The Three CRM Systems That Work (And When to Use Each)
Points, tiers, and cashback aren't just different names for the same thing. Each serves specific restaurant types and customer behaviors.
Points Systems: Best for Quick-Service Restaurants
Points work when purchase decisions happen fast. Customer sees menu, orders, pays, leaves. The mental math needs to be instant: "I'm at 89 points, one more order gets me a free meal."
Typical structure: 1 point per dirham spent, redeem at 100 points for 10 MAD off. Simple ratios prevent confusion. Redemption happens often enough to maintain engagement but not so often it kills margins.
Real numbers from the market: properly structured points programs see 23% redemption rates and increase visit frequency by 19%. The key is immediate visibility — customers must see their point balance during every interaction.
Tier Systems: Built for Full-Service Restaurants
Full-service restaurants benefit from tier-based programs because the relationship runs deeper. Customers invest time, not just money. They want recognition, not just discounts.
OCHI's 4-tier system follows proven psychology:
| Tier |
Threshold |
Benefits |
Psychology |
| Bronze |
0 MAD |
Birthday bonus |
Everyone starts somewhere |
| Silver |
500 MAD/month |
5% points bonus |
Achievable first goal |
| Gold |
1,500 MAD/month |
10% bonus + priority seating |
Status recognition |
| Platinum |
3,000 MAD/month |
15% bonus + exclusive previews |
VIP treatment |
This structure increases repeat visits by 34% compared to no program. More importantly, it creates predictable revenue — Gold and Platinum customers maintain their spending to keep status.
Cashback: The Underused Option
Cashback programs work in price-sensitive markets. Customer spends 100 MAD, gets 5 MAD credited to their account. No points math. No tier calculations. Just money back.
Lower engagement rates (15% vs 23% for points) but higher satisfaction scores. Best for restaurants competing primarily on price or in highly competitive delivery markets.
How to Segment Your Restaurant CRM Database for Maximum ROI
Generic campaigns waste money. Smart segmentation in your restaurant CRM turns the same message into five different revenue streams.
The Five Customer Segments That Drive Revenue
New Customers (0-30 days): They're forming habits. Send a welcome series with a second-visit incentive within 14 days. If they don't return within 30 days, you've likely lost them. Message timing matters more than discount size.
Regular Customers (monthly visits): They know you but aren't committed. Show them what they're missing — tier benefits just out of reach, limited-time menu items, member-only events. Nudge, don't push.
VIP Customers (weekly visits): They're already sold. Give them reasons to feel special: early access to new dishes, birthday surprises that actually surprise, a direct line to management. These customers generate word-of-mouth worth more than any advertisement.
At-Risk Customers (60+ days absent): Something broke the habit. Maybe a bad experience, maybe they moved, maybe competition. Aggressive win-back campaigns with 30-40% discounts can recover 12% of this segment. After 90 days, success rate drops to 3%.
One-Time Customers (single visit, 90+ days): They tried you and didn't return. Either write them off or test extremely aggressive offers (50% off, free appetizer and dessert). Some CRM software for restaurants automatically flags these for removal to keep lists clean.
The Casablanca Restaurant Test Case
A mid-size restaurant with 200 covers per night tested segmented campaigns against their usual blast-to-all approach. Same offers, same budget, different targeting.
Mass email to 4,000 contacts: 15% open rate, 2.1% redemption, 84 orders generated. Segmented campaigns to the same list: 28% average open rate, 5.8% redemption, 232 orders generated. The VIP segment alone (400 contacts) generated 89 orders — more than the entire mass campaign.
Building Your CRM Database the Right Way (Technical Setup Without the Headaches)
Most restaurants build their CRM backwards. They start with software features instead of revenue goals.
Essential Data Fields (Not Nice-to-Have Fields)
Order frequency drives everything else. Track orders per week and per month. Flag changes immediately — a weekly customer who misses two weeks needs attention.
Average order value determines customer worth. But track it over time. A declining AOV often signals dissatisfaction before the customer stops ordering entirely.
Preferred order times reveal customer types. Lunch-only customers need different messaging than dinner regulars. Weekend warriors respond to different offers than weekday workers.
Communication preferences prevent unsubscribes. Some customers want everything. Others only want order confirmations. Respect their choice or lose them entirely.
Integration Points That Actually Matter
Your POS system must sync automatically. Manual data entry kills accuracy and staff morale. Real-time sync means customer points appear immediately, tier progress updates instantly, and purchase patterns stay current.
Online ordering platforms need deep integration. Digital behavior differs from in-person dining. Track both to build complete customer profiles. OCHI's built-in CRM handles this automatically — no third-party connections needed.
Table reservation data adds context. A customer who books VIP tables for eight people has different value than someone who walks in alone. Your restaurant CRM should capture and use this information.
The OCHI Advantage
OCHI includes full CRM functionality without additional cost. Points track automatically. Tiers calculate in real-time. Birthday bonuses send themselves. Everything happens on your branded subdomain (votrenom.ochi.ma), so you own the relationship.
No integration headaches. No monthly CRM fees. No per-customer charges. Just built-in tools that work from day one. The same system handling your orders manages your customer relationships.
