Back-to-school toolkit : the features that fill your tables and protect your revenue
Summer is fading, the shutters are going back up, and bookings are finding their rhythm again. September is the moment to reconnect with guests who've gone quiet, recognize them the moment they return, and lock down the season ahead before it picks up speed.
This guide walks you through the key features to activate before the pace picks up for good, so you can focus on what matters most.
Heads up : not every feature here is available on every plan. If something's missing from your account, let us know here.
1. Payments : secure your bookings as things pick back up
Bookings are coming back faster than the confidence that they'll hold. A service without a deposit is a bet on good faith. Don't forget to :
- Turn on prepayment for your at-risk services
- Set your cancellation policy so a late cancellation or no-show doesn't cost you the prepayment
- Test a booking to check the guest journey end to end
Fewer tables left waiting. More tables that count.
All there is to know about prepayments
2. SMS: remind guests before they forget
A booking made in July is easy to forget by September. A text the day before turns a maybe into a yes. Don't forget to :
- Turn on SMS reconfirmation requests ahead of every service
- Choose Standard or Advanced mode depending on how far ahead guests book
- Make sure bookings are confirmed ahead of service, that's what triggers the automatic SMS.
One message, one less empty chair.
How to enable reconfirmation requests
3. Booking channels: take back control of where your traffic comes from
Demand is coming back, the question is who benefits from it. Every booking through a third-party channel comes with a commission attached; every booking through your own channels, with Zenchef, belongs to you. Don't forget to :
- Check that all your active booking channels are up to date for the new season
- Review which channels : Google, Meta, and others are switched on in you account
- Track your channel mix in your stats to spot direct bookings climbing
Every direct booking is a commission saved.
4. B2C App: put your own app back in front of guests
A guest who books through the Zenchef app is a guest you don't have to share. Back to school is the moment to remind them it exists. Don't forget to :
- Promote your B2C app link on your website, socials, and guest communications
- Promote your restaurant within the app, using your personalized restaurant link, in post-visit and Marketing Suite messages
- Check app-driven bookings in your reporting to track adoption
The Zenchef app, your guest, your booking.
Get started with the Guest App
According to availability in your location.*
5. Marketing Suite : reconnect with guests who went quiet
Your guests didn't disappear this summer, they just went quiet. Back to school is the right moment to reach out, before another restaurant does. A few ideas to get started:
- Build a segment of guests inactive since before the break
- Launch a personalized comeback email or SMS campaign
- Promote your new seasonal menu to give them a reason to come back
- Track opens and bookings generated in the campaign report
A simple reminder is often all it takes to bring a table back.
6. Tag Assistant : recognize your guests the moment they're back
A regular guest who returns should never have to start from scratch. Tags let the whole team remember, even when memory fades after the break. Don't forget to :
- Make sure automatic tagging is switched on for your account (it's on by default on Grow plan)
- Review the tags generated on your next few bookings
- Brief your floor team on reading and using tags during service
Service that never looks like it stopped.
Here's everything to check off before the season picks up for good.
☐ Prepayment turned on for at-risk services
☐ SMS reconfirmation turned on
☐ Booking channels checked and up to date
☐ B2C app promoted across your channels
☐ "Inactive since summer" guest segment created
☐ Comeback campaign sent
☐ Automatic tagging (Tag Assistant) switched on
☐ Floor team briefed on spotting Tag Assistant's tags
A feature you'd like to activate isn't available on your account?
Contact us via this form and we'll get back to you quickly.