I don’t know about you, but as a micro-business owner, I work from home. Too much home-based work leads to cabin fever, so I developed a morning coffee shop ritual about 10 years ago. I pick up the paper in at home, and head out to my favorite coffee shop, with laptop in hand.
Over the years, I’ve lived in several places, and done enough traveling to have experienced every type of coffee shop atmosphere, product and attitude.
While Starbucks is the most successful coffee house chain, I’ve never made a connection there. For years, I lived in San Francisco and patronized their location at Laguna and Union Street. They never learned (or asked) my name or my regular order. The staff seemed to be made up of drones and clones.
During my four and half years in Las Vegas, for the most part, I’ve patronized It’s A Grind, first at Rainbow and Flamingo, then at Desert Inn and Durango. Good coffee (better than Starbucks, beautiful oversized oil portraits of jazz artists, and a pretty good soundtrack of jazz and rhythm & blues flowing in the background.
One day, It’s A Grind closed the Rainbow & Flamingo store. No notice, nothing. Just a sign that asked customers to visit them at the Desert Inn and Durango store. I didn’t for about 6 months or more. I tried the Einstein Bagels up the street, and then the Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf that took over the old It’s A Grind location. Coffee Bean is nice enough, but it has no soul…. none.
Finally, I tried the Desert Inn and Durango location of It’s A Grind, even though it was even further away from home. I recognized some staff and fellow customers, and settled in there for about a year and half.
Their It’s A Grind franchisee-owner is a pleasant enough fellow, but somewhere along the line, he lost sight of the lifetime value of a customer. The Free Wi-Fi suddenly became Free, with a $4 minimum. Recently, he fired his manager, promoted two people to managers. They quit. The customer was left with undertrained staff, and a total loss of continuity.
I have been quietly looking for a welcoming coffee shop to host my morning ritual. Yesterday, I walked into a store, about three blocks from my home, Maui Wowi Hawaiian Coffee and Smoothies. I could see they were in the final stages of preparation for opening. Kathy, who turned out to be from their corporate office, interrupted her phone call to let me know the store would open this morning at 6am. “Come in and be our first customer,” she said. The alarm rang at 5:40am, but the body wasn’t willing.
I did get to the store at 8am, wearing the appropriate Aloha shirt. The smiling staff greeted me a warm Aloha and filled me up with a Kona coffee. I’ll be checking out the Pineapple Tea, next. The gentle music, rattan furniture and overall decor, fit the theme. And yes, we’re already on a first name basis.
I know you’re not in the coffee business, but you are in the hospitality business. What are you doing to make your customers feel welcome, always? Or even better, what are you doing to make your prospects feel like customers.
* Is there a welcome sign with the customers’ name to greet them when they arrive?
* Does everyone in the office know who is coming for an appointment, and why?
* Is the coffee ready?
* Is the bottled water, ice cold?
“Flip-flop attitude in a wing-tip world,” is the slogan for Maui Wowi coffee. I’ve now found Aloha Spirt from 3000 miles away, just 3 blocks from my home.
Even your small business can have a corporate culture that is distinct. Make sure that your distinct personality is one that customers will cherish and appreciate.
You’ll keep customers for life.
[...] The Lifetime Value of a Customer [...]