Customer+Tips+for+Coffee+Shops+e-book+Vol+1+16+April+2012coffee shop tips

Customer Tips for Coffee Shops

Volume One

by

Jurek Leon

21 Terrific Tips to help coffee shop owners and their staff give customers like you and me the type of experience we long for

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2012 Terrific Trading Pty Ltd www.terrifictrading.com

Customer Tips for Coffee Shops – Volume One

21 Terrific Tips to help coffee shop owners and their staff give customers like you and me the type of experience we long for

My purpose in writing this e-book is to make it easier for coffee shop owners and their staff to give customers like you and me the

type of experience we long for.

I love frequenting coffee shops. I like to relax in them whether alone, with my wife Gwen or with friends. I prefer to meet colleagues

and clients in a coffee shop rather than in an office.

I have many good experiences in coffee shops. I enjoy the ambience. Often though there is something lacking in the way things are

done.

That set me thinking: Wouldn‘t it be wonderful if these coffee shop owners regularly asked their patrons, people like you and me,

what they could do to make the experience better for us their paying customers, their word of mouth marketers, their financial future?

By that I don‘t mean having on the counter one of those little ‗tick the box‘ feedback forms, I mean actually asking, ―How could we

make the experience better for you?‖

This book is for people who enjoy frequenting coffee shops and want a consistently pleasant experience.

It‘s also for coffee shop owners who want to stand out from the crowd and turn their customers into walking, talking, clicking and

tweeting ambassadors for their business.

And most importantly it‘s for people working in coffee shops. Once you understand how to influence customers in a positive way, the

awareness and skills you develop will help you in all aspects of your life no matter where you travel or what you go on to do.

By the way, you will find 23 customer tips included in this e-book. This isn‘t a mistake. I thought you‘d appreciate a little bit extra.

If you‘re curious to know what is covered in Volume Two of Customer Tips for Coffee Shops check out page 31.

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Customer Tips for Coffee Shops – Volume One 21 Terrific Tips to help coffee shop owners and their staff give customers like you and me the type of experience we long for

INDEX

Tip Title Page

To all coffee shop customers 5

To coffee shop owners and their team members 5

Exercise – what are the lessons? 6

The Service Experience

1. Picture perfect service 7

2. Picture perfect service – What went wrong? 8

3. Do not stretch across the table 9

4. Cleaning the tables 10

5. Don‘t turn away 11

6. Clearing tables and punishing customers 12

7. Returning empty handed 13

8. Last impressions have lasting results 14

9. Speak in complete sentences 15

10. Go on make my day 16

Points to Ponder

11. Now is not the time to cut back 17

12. Hot coffee, warm heart 18

13. Lessons from a rural bakery 19

14. How to be a competent server 20

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Tip Title Page

Marketing and Promotion Tips

15. Be prepared before you promote 21

16. Local area marketing 22

17. Become the mayor of your coffee shop strip 23

Ambience and Comfort

18. Stacking tables and mopping floors 24

19. Accountants, serviettes and the coffee experience 25

20. Customer friendly signs 26

At the Counter

21. Small or large? 27

22. Confirming the order 28

23. Redeeming coupons 29

About the author 30

Customer Tips for Coffee Shops – Volume Two 31

Subscribe to Jurek Leon‘s free Terrific Tips e-newsletter 32

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To all coffee shop customers Thank you for reading this. I‘d love to hear your thoughts as a customer. Please take issue with anything I‘ve said in this book and

offer an alternative viewpoint.

And do share your experiences. If they haven‘t been ideal, what specific tips can you offer that would have made your experience a

more enjoyable one? Contact Jurek.

Once we gather enough useful information I will compile a Volume Three set of Customer Tips for Coffee Shops. In it I‘ll include

references to all the contributors. So, unless you prefer to remain anonymous, please include your name, website, email address

and/or facebook page and help make the café experience a delight for all of us.

To all coffee shop owners and their switched on team members who are reading this Congratulations for taking the time to focus on the customer‘s point of view. The fact you are doing so tells me that you are already

doing a great job but are smart enough to know that you can always get better.

Please treat this as a workbook to be used and applied rather than a book to be read. Information and ideas by themselves are useless.

It's what you do with them that counts.

