Customers who receive six stamps in six months get a commemorative plate and are entered in a contest to win a trip to Italy. Extra incentives Offer extra points during slow times. Chart House awards double points on Mondays, usually a slow restaurant day. Give little rewards along the way. The frequent-diner program at an Arby's in Mansfield, Pennsylvania, gives customers increasingly bigger rewards.
Customers receive a card that is punched each time they purchase a sandwich and a drink.
Give participants special perks, such as call-ahead seating. Customers will appreciate the special recognition, says Rick Barlow, president of Frequency Marketing Inc., a marketing services company in Milford, Ohio. The Bottom Line on Running Restaurants .