Regina’s Lakeshore restaurant has been impressing its guests with an upscale dining experience since 1974. A premiere steakhouse and cocktail lounge, the Lakeshore’s charming atmosphere, carefully prepared dishes and excellent customer service have kept their loyal patrons returning time and again over the years.
Before AnyCard, Owners Paul and George Flengeris considered selling gift cards online. They planned to take orders through their website, have customers pay via PayPal, and then send out plastic cards by mail. However, they realized this process was complicated and time-consuming. They were eager to invest in a platform that was simple and automated, allowing their restaurant to increase overall gift card sales.
Challenges
Co-owner Paul Flengeris admitted that him and his partner’s initial idea would have been inefficient; they did not want online gift card sales to take either of them away from aspects of the restaurant they were more passionate about, such as providing guests with unparalleled customer service. When introduced to the AnyCard product, both Paul and George realized it was an effective web-based platform that would allow consumers to gift the Lakeshore in a fun and customizable way while minimizing waste from plastic cards.
How AnyCard Helped
“I was impressed,” stated Paul, “it seemed like a much better deal than what I was planning on doing” referring to how efficient the AnyCard product proved to be. Paul and George enjoy that their online gift card sales are now electronic and that they are no longer faced with the task of sending out physical gift cards by post. “That in itself is a great reason to do business with AnyCard”, boasted Paul, “This product is a must-have for any small, locally owned business”.
AnyCard has met the Lakeshore’s expectations with its easy to use system and supportive technical team. “It was so simple to get up and running and the system was implemented very quickly”. Paul remembers the entire process to be a breeze, stating that all he had to do was fill out a form and send off his banking information. “Since I started using AnyCard last year, I have had next to no problems”, added Paul, “Any glitches are taken care of right away and Stripe’s banking system is very safe. There is money coming in and that’s all we care about”.
The Lakeshore is happy to offer consumers the option of choosing electronic gift cards alongside plastic gift cards, setting them apart from other restaurants in the area. Paul believes that customers are more likely to make purchases from their business now that they can buy gift cards online, opposed to physically having to come into restaurant. “The easier you make it for the customer, the easier it is to sell your product,” Paul claims, implying that AnyCard’s simplicity allows the Lakeshore to maximize gift card sales. Paul stated that many of his customers buy Lakeshore gift cards frequently throughout the year, “Now with e-gift cards these customers, if they want, can buy a gift card for every occasion all at once and post-date their deliveries for the coming months. Birthdays, anniversaries, you name it. It’s all taken care of”.
AnyCard also allows the Lakeshore to stay open for business 24/7. “Sometimes I’ll get an email at 1am saying that someone bought a gift card”, said Paul, adding that he likes that the Lakeshore can offer their customers this convenience, “People are going to choose your business if they know that they can buy a gift card any time of day. Maybe they forgot to buy a gift or didn’t have time to stop in during business hours. Now it doesn’t matter!”
Key Takeaways
- AnyCard’s system saves the Lakeshore owners time, allowing them to better serve their customers.
- The Lakeshore is equipped to sell gift cards at any time of day.
- The Lakeshore has maximized gift card sales through supplementing plastic gift cards with e-gift cards.
When asked about their e-gift card experience The Lakeshore noted “When people buy an e-gift card from the Lakeshore, it means they are trusting us to provide an exceptional dining experience. AnyCard allows people to invest in our restaurant. We couldn’t be happier”.
Learn how AnyCard can help grow your business a www.anycard.ca.
Written by Alexa Taylor, AnyCard Marketing Coordinator