There’s nothing better in hospo than the customers you get to know because they return repeatedly. The question is, how do you acknowledge that special relationship?

I head to Poked, Roll’d, and Shujinko at least once a week. They know me, and I know them - I like them too! Better still, they know how to thank me for sticking with them. Frequently, I buy their brandollars, and each time, I pay with Liven and collect rewards.

I’m not that special in expecting something more for my loyalty. Here are a few stats that might shake you up if you aren’t quite a believer in the importance of a loyalty program.

• Loyal customers spend 22.4% more and stay 28% longer.

• 65% of a company's revenue comes from the repeat business of existing customers.

• 77% of consumers say they've remained loyal to a specific brand for ten years or more.

• 84% of consumers say they're more likely to stick with a brand that offers a loyalty program.

• 66% of consumers say the ability to earn rewards changes their spending behaviour.

• Since 2015, there has been a 95% increase in consumers who are members of one or more loyalty programs.

• In the last 12 months, consumers’ stated usage of loyalty programs has increased by 18%.

• 84% of consumers are more likely to stick with a brand that offers a loyalty program.

• Over 50% of loyal customers actively recommend the program to others.

• The top-performing loyalty programs boost revenue from customers who use them by 15-25% annually.

OK, so still not enough for you - chat to us on liven.love, and we’ll take you through the best operators' strategies to boost your restaurant loyalty system, drive recurring traffic, and increase the value of every order.