It is easy to brainstorm customer club ideas from the wrong direction.

“What perks could we give?”

“What should we call our loyalty programme?”

“Should we do points?”

A better question is:

What are we trying to change?

The strongest hospitality clubs usually begin with a real commercial or customer problem and build the proposition around it.

Problem: Monday is dead

Do not launch a generic loyalty scheme and hope it somehow fixes Monday. Build something for Monday.

A Monday Club can concentrate the value where you need it: a member menu, a house drink price, a complimentary snack, priority tables or occasional Monday-only events.

Now the customer proposition and the business objective point in the same direction.

Problem: we are busy, but cancellations hurt

Discounting would be bizarre.

Demand is not the problem.

Access is.

A First Dibs or Cancellation Club gives interested customers a reason to join because membership improves their chances of getting a table.

When availability appears, you have a warm audience ready to hear about it.

The club solves the actual problem.

Problem: we have regulars but no relationship outside the venue

This is a classic Regulars Club opportunity.

You are not trying to manufacture loyalty. It already exists.

The job is to make the relationship more deliberate.

Give regulars useful privileges. Let them hear about menus and events first. Recognise them. Create a way to communicate when something genuinely relevant happens.

Problem: weekday mornings are good, but we want predictable revenue

That might lead to a paid Morning Membership.

The proposition could include weekday coffee, useful upgrades and occasional subscriber extras, and the business gets recurring revenue.

The customer gets a clear routine and value exchange.

Different problem. Different club.

Problem: we need more group occasions

That could become a Work Social Club, Group Dining Club or Private Party Club.

The benefits might be practical rather than promotional: simple packages, easier booking, reserved areas, welcome drinks or early access to key dates.

This approach makes marketing easier

When a club has a job, the message becomes clearer.

“Join our customer club” is vague.

“Join Monday Club and make Mondays better” is understandable.

“Join First Dibs and hear about cancellations before everyone else” is useful.

Specificity does a lot of the marketing work.

Try this exercise

Write down five things you would change about your business if you could.

They might be:

• busier Tuesdays;

• more lunchtime customers;

• better recognition of regulars;

• more direct bookings;

• fewer empty cancellation tables;

• more family visits;

• a stronger local community;

• recurring revenue;

• more early-evening trade;

• better use of the garden.

Now forget about loyalty mechanics.

For each problem, ask:

Who could help us solve this, and what would make joining a club valuable to them?

That is where the interesting ideas start.