Print out a couple of these tips at a time; distribute them to the team along with the ‗What are the lessons for your café?‘ exercise on

the next page. Set aside a few minutes to discuss them.

Conversations like this create and foster a customer focused culture. Let me know how you go. I‘d leave to hear from you.

Jurek Leon

www.terrifictrading.com

mailto:[email protected]

http://www.terrifictrading.com/

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Exercise – What are the lessons for your café?

Complete one of these sheets for each tip in this e-book. Set aside a few minutes with your colleagues to discuss one or two of these at

a time.

What are the lessons to be learned from this tip?

___________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________

What could have application for your café?

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________

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The Service Experience

1. Picture perfect service

I was strolling along the beach on a sunny Sunday afternoon with my wife Gwen. We treated ourselves to a coffee at one of the

cafes. Sitting out on the balcony, overlooking the ocean it was the perfect setting.

Our waitress brought the coffees to our table. As she put them down a little of mine spilled into the saucer. ―Sorry, I‘ll sort that‖, she

said and immediately went to get a paper napkin, returning to dab the bottom of my cup and left the napkin in my saucer placing the

cup on top of it.

I thanked her for doing this but I actually felt a little let down. It was no longer the picture perfect experience that I had envisaged.

We asked for menus because we were planning to treat ourselves to a long, lingering lunch on the beachfront the following week for a

special occasion. Our intention was to book a table before we left.

―That was a lovely coffee, wasn‘t it?‖ Gwen said. ―Actually, I didn‘t think it was that great,‖ I replied... but it was nothing to do with

the taste of the coffee; it was one aspect of the experience that was colouring my judgement. The view was wonderful, the company

great, the atmosphere relaxed but it‘s not quite as special as it could be when you‘ve got a soggy paper napkin under your cup.

As I looked through the menu, I struggled to find anything that took my fancy. ―Why don‘t we book somewhere else?‖ said Gwen,

which we did and were pleased that we hadn‘t compromised.

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2. Picture perfect service – What went wrong?

Let‘s analyse why the well presented, well positioned cafe in Tip One missed out on our business.

The owner is renowned for running good establishments with friendly service and on that aspect his staff certainly didn‘t let him

down. What did let him and his customers down was that the customer experience didn‘t match the picture that I‘m sure he would

want to see painted.

So, what is the missing ingredient?

To be the preferred choice for your customers, you need to ensure that each member of your team has a clear picture of how the

experience is meant to be every time for every customer. In cafes this can be a picture of how the food should be presented on the

plate, defined standards on how to address customers, how to serve and clear cups and plates and all the little details that go to make

up the experience.

Think about the experience your customers have when they come to your café.

Do you have a clear picture of what you want it to be?

Do your team have the same clarity as you? In fact, do they even have the same picture as you?

Do your customers consistently get this picture perfect experience?

Is this something you and your team should be having regular conversations about?

Conversations with your team about issues like this help ensure clarity and consistency. It‘s not hard to do but it does need to happen

regularly.

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3. Do not stretch across the table

I don‘t expect coffee shops to have the same standards as a la carte restaurants but I do expect the serving staff to be taught some basic

rules of hospitality.

And one of those rules is DO NOT STRETCH ACROSS THE TABLE to put down a cup, a glass or a plate. Instead walk round and

place the plate or cup in front of the patron. Stretching across is unprofessional and inconsiderate of the customer.

The simple rule of ‗serve from the left and clear from the right‘ might help awareness; and putting the cup or glass to the right of the

customer at two o‘clock is an accompanying point to consider.

Managers and cafe owners, you can‘t assume that your staff know this. Set the standard, model the behaviour and reinforce it so that it

becomes the natural way of doing things in your cafe.

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4. Cleaning the tables

The server needs to carry two cloths. A moist cloth to wipe the table clean, and a dry cloth to dry it off immediately afterwards. This

way, customers aren't putting down their papers and other personal items onto a wet or damp table.

In wiping the table, do not wipe crumbs onto the chairs. Collect the crumbs and other debris, take them away and put them in the

appropriate place.

What do you mean, “Watch your Language!”

