The Real Cost of a One-Time Customer in Hospitality & Tourism

The most expensive seat in your business? It’s the empty seat!

Every operator knows the sting of a quiet night or an empty table and when those moments stack up, they don’t just dent your ego, they punch holes in your bottom line.

We all want to see new faces. It feels like growth. It looks good on paper, but the reality is, getting someone through the door for the first time is the most expensive sale you’ll ever make and if they don’t come back, it’s also the most wasteful.

It’s a costly cycle and it’s entirely fixable.

Let’s talk numbers.

Industry research shows that it can cost five to seven times more to attract a new customer than to retain an existing one. Think about that, every time someone walks in for the first time and doesn’t return, you’ve likely spent money to get them there through marketing, ads, discounts, time or just pure effort.

Unless they come back, you’ll never see the return on that investment. So when we talk about customer churn. We’re not just talking about people who complain, we’re talking about the silent exiters. The ones who smile politely, never leave a bad review…and never return.

It’s a bit like filling up a bucket with holes in the bottom. You’re constantly pouring in resources, but the level never really rises.

Repeat business is your most underused growth strategy.

You don’t need more one-time visitors. You need a system that turns first-time guests into second-time guests and second-time guests into regulars.

Why? Because returning customers:

• Spend more
• Stay longer
• Trust faster
• Refer more friends
• Cost you less over time

They already know what you do. Now they just need a reason to come back.

Designing for return visits isn’t complicated, it’s intentional.

Think about your current customer journey. What happens after a guest leaves?

• Do they hear from you again?
• Are they invited back with a reason that feels personal?
• Are there “emotional breadcrumbs” that lead them to return?

A well-timed email, a personalised thank-you, a surprise incentive, even just sharing their visit on socials, these are small moves that drive real impact.

You're not begging them to come back. You’re making it easy and appealing for them to want to.

Churn is silent, but it’s solvable.

You won’t always know when someone decides not to return. But you can create systems that make it far less likely. You’ve already done the hardest part: earning their trust the first time. Now let’s stop letting that effort go to waste.

Need help creating repeat business without burning out?

Grab my free guide: 7 Wow Moments to Increase Repeat Visits
It's your plug-and-play starting point for turning first-time guests into loyal regulars with less effort and more intention.

Because the most expensive seat or bed isn’t the one you haven’t filled yet. It’s the one that never gets filled again.