Greenwood Fish Market Reels in the Sales by Increasing Engagement
Driving customer retention with improved dining experiences
Meet our Merchant
Greenwood Fish Market (GFM) founder David Lee cut his teeth as a seafood wholesaler more than two decades ago, driving around in search of prospective clients and selling fresh barramundi out of his car.
Today, the modest operation has evolved into a full-scale, family-run business, with two sprawling restaurants located at Bukit Timah and Sentosa Cove, respectively.
As a purveyor of cold water seafood, each GFM restaurant also boasts its own deli & retail section. Besides prime cuts of meat and gourmet groceries, you’ll find seafood selections that run beyond the usual fare, from giant halibut and monkfish to over 25 different varieties of oysters.
At GFM’s scenic Quayside Isle outlet in Sentosa, customers have a wealth of dining experiences to choose from. Save a spot at the Omakase Counter to indulge in seasonal specialities like Bluefin Otoro and Uni, flown in from Japan twice weekly, or stop by the custom Oyster Bar for front-row seats to the shell-shucking action. Meanwhile, those craving a tipple or two can spend a breezy evening by the Clipper Bar, sipping on craft cocktails or savouring exclusive labels of wine, sake, and gin.
But the curated experiences don’t just stop there—the brand regularly hosts gastronomical events at both their Bukit Timah and Sentosa outlets, including multi-course wine dinners that showcase the unique flavour profiles of GFM’s fresh seafood and premium produce.
Challenge: Manpower Constraints Make Meaningful Engagement Difficult
For GFM’s team, customer experience is at the heart of all they do. “It’s all in the details,” GFM Marketing Manager Li Qing shares. “Whether it’s surprising a birthday celebrant with a small cake or welcoming a regular back by name,” the team aims to shape the GFM experience into one that’s as welcoming as possible.
However, with two full-service restaurants running, manpower constraints are inevitable. A shortage of front-of-house staff has made it difficult for GFM to provide the level of customer service and assistance that diners have come to expect. Less customer engagement also means less chances for the GFM team to upsell their seasonal specialties or introduce their different promotions and dining experiences.
In an effort to resolve the lack of engagement caused by a manpower crunch, Li Qing reveals that the restaurants “currently use physical collaterals [like standees and posters] to promote [their] different concepts & retail space”. However, “it does not seem to be very effective. Most of [GFM’s] customers are not aware of them.”
While physical collaterals can prove useful in certain cases, the lack of effectiveness here suggests that GFM requires a solution that’s highly visible and interactive in order to capture diners’ interests. It should also be customisable to allow the brand to market outlet-specific concepts and events to guests.
Solution: Interactive Virtual Lounge Helps Maximise Customer Engagement
Beyond traditional methods of engagement like physical collaterals and email campaigns, Oddle’s Virtual Lounge (VL) presents a more impactful digital touchpoint for customers to interact with.
As seen from the preview above, the virtual lounge is a highly-visual, mobile-first experience that displays important links and bite-sized content similar to social media stories.
After being greeted at the door, GFM’s customers are directed to scan a QR code to access the restaurant’s very own VL. It includes links to the restaurant’s food & drink menu, as well as engagement cards that invite customers to GFM’s retail section for free samples of house-made pastrami and smoked salmon. Weekday specials and various dining concepts have also been highlighted.
Result: Seamless Customer Journey, Increased Retention Potential
The VL smooths over GFM’s manpower issues and improves customer engagement in several ways.
- Easily discoverable promos & seasonal dishes: the VL’s engagement cards are interactive and eye-catching to diners. They reduce the time needed for staff to upsell items, and also add to the potential of increased revenue and per table spend.
- Clear call-to-action buttons: the buttons on GFM’s engagement cards prompt diners to directly sign up for their weekly food tours and ‘Inner Circle’ membership, boosting conversion potential and return rate.
- Visibility on and off premise: diners can access a restaurant’s VL before and after dining. This heightens brand awareness and allows customers to explore GFM’s offerings at their own leisure.
- High degree of customisation: GFM is able to conveniently switch out their engagement cards to meet their needs, saving staff time and effort on setting up physical collaterals.
Furthermore, the VL serves as the perfect complement to GFM’s reservations platform, also developed by Oddle. GFM’s Oddle Reserve (OR) page allows diners to discover and make bookings for the restaurant’s numerous dining experiences. It is often the first touchpoint for both new & existing customers. By continuing this journey of engagement and discoverability through the VL when diners arrive on-site, Oddle has helped connect GFM’s entire customer journey together in a seamless loop from first to last contact.
According to Li Qing, “Oddle’s Virtual Lounge is an excellent opportunity for [GFM] to include another touchpoint to curate our customer experience. For guests, it’s a space they can use to discover our most exciting offerings, right when it matters. Plus, we can also track which messages resonated best with diners.”
Overall, Oddle’s VL has served to boost both brand awareness and customer engagement for GFM. This engaging and easily accessible interactive experience has ultimately unlocked greater opportunities for customer retention.
Family businesses like Greenwood Fish Market make up the heart of Singapore’s F&B industry, and we’re proud to support them in driving their revenue growth and expansion. Learn more about what Oddle Reserve can do for your brand, and join our 5,000+ strong community of F&B leaders today!
