Restaurants are losing billions not because of bad food… but because they don’t know who their best customers are.

In this episode of the ChatGTM Podcast, Michael Beck and Chad Horn sit down with Ryan Volberg, Founder & CEO of Guestologie, to break down why loyalty is broken in hospitality and what it actually takes to fix it.

Ryan shares the moment that sparked Guestologie, realizing he was treated like a first-time guest after 50+ visits and why that problem still exists across the industry today.

This conversation goes deep on why most “loyalty programs” don’t create loyalty, how AI is changing guest recognition, and why restaurants are over-investing in new customers while quietly losing their best ones.

If you care about retention, personalization, or building real customer relationships at scale, this one hits.

Key Takeaways:
• Why 36% of restaurant customers churn every year
• The difference between loyalty and rewards (and why it matters)
• How AI can predict your best customers after just one visit
• Why “status” beats discounts every time
• How restaurants can create Michelin-level experiences at scale
• The hidden reason your regulars quietly stop coming back

Ryan has spent his career building category-defining companies from cloud POS to earned wage access and now Guestologie, where he’s tackling one of hospitality’s oldest problems: truly knowing the guest.

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