CONSUMER LOYALTY AS A BRANDING TOOL IN THE DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY OF RESTAURANT BUSINESS ENTERPRISES

Abstract

The article examines the nature of the NPS index, its calculation methods, and its significance for the catering industry, and also analyzes the results of the practical application of the given methodology when implementing it during the improvement of the development strategy at restaurant business enterprises. The current realities of economic activity in Ukraine are extremely difficult for many types of enterprises. In addition to external general unfavorable conditions, catering establishments are faced with increasing competition, which poses an important task for them not only to attract new customers, but also to retain existing ones. The success of a restaurant, cafe or coffee shop increasingly depends on customer loyalty - a factor that includes both their desire to return and their willingness to recommend the establishment to others. To measure this important indicator, the Net Promoter Score (NPS) index is often used – a tool that reflects the likelihood that customers will recommend the establishment to their friends and acquaintances. In the restaurant industry, where customer satisfaction is a key factor in success, the NPS is a valuable indicator as it helps to understand how satisfied customers are with their experience and whether they are willing to tell others about it. Through NPS analysis, restaurants can identify key points that affect loyalty and take measures to improve service, which will contribute not only to increasing customer satisfaction, but also to the successful development of the business. Considering that, according to a report by Nielsen, one of the leading international companies, recommendations from friends and family are the most reliable form of advertising, restaurants with a high NPS can count on a positive reputation and an increase in new customers due to word-of-mouth marketing or “word of mouth”. It is also worth noting that more than twothirds of Fortune 1000 companies use this indicator to monitor customer loyalty, which emphasizes its importance for business. The willingness of customers to return to a restaurant is a powerful tool for assessing the level of customer retention and loyalty. However, in order for a restaurant to thrive and remain successful in the market, it needs not only to ensure the loy-alty of regular customers, but also to attract new visitors, maintain their interest and ensure a high rotation of guests. It is important to understand that the success of a business depends not only on the level of customer satisfaction and their willingness to return, but also on how actively they recommend the establishment to their friends and family. Thus, recommendations are a powerful tool in the restaurant business, they can be one of the main components for the long-term development and prosperity of a restaurant