Loyalty, Usefulness and the Human Experience: What We Learned from Our Zonal Special

Hospitality has always thrived on relationships. For decades, the “L” word, loyalty, has been treated as the holy grail for operators, the ultimate prize of guest retention. But as our latest Tech on Toast special with Zonal revealed, loyalty may not be as fixed or as dependable as we’d like to believe. In fact, it might be far more fragile, fickle, and tied to usefulness than any glossy loyalty programme suggests.

In this episode, we brought together three brilliant voices:

• John Sills, author of The Human Experience and Managing Partner at The Foundation
  
  
• Ruth Carpenter, Head of Marketing at Pizza Pilgrims
  
  
• Gillian Nicholson, Sales Director at Zonal
  
  

Together, we explored shifting consumer behaviour, the blurred line between digital convenience and human connection, and why operators need to reframe their understanding of what actually keeps guests coming back.

Loyalty or Usefulness?

John set the tone early on with a challenge to the very idea of loyalty.

“I don’t really believe customer loyalty exists… We often equate what we think is loyalty to usefulness. Your job as a company is to stay more useful to your customers than the competitors and alternatives. As soon as someone else comes along and is more useful, they’ll go elsewhere.”

This is a powerful reframing. Instead of assuming loyalty is a permanent state, John suggested that operators need to think in terms of usefulness in context. For example, a guest might go to Pizza Express with their kids because food arrives quickly, but choose a fine dining restaurant with friends for novelty and experience. Same person, two entirely different drivers.

The implication for operators is clear: stop taking “loyalty” for granted. Focus on relevance and usefulness, and never stop trying to impress your guests.

The Pizza Pilgrims Approach: Listening Without Ego

Ruth Carpenter gave a practical operator’s perspective. For Pizza Pilgrims, loyalty isn’t won by telling customers what’s on the menu, it’s about asking what they expect from a pizza restaurant in the first place.

“We’ll never say, ‘Hey, we’re Pizza Pilgrims, what do you think of us?’ Instead, we ask: ‘If you’re going to dine at a pizza restaurant, what are your expectations? What makes a pint worth £7 to you?’”

By framing questions around the customer’s life, not just the thin end of the wedge (as John puts it), Pizza Pilgrims unlocks more authentic feedback. This has real impact. A recent survey dictated their upcoming beer partner switch, showing how guest insight can directly shape commercial decisions.

Ruth also highlighted the importance of joy in hospitality:

“We take nothing seriously but the pizza. Every touchpoint should be full of joy, but the pizza has to be the best, because you’re only as good as the pizza you serve.”

That balance of levity, quality, and responsiveness is why Pizza Pilgrims continues to punch above its weight.

Data with Humanity

Zonal has been a cornerstone of hospitality tech for over 45 years, and Gillian Nicholson brought insight into how technology is shifting guest behaviour. One standout trend from their research? Dining times are getting earlier.

“Our recent report said 6.12 is the new 8pm. People are eating out earlier for a variety of reasons. For operators, that means rethinking how to structure service and optimise experience.”

But Gillian also underscored the importance of using data with purpose. Too many operators drown in metrics without tying them back to clear goals. The real winners are those who use insights to improve the guest journey seamlessly, not just to gather information for its own sake.

“Our tech should blend into the background. It’s about the venue, the staff, the experience. We provide the right information at the right time to improve the journey, not become the journey.”

The Subscription Dilemma

Subscription models came under heavy scrutiny. On the one hand, they lock in revenue streams and keep guests engaged with a brand. On the other, they risk monotony and dependency.

Ruth was candid:

“Subscriptions can be so boring. It’s the same products every month, the same recommendations. There’s no surprise and delight. I’d rather have a random box of new things to try.”

John pointed out that subscriptions are just another form of usefulness, but fragile. If guests feel trapped rather than excited, the model works against the brand. The lesson? Subscriptions must balance reliability with novelty, or risk losing their magic.

Ethics and Purpose: Nice to Have or Essential?

One of the most striking parts of the discussion was around B Corp certification. Pizza Pilgrims recently achieved it, and Ruth made it clear: it wasn’t about winning guests.

“Probably only 5% of our customers really care. But we didn’t become a B Corp to impress customers. We did it to keep ourselves accountable, to make sure purpose was at the heart of decision making.”

John backed this up with a useful framework: customers don’t usually choose venues because of ethics, but they may avoid them if ethics are poor. Purpose adds stickiness, reinforcing why existing fans stay advocates.

And for teams, the impact is real. Pizza Pilgrims has seen retention rise and new talent join because they want to work for a B Corp brand. In a sector battling staff shortages, that may be more valuable than direct consumer pull.

The Age of Impatience

Another clear theme was guest impatience. From ordering to paying, guests expect speed, but context matters.

“At McDonald’s, speed is everything. At a Michelin-star restaurant, you expect to slow down. It’s about matching the pace to the experience,” John reminded us.

Payments are a clear example of progress here. Seamless pay-at-table has become a game-changer, taking away one of the least-loved parts of dining out: waiting to pay. But, as Ruth pointed out, order-at-table tech risks stripping away human connection if not used carefully.

The challenge is finding the balance: make the painful parts of the journey seamless, without removing the joy of human hospitality.

What’s Next for Consumer Behaviour?

When asked about the next big shifts, the panel offered three compelling insights:

• Accessibility will rise – Menus will need to become more inclusive of allergies, dietary needs, and cultural requirements. Guests won’t tolerate “hacked” menus or giant plastic allergen folders anymore.
  
  
• Expectations will climb – As wallets tighten, guests demand more value, more flexibility, and more memorable experiences from fewer outings.
  
  
• The blur of business and leisure – Restaurants and pubs may need to adapt to multi-use behaviour, from daytime disco brunches to laptop-friendly work sessions.
  
  

The unifying theme? Flexibility. Operators can no longer rely on a single guest journey. They must anticipate diverse needs and create spaces where different groups feel comfortable.

Fragile, Fickle, or Essential?

We closed by asking each guest to describe loyalty in one word. The answers say it all:

• John: Fragile
  
  
• Gillian: Essential
  
  
• Ruth: Fickle
  
  

Three different words, three different truths. Together, they reflect the complexity of hospitality today. Guests are demanding, impatient, and selective. They want joy, simplicity, and usefulness. And while loyalty may not be a guarantee, operators who combine purpose, data, and humanity have the best shot at keeping guests coming back.

Final Thought

This Zonal-powered special was a reminder that loyalty isn’t a static prize, but an ongoing conversation between guests, operators, and the world around them. Technology has a huge role to play, but only when it enables human experiences, rather than replacing them.

As John put it best:

“It’s not about loyalty. It’s about staying useful.”

And in a world where guests’ needs shift faster than ever, that might be the most loyal truth of all.

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