Insert excerptWhat Too Good To Go teaches us about turning first-time customers into regulars

In 2019, Wageningen University & Research did a deep-dive analysis into Too Good To Go. They asked questions like:

• Does food rescued through Too Good To Go actually get eaten? (More than 90% of it does)

• Do Too Good To Go users try new restaurants, food stores and cafes through the app? (58% of Too Good To Go users gave a thumbs up)

• Do they then return as regular, full-paying customers? (A staggering 76% said yes)

So we asked the question: what is it about the Too Good To Go experience that makes customers want to return to participating food businesses as regulars? And more importantly, how can businesses use these learnings to turn every first time customer into a regular?

Show you’re a business that cares

For consumers, sustainability is a hot topic. Research carried out in 2019 showed that 92% of consumers considered sustainability a priority when choosing where to dine out. 86% percent said they would choose a restaurant based on how sustainable it was.

When customers try a business for the first time through Too Good To Go, the very fact that the cafe, restaurant or store is using the app shows something key: that sustainability is a priority.

So if you’ve implemented sustainable business practices, be sure to let customers know - whether it’s through signs at the POS, or clever copywriting on the menu. Highlight the sustainability of your ingredients, promote the use of reusable cups, and make your efforts to reduce food waste known. It all helps your customers put their money where their ethics lie.

Take the opportunity to surprise and delight

When customers order through Too Good To Go, they order a ‘Magic Bag’ of surplus food - but they don’t know exactly what they’ll get until they pick it up.

Without the need to fulfil specific orders, the surprise element of the Magic Bag gives businesses the flexibility to sell genuine surplus food. But it works in the customer’s favour too: they get an exciting and delicious surprise for great value - the food in the Magic Bags is generally worth about three times what the customer pays.

The ‘surprise and delight’ strategy - a phrase that encapsulates the concept of delivering customers unexpected perks or rewards - is a crucial driver of customer satisfaction.

Consider ways you could adapt the strategy to surprise and delight every customer. Could you implement a coupon scheme? Give away a tiny, bite-sized biscuit with every takeaway coffee?

By setting your customer experience apart from the rest, you’ll keep customers coming back again and again.

Make the customer feel good

A defining factor of the Too Good To Go customer experience is the feel-good buzz that goes hand in hand with rescuing food. The premise of having done something good for the planet evokes positive emotions - and it makes sense that those good feelings are, in turn, associated with the cafe, store or restaurant where they occurred.

Consider the part your business plays in brightening your customer’s day. Ask the questions:

• How can you train staff to ensure they’re delivering impeccable service?

• How can you create a unique ambience?

• What experiences have you had as a customer that stuck with you for all the right reasons - are there tips you could steal?

Turning first-time customers into regulars doesn’t have to be a mysterious art. By carefully implementing a few key strategies, you’ll soon have customers coming back again and again. 

Want to attract new customers and recover sunk costs, all while reducing your food waste? Sign up for Too Good To Go today.