I live in Australia and was born and brought up in Scotland, so I follow

Australian English conventions. This means that some of the spelling in this

e-book may look a little strange to our North American readers. For

example, organisation and apologise with an ‗s‘ and favourite and colour

with a ‗u‘.

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5. Don‟t turn away

I was sitting in a coffee shop in Fremantle, Western Australia, a wonderful place to relax and take time out on a busy day.

I‘d ordered and was engrossed in reading through some work when the waitress arrived with my coffee. As she put down the cup I

lifted my head to say ‗Thanks‘. Even though the saucer hadn‘t quite touched the table she had already turned away from me ready to

head for the next task.

Was she efficient? Yes.

Did she fulfil her task effectively? In terms of performing the function of delivering my coffee, yes she did. She didn‘t spill any

coffee in the saucer as can happen when attention isn‘t given to placing the cup carefully on the table. She didn‘t stretch across me to

put the cup down or place it incorrectly.

Yet, I didn‘t feel good at all. Lifting my head to say thanks and seeing her turn away from me was not a nice feeling.

My waitress would have been completely oblivious to this. Just a couple of seconds following the cup down until it was safely on the

table and being ready to make eye contact and smile would have made a huge difference to this customer and, I suspect, many other

customers too.

Little things do make a difference.

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6. Clearing tables and punishing customers

People want to return to places that make them feel good about themselves. Remember this, make it a guiding principle and your

customers will be happier, your day will be more pleasant and your business will be more profitable.

So, if you are offended by the customer‘s tone of voice or their behaviour, first give them the benefit of the doubt and go out of your

way to infect them with your positive attitude. Attitudes are contagious. Choose to make yours one that is worth catching.

As customers we can do this too and it‘s fun to see the difference it can make as this example shows.

Recently, my wife Gwen went to meet a friend in a cafe. Her friend had arrived first. There were still dirty plates on the table from

previous occupants. ―The waitress said she‘d clear it in a minute,‖ her friend remarked.

Gwen moved the plates and cups to the empty table next to them which also had dirty dishes on it. The waitress arrived and, clearly

taking this as some form of implied criticism, as she cleared the next table curtly remarked, ―I said I‘d come and take them.‖ She

clearly wasn‘t impressed and managed to make obvious banging noises as she cleared up. Next she served a couple of people who

came in after Gwen and her friend. A not so subtle form of punishment!

She then returned and in a manner that was not at all friendly said, ―Are you ready to order?‖ Gwen in a pleasant tone said, ―I‘m sorry

for moving the dirty dishes, I just thought I was helping.‖

―That‘s alright‖, replied the waitress and her whole demeanour instantly changed. Not just with them but as she went about her work

throughout the cafe.

Gwen‘s positive way of reacting had clearly made her day. Not only did Gwen and her friend benefit, so did this girl‘s work

colleagues, customers and no doubt, so did the business.

There are some lessons from this, aren‘t there?

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7. Returning empty handed

How often in a busy cafe do you see young staff delivering food and drinks and returning empty handed to pick up their next delivery?

Compare this to the more experienced and alert staff members who scan the room as they go about their tasks, noticing tables that

need cleared. On their return journey they pick up dirty dishes, checking the chairs and floors as well and discreetly and efficiently

picking up any mess. What a difference! They do twice the work in half the time, usually far more thoroughly.

But whose fault is it? Certainly not the inexperienced young staff members!

You don‘t have to run a coffee shop to benefit from Jurek‘s ideas and insights. Check

out his '52 Terrific Tips Guaranteed' . It‘s a fantastic resource for all types of

organisations.

http://terrifictrading.com.au/non-retail/52-terrific-tips-guaranteed-to-improve-your-selling-and-service

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8. Last impressions have lasting results

What happens in the final few seconds can have a dramatic effect on the customer‘s view of the service experience.

For example, have you noticed that most times that servers spill coffee into the saucer it isn‘t a problem with their sense of balance?

Even though coffee cups are often filled right to the brim by baristas, I notice that many servers do a great job of reaching the table

without any spillage. However, that tends to be the point at which the focus and concentration can slip. They look away from the

table towards their next activity just before they place the cups on the table. They fail to see the task through to its conclusion. As a

result, not only is coffee spilt as the saucer is tilted, the server doesn‘t realise what they have done.

