Casey Jones Pub Doubled Return Diners with ResDiary + Connect by Mr Yum

Imagine using technology to double the number of guests returning to a pub.

Casey Jones Pub in Canberra uses and integration between restaurant management software ResDiary, and hospitality marketing CRM, Connect (that’s us!), and was able to make their already popular ladies' night even more of a vibe.

“Before [the integration], out of about 100 people who came to the event, 30 might have returned, but now it’s more likely to be around 60, just because we sent them a simple little text reminder,” said General Manager of Casey Jones Pub Kurt Bryant. 

That automated “simple little text reminder” is one of the many targeted marketing opportunities that Kurt has at his fingertips since deplohying  the integration between ResDiary and Connect by Mr Yum about 12 months ago.

The integration means all the valuable customer data collected by ResDiary - which can be everything from how often they book to what they usually drink - is put to use in Connect, automatically sending targeted promotional material. 

‍Easy, efficient, and effective

An excellent feature of ResDiary is that it collects useful customer data both during the booking process and in service, but, as ResDiary’s ANZ Customer Support Lead Declan O’Toole points out, there’s little reason to collect data, if you don’t have an easy and efficient way to make use of it.

“The easiest way is to have a seamless integration in place, which is what ResDiary and Mr Yum offers. You don’t want to spend time downloading and uploading data between systems. This integration means you don’t have to think about how you’re going to collect the data – all you need to think about is how you are going to use it,” said Declan. 

Kurt’s experience at Casey Jones is testament to this.

“It’s very hands off from a management perspective. All the data just slides straight across onto the Mr Yum platform and we can then send out marketing, and gauge how successful our different promotions and events are,” he said.

Encouraging return guests, not annoying them

In terms of using that data, along with the success of Ladies’ Night, Kurt has used it to make the pub’s UFC nights both bigger and better. 

“It’s just simple, but we can easily re-promote events to people who went to the last one. This is really important for us because we aren’t a tourist pub, we rely on our locals coming back. So with the booking data for the UFC, I can just send a text reminder to those that have booked previously.”

The targeted nature of the tool is particularly important to Kurt.

“When you send a text, you want to target the right people… You really want to send it just to the people who want to come and see you. And you don't want to annoy your customers with stuff that they're not interested in, or they might opt out.”

‍More great marketing opportunities

Kurt has a whole range of ideas up his sleeve on how Casey Jones is going to continue to use the integration between ResDiary and Connect by Mr Yum to keep building the business. 

Along with marketing specials to customers who have bought the specials before, he is in the process of building a birthday database, by adding a birthday field to the booking form, that will automatically send a text with a free beer offer. 

He also wants to target social organisers; people who often make group bookings. 

“You can pick out groups of 10 and above in the data, find the person who made the booking and say, ‘Hey guys, bring in another group of 10 and get a free beer, or a percentage off, or priority seating.’ it doesn't really matter what, but the point is to nudge them to then organise something else.” 

Importantly, for busy hospitality managers, all of this is easy to do. Kurt points out customer support from both ResDiary and Connect by Mr Yum has been very supportive and responsive, making it easier for him to put in place effective and targeted marketing solutions to benefit his business and take it to the next level.