How should a Twin Falls restaurant track a mailed coupon?
The practical setup a Twin Falls restaurant needs to know whether a mailed coupon actually moved covers.
1. Unique code per campaign
Never reuse a code across campaigns. A code like TF-AUG26 tells you which drop the guest is redeeming without asking them. If you run two offers on the same mailer, use two codes.
2. POS as its own discount
Add the promo to your POS as a named discount, not a manual dollar-off comp. Named discounts get their own line in end-of-day reports; manual comps disappear into the void.
3. Host-stand tally as backup
Servers miss codes when it is busy. A tick sheet at the host stand costs nothing and catches the paper coupons that never reach the POS.
4. Flag the guest for a return visit
The first redemption is table stakes; the second and third visits are where a mailer pays back. If you have any loyalty tool, tag redeemers so you can measure repeat visits in the following 30–90 days.
5. Report what actually happened
At the end of the redemption window, publish four numbers internally: mailer cost, redemptions, revenue from redeemers on the first visit, and follow-up visits within 60 days. Anything else is decoration.