It used to be that when clients called prospective caterers, they didn’t know anything about the offerings and it was the first contact with the company. With the ever-increasing accessibility of the Internet through both desktop and mobile devices, however, a majority of customers have already researched menus, viewed photos of the venue and even have an estimated cost for the event. “Because customers research online, it is crucial to have an online presence and message that is informational and easily accessible through mobile devices,” says Cary Bradley, CMP, CMM, senior director events-Americas, Hilton Worldwide (www.hilton.com). “Gone are the days when a customer will call us with no awareness of the offerings, and we mail them a brochure.”
CateringUP – Specialized catering software In previous generations, when a catering sales person was meeting with potential customers, they had to either call back to the office to work up a quote or determine availability. Many caterers now use sales software to provide immediate answers and close deals quicker than before. CateringUP by inBeam Technologies went even further. The product facilitates the communication process while acting as a catering CRM and managing all documents and forecasts related to prospective customers and booked events.
