, “I just saw your promotion banner, and I want to know more about your CNY packages.” indicates that the customer’s entry point is from your promotion banner.
3. Personalise the interactions with Chinese New Year greetings using a customised chatbot
Now that the customers have initiated a WhatsApp chat with you, what’s next? Make sure that they get instant replies! You can set up auto reply messages with personalised Chinese New Year greetings to engage them with a warm festive spirit.
Prepare your Chinese New Year festivities with a customised chatbot for restaurants. Use Flow Builder to design a flow from welcoming messages to menu recommendations, table booking, and feedback to tailor customers’ message intentions.
Using the previous example, when a customer sends the preset message, “I want to make a feedback and redeem a free dish,” the keyword "feedback" is triggered. A survey is automatically sent to collect dining experience and send a unique code for them to redeem a free dish upon completing the survey. The entire process is seamlessly automated without any human intervention. This not only enhances customer loyalty but also saves up your team’s energy for more complicated situations or special customer requests.
SleekFlow's chatbot turns automated responses into a 2-way conversation. It is much easier to build a one-on-one relationship on WhatsApp than other methods, such as SMS.
Joyce Tse
LUBUDS Group Assistant Marketing Manager
Read the full customer story and get innovative insights on how LUBUDS Group delivers customer-first dining experiences with WhatsApp API.
4. Promote CNY discounts or vouchers via WhatsApp Broadcast to re-engage CNY customers
To further entice engagement, introduce exclusive incentives such as WhatsApp-only discount codes or the chance to win a free dish by making reservations on WhatsApp. Use WhatsApp Broadcast to bulk send Chinese New Year discounts or vouchers to your contacts and re-engage past customers. Create broadcast messages with images and interactive chat buttons to truly capture your audience’s attention.
Don’t forget to customise your broadcast message with details such as the customers’ names. Add custom variables to your CNY template message to make your customers feel special and valued.
Avoid your broadcast message being marked as spam and reported. Verify your WhatsApp Business account with a green tick. Read through our blog guide to learn how to get a WhatsApp green tick.
Struggling with adding custom variables? Let our complete WhatsApp Broadcast walkthrough be your guide.
Discover the power of WhatsApp with SleekFlow!
Unleash your full potential with WhatsApp Business API. Your customers are waiting!
5. Set up a WhatsApp online booking system with automated interactive messages
Set up your restaurant’s online booking system on WhatsApp Business for customers to book a table or order food directly from the chat. Use Flow Builder to automatically guide customers through the reservation process, including the option to make deposit payments directly in the chat.
Here’s an illustration of how it works:
A customer, who has clicked on your WhatsApp link, sends “Hi, I’m interested in making a booking”, a message that you preset previously.
Within a few seconds, your automatic flow is triggered, sending a personalised Chinese New Year greeting message. There is also a list of selections for the outlet the customer is interested in visiting.
Once the customer chooses the desired location, the auto reply seamlessly progresses to ask for booking details like date, time, and number of pax.
Once all details are provided, the automatic chat flow confirms the booking and issues a reservation code.
If a customer doesn’t respond after the initial booking request, the flow can also automatically send a follow-up message to re-engage them.
Automating the reservation process on WhatsApp can reduce the risk of double-booking a table while maintaining a smooth flow of reservations. Customers also benefit from this efficiency. They can make reservations quickly and conveniently, especially during the festive hustle of CNY, without the need for phone calls or waiting for email confirmations.
6. Schedule a reminder message to confirm the reservation
To optimise revenue opportunities and minimise the incidence of no-shows, you can schedule reminder messages to confirm reservations. It can be just a simple message saying:
“Hello! We're excited to host your Chinese New Year celebration tomorrow. Would you like to confirm your reservation?”
With the interactive message buttons included in the message, customers can simply click on the ‘Yes’ button and reply without typing manually. It prompts customers to reaffirm their commitment to their reservation and drastically reduces the likelihood of no-shows. Through timely reminders and confirmations, restaurants can ensure that every available table is used to its full potential during this peak period, thereby maximising revenue.
In cases where there is no reply, you can automatically assign it to a specific agent or team to follow up with phone calls. Or, if the customer replies with 'No', the restaurant can promptly free up the reservation slot. This efficiency allows for better utilisation of the available space, either by accommodating customers on the waiting list or welcoming walk-in customers.
7. Segment CNY customers with labels
Integrate your WhatsApp contacts to a CRM system, such as HubSpot and Salesforce, for better contact management. Consolidate the contacts gathered across various channels to get a comprehensive and insightful view of your customers and leads.
Segment customers who have booked a Chinese New Year dinner and label them as "CNY Diners." This label is particularly useful for sending personalised targeted CNY promotions or greetings in the subsequent year. It also helps understand the customer base specifically interested in festive holiday dining.