The coffee should not just be placed on the table, it should be presented to the customer. This means ensuring that the presentation is

100% correct without even a drip in the saucer, followed by brief eye contact with the customer. Only then is the task complete.

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9. Speak in complete sentences

In his wonderful free e-newsletter, Restaurant Doctor Bill Marvin has this to say about using complete sentences when speaking to

customers:

We have a tendency to use shorthand when talking to guests – ―Smoking or non?‖ ―More rolls?‖ ―Coffee?‖ – While it is

understandable, such shortcuts do not help your guests feel exceptionally well cared for.

Just adding a few words to turn the phrase into a sentence can help create a higher level of service for your guests – ―Do you have a

seating preference?‖ ―Shall I bring you more rolls?‖ ―Would you like more coffee?‖

Speaking in complete sentences forces you to think before you open your mouth. This helps you drop distracting thoughts and creates

the personal connection that will ultimately determine your tip.‖

Check out www.restaurantdoctor.com for more insights.

http://www.restaurantdoctor.com/

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10. Go on, make my day

A while back, Tanya den Boer assistant manager at The Coffee Club at Midland Gate Shopping Centre in Perth, Western Australia

and I were both interviewed for the ABCs Stateline program on a segment celebrating excellence in customer service. I just loved this

quote from Tanya: “We‟re not here just to serve you, we are here to make your day.”

It‘s this attitude that has seen The Coffee Club at Midland Gate recognised nationally through the 200 strong The Coffee Club

franchise group and via catering and local business awards. You can check out Tanya‘s interview and mine on YouTube by clicking

here. It‘s the one titled ‗Service Excellence‘.

http://www.youtube.com/user/JurekLeon

http://www.youtube.com/user/JurekLeon

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Points to Ponder

11. Now is not the time to cut back

I found this great little snippet in an article in Marketing Magazine – www.marketingmag.com.au – by Mike Abel from M&C Saatchi

a top advertising man. While I don‘t like biscotti, I appreciate his point.

―We all love a little biscotti or Lindt wafer that is complimentary with a cup of coffee. Now is not the time to cut back on spoiling

your customers – in this market you may need to spend a little more to differentiate yourself, and thus earn a little more. Ask yourself

what is the biscotti in my business and is it wise to drop it? People want more from you during hard times, not good times. Small cost,

big perceived value.‖

If you own or manage a retail store, you‘re in luck. Jurek has developed a fantastic 'Retail

Selling DIY in-store training programme' Check it out. It could be just the resource you

need to convert more browsers into buyers, increase your average sale and foster more

repeat business.

http://www.marketingmag.com.au/

http://terrifictrading.com.au/retail/retail-selling-diy-training-bronze-package

http://terrifictrading.com.au/retail/retail-selling-diy-training-bronze-package

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12. Hot coffee, warm heart

Are you looking to improve your romantic chances? Then get your date a steaming cup of coffee. That is the implication of a study

by researchers from the University of Colorado and Yale University who wanted to see if there was any connection between physical

and emotional heat.

To their surprise they found that people who held a cup of coffee for 10 to 25 seconds warmed to a perfect stranger. Holding a cup of

iced coffee had the opposite effect.

―If you want to make a good impression, a fresh cup of coffee may bias the situation in your favour‖, the study author Laurence

Williams said.

Williams thinks it's no coincidence that we use the same word — warmth — to describe both a physical and an emotional experience.

Somewhere in the brain, those two sensations are linked, he says.

If you are enjoying this, check out Jurek‘s 'Terrific Telephone Techniques' book

It‘s a fantastic resource.

http://terrifictrading.com.au/non-retail/terrific-telephone-techniques

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13. Lessons from a Rural Bakery

I caught up with Tom O‘Toole for a chat recently. Tom‘s energy and enthusiasm is infectious and it‘s not hard to understand how he‘s

turned a tiny bakery in Beechworth into Australia‘s most famous bakery and coffee shop.

There are six branded Beechworth Bakeries in rural Australia with a combined turnover in excess of $13million Aussie dollars. For

example, when in 2001 he took over his second bakery, the ridiculously large Euchuca bakery‘s annual turnover was around

$300,000. Now it is closer to $3million and they need more space!

