The Coffee Experience
Chapter 7: Chao!
So far, your customer has had a great experience, and they are heading to the door to continue their day. You have one last chance to make a lasting impression before they leave. Always make sure to thank them for coming in, and wish them a great day. Saying goodbye is just one more way to add your personal touch, and to make yourself stand out from the crowd.
As you get to know your customers better, make sure to personalize the message or find a unique way to bid them farewell. Having the same response for everyone sounds robotic, and it can make you seem desperate. Mix it up, but try and keep it casual and friendly. Remember, we are trying to create the entire customer experience, and that should include being attentive and receptive of their entire stay.
On the way to the car, many things can happen. We have had people leave their phones behind, spill their drinks, forget their keys, and forget their food items on the fixins’ bar. Go above and beyond. If you notice that they have forgotten an item, stop everything and try and run out to the parking lot to catch them. People waiting on drinks will understand, and the extra effort on your part will not go unnoticed.
A big part of the Branch Street Experience™ is making sure that people enjoy their coffee. There have been times that we have had a customer spill their drink, or forget it on top of their car. They are sometimes in a rush, and it happens. Stop the whole line, make a new drink and get it out to them…free of charge. There is nothing more embarrassing than being that person that spills or drops their food/drink, and if you make it no big deal and still send them out with a new drink, they will always remember how well they were treated.
One of the final goals of this part of the plan is to ensure that every single person walks away perfectly happy with their drink, every time. People won’t tell you if they are dissatisfied, but they may tell their friends, or never come back to give you another chance. We always make sure to ask people how their drinks were. If we sense even the slightest hesitation, we investigate further. If it turns out that they were not satisfied, we look for the solution. Maybe they weren’t happy with the blend or roast level, we could suggest another coffee for their next trip. Often at this point, we give a ‘Free Coffee’ card to make sure their next trip exceeds their expectations. It doesn’t cost nearly as much as losing a potential lifetime customer.