Moreover, customers might have specific requirements or make special requests during CNY. For example, some might require a larger table for family reunions, prefer to have non-spicy dishes, or request special vegetarian dinner packages. You can tag and record the requests under the individual contact fields. Tagging these customers appropriately helps in remembering and better serving their needs in the future. This can further enhance your brand reputation and improve customer loyalty.
Having a well-segmented CRM database enables more efficient planning and service. For instance, anticipating the needs of repeat customers during busy periods like CNY can lead to better staff allocation and inventory management.
In the upcoming Chinese New Year celebrations, you can also create contact lists based on these labels and create effective retargeting campaigns for impressive results.
Chinese New Year marketing examples for restaurants
Now, let's delve into how some renowned brands have harnessed the power of WhatsApp strategy for their Chinese New Year campaigns via SleekFlow.
The Providore Singapore automates CNY reservations and hamper enquiries
The Providore Singapore is known for its exceptional café experience, deli selections, and gourmet groceries. They have strategically implemented SleekFlow’s WhatsApp automation to ensure efficient operations across its islandwide outlets during CNY.
In a move to increase customer engagement, The Providore has embedded a WhatsApp chat widget to their official website. Customers can effortlessly initiate a conversation by clicking the widget, which prompts them to send a preset message.
The Providore has also set up a WhatsApp chatbot to adeptly manage these messages through an interactive list message catering to various needs, ranging from menu inquiries to reservation requests. The list message functionality allows customers to select their preferred options without the need to type out their requests. This keeps the customer engaged with minimal effort and moves the conversation forward efficiently.
For customers opting for 'reservation' from the list, The Providore facilitates online reservations across its island-wide outlets, ensuring a seamless booking experience. On the other hand, if it’s for purchasing CNY corporate hampers, customers can effortlessly inquire about and place orders all within the WhatsApp platform, no matter if they are ready-made or customised options. In instances requiring human assistance, the chatbot can also smoothly guide customers to a live agent for a more personalised experience.
White Restaurant streamlines online booking and ordering processes for CNY customers
White Restaurant, the founder of Singapore’s award-winning authentic Original White Beehoon, has got its WhatsApp Business green tick verified. By implementing the SleekFlow-powered WhatsApp chat button on its website, customers can easily connect with White Restaurant to browse the CNY menu, make inquiries, orders, or even bookings.
White Restaurant has fine-tuned its WhatsApp chatbot to accurately comprehend and respond to customers' inquiries. With just one click on the interactive chat button, customers can submit inquiries, and the chatbot promptly delivers automated responses, expediting query resolution.
White Restaurant has also created a seamless ordering experience for their customers, especially during the CNY festive surge. Customers can conveniently choose their preferred outlet and make bookings and orders in the chat after browsing through the menu, and get seamlessly directed to the web ordering portal.This streamlined approach mitigates the risk of order backlogs with a swift and organised operational process.
Chili Manis auto-assigns CNY enquiries to the sales team for efficient follow-ups
Chili Manis is a Halal-certified Peranakan cuisine buffet catering in Singapore. They have effectively incorporated WhatsApp for inbound lead automation. With the round-robin chat routing method, Chili Manis has managed to ensure that the incoming CNY inquiries are assigned among the sales team members fairly and effectively via SleekFlow. Each sales consultant can then have an equal opportunity to follow up on leads and own a balanced workload.
The efficient lead distribution also means that customers can receive timely and more personalised information about CNY promotions and offerings. During a period when customers are looking for special deals and menus, quick follow-up can enhance their festive experience and decision-making process.
Meanwhile, there’s also an automated message sent to the customer, to reassure the customer that their query is being processed. During operation hours, the human agent will then get back to the enquiries as soon as possible. This guarantees that even outside of regular business hours, no message goes unanswered, ensuring continuous engagement with customers. Through these strategies, Chili Manis has not only simplified their lead management but also enhanced the overall customer experience.
Where to start? Tailor the perfect WhatsApp strategy for your restaurant on SleekFlow
In the dance of dragons and the echo of firecrackers, let your restaurant be a haven of prosperity and joy. With the right WhatsApp strategy on SleekFlow, you're not just sending out a message—you're inviting your customers to a feast that celebrates both tradition and taste.
Through SleekFlow, you can use WhatsApp Business API with a wide range of additional features:
Broadcast personalised CNY promotion messages through popular channels such as WhatsApp (and Facebook, Instagram, etc)
Detailed analytics for you to analyse the performance of your WhatsApp Business CNY or other festive marketing campaigns
Dedicated sales performance dashboard to compare the results from various branches or outlets
An all-in-one omnichannel inbox with multiple logins for your team members to manage conversations simultaneously
Payment Links for customers to check out right in the chat, including full or partial refunds when requested by customers
Chatbot and automation to save manpower and increase productivity
Free Facebook Lead Ads integration to gather contacts and segment leads effectively
Free no-code live chat widget to be installed on your website
A centralised CRM with organised segmentation and labelling
Start now, Prosperity awaits!
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