So what lessons can your business learn from a rural bakery? Here‘s a glimpse of Tom O‘Toole‘s philosophy:

Tom is extremely proud of his staff and encourages initiative and participation. He hires for attitude and trains for skills. He looks for

enthusiasm, that highly contagious spark and believes in the power of the people in his business.

―I sell lamingtons and pies and my business is far from perfect. It's 5% technology and 95% psychology – it‘s all about people, they

are my biggest assets and without them there is no Bakery.‖

―Don‘t tell your staff what they are doing wrong; tell them what they are doing right. Sometimes they burn a rack of pies and I want to

rip their heads off. They‘re feeling bad enough without me saying a word. So I‘ve got to be positive.‖

―And say ‗Thank you‘. It doesn‘t come naturally to me. Why should I thank the buggars, I‘m already paying them. But it works!‖

Do you know the Beechworth Bakery story? It is an inspirational success story of how ordinary people can achieve extraordinary

results. Go to http://www.beechworthbakery.com/ to find out more.

Also check out my review of Tom O‘Toole‘s recent DVD by clicking on 'Bread: Business Secrets of the Beechworth Bakery'

and for his earlier and still excellent 2004 DVD click on 'Drop Everything for the Customer' It is an inspirational customer service

refresher and discussion starter for your team.

http://www.beechworthbakery.com/

http://terrifictrading.com/_blog/Jureks_Blog/post/New_DVD_%E2%80%93_%E2%80%98Bread_Business_Secrets_of_the_Beechworth_Bakery%E2%80%99/

http://terrifictrading.com/_blog/Jureks_Blog/post/Drop_Everything_For_The_Customer/

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14. How to be a competent server

Check out http://www.wikihow.com/Be-a-Waiter It has some useful tips for coffee shop employees and their bosses.

It includes pointers on ‗How to be a great waitress‘; ‗How to be a great waiter‘; and ‗Be a competent server‘.

For table service I liked the reminders on: serve from the left, remove from the right; beverages poured from the right as the cups and

glasses are always on the right; glasses never picked up when filling; bring fresh wine glasses with every new wine served.

I also liked this excerpt from ‗Learn the correct way to set a table‘: Forks left, knives right, napkin left. Coffee/teacup handles at 5

o'clock with teaspoons parallel to the handle...

http://www.wikihow.com/Be-a-Waiter

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15. Be prepared before you promote

I totally endorse these comments from Graeme McCormack www.factionlive.com in Cafe Culture magazine.

―The last thing you want to do is drive a whole stream of new customers into your business only to give them terrible product and/or

customer experience, because your staff and operations weren‘t up to the task of coping with the spike in customer numbers and

orders.

―If that was to occur, these people will never return, and they will make sure all of your family, friends and work colleagues don‘t

either!

Cafe Culture is a great magazine for cafe owners, their staff and customers anywhere in the world. Check it out at www.cafebiz.net.

Every time your customers come into contact with your organisation they

are judging you – often without even realising it themselves. Up to 95% of

this assessment is taking place at an unconscious level and your future – for

better or worse; for richer or poorer – may depend on this assessment.

Learn from Terrific Trading how to identify the ‗critical non-essentials‘

that ensure your customers are consistently impressed.

http://www.factionlive.com/

http://www.cafebiz.net/

http://terrifictrading.com/critical_non_essentials

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16. Local Area Marketing

I came across a great article in Issue 22 of Australia‘s Cafe Culture magazine by Graeme McCormack www.factionlive.com. He says

there are three key areas to focus on in a cafe marketing plan:

1. Driving product trial and guest experience

Shopper dockets

Buy One Get One Free

Product sampling

2. Developing an awesome staff culture

Get involved with social groups your staff already belong to

For example, vouchers for their football or netball team

Support a cause that is important to them

3. Embedding your business into the fabric of the community

Host a meeting of a local business group

Free filtered coffee at the local primary school fete

Thank You 000ers‘ promotional day for local police, fire and ambulance officers

I love Graeme‘s suggestion of a ‗000‘ thank you day for emergency services. This could even be a special day each month. That

would make you stand out.

http://www.factionlive.com/

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17. Becoming the „mayor‟ of your coffee shop strip

I walked along a 50 metre retail shopping strip recently in Leederville in Western Australia. I counted 11 different places that you

could select from to buy your coffee.

Which is the best? It doesn‘t really matter. It‘s about each coffee shop striving to be the favourite coffee shop for the types of

customers it is focussed on attracting.

Joel Cohen a US based hospitality expert calls this becoming ‗The mayor of your market area.‘ He says that you (in this case as a

coffee shop owner) are running for office all the time. What are you doing to earn votes? How are you supporting local events and

causes? How are you giving back to those who give to you? How important are you to the quality of life in town?

And what are you doing to become the favourite coffee shop for your constituents, who will vote with their feet and their custom?

Joel Cohen's website and blog are full of fantastic resources and tips for cafes as well as restaurants. Check them out at:

www.RestaurantMarketing.com and www.RestaurantMarketingBlog.com.

http://www.restaurantmarketing.com/

http://www.restaurantmarketingblog.com/

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18. Stacking tables and mopping floors

I arrived at the coffee shop in a hospital. There was a sprinkling of customers at 3 nearby tables. The reason they were nearby was

because the tables across the other side of the coffee shop had chairs stacked on them to deter customers from sitting there. This was

the area that I‘d like to have sat in because it was the best people watching spot but due to their unwelcoming tactics this was seriously

discouraged. I checked the sign at the entrance. It wasn‘t due to close for almost half an hour.

Within 10 minutes a staff member had started mopping the floor. Another clear message that they wanted to get rid of customers so

that they could head off home on the dot at closing time.

This is a management problem. There should be operational guidelines on issues like stacking tables and mopping floors. And these

guidelines should clearly state that the customer has the right to enjoy their refreshments in a relaxed atmosphere during the official

opening hours – which means that these tasks should be completed outside official opening hours and staff be allocated additional paid

time to do this.

Management should make it clear to all staff that their purpose in being there is to make the customer feel welcome.

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19. Accountants, serviettes and the coffee experience

Dear coffee shop owner, do not let your accountant choose your serviettes!

Accountants know a lot about cash flow forecasts, P&Ls, Balance Sheets, margins and tax effective planning. They know very little

about the absorbent properties of paper napkins.

So, when your accountant suggests that you trim your expenses by sourcing cheaper serviettes, ignore her! You put a lot of effort into

serving good coffee, preparing tasty food, creating the right ambience. Don‘t spoil the customer experience by supplying cheap

napkins that fail to do the job they are meant to do and instead send the unconscious but powerfully blunt message to the customer:

„We don‟t value you!‟

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20. Customer friendly signs

On the front door of one my favourite cafes, Cafe Denada in Perth, Western Australia patrons are occasionally greeted by the

following sign:

What a great way of asking customers to be considerate and understanding. At Terrific Trading, we work with our clients on auditing

their signage to ensure that it is clear, written in customer friendly terms and gets noticed. This sign is a classic example of how it

should be done.

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At the Counter

21. “Small or large?”

Adjusting the way you say things can achieve a far better result without anyone having to working harder or longer. That‘s the

wonderful result you can get from refining your selling technique.

Recently I was doing some customer focussed sales training for a cafe. They had two cup sizes. When customers ordered a coffee, the

boss had a habit of saying, “Small or large?” Many of his staff copied him – modeling the behaviour of a manager or more

experienced staff member is how most people learn – or else they asked the customer what size cup they wanted as they pointed to the

two sizes. As a result of this approach 80% ordered the small size.

We changed this to having everyone ask, “Will that be a large?” as they pointed to the two sizes. The result was tracked over a 3

month period. 72% ordered the large size!

Just think of the effect this has on turnover and profitability. For the same amount of time and effort there is a dramatically better

result for the business AND customers are happier because they‘ve had the opportunity to select a better value option.

You can book Jurek Leon to speak at your next

conference or seminar. That would be good wouldn‘t it?

Contact him at www.terrifictrading.com

Jurek Leon


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22. Confirming the order

I‘m always nervous if a server doesn‘t repeat the order back to me. If its lunchtime and I‘m ordering a sandwich with my coffee, I‘ll

typically say, ―Ham and salad on wholemeal bread with mayo but no butter and no salt and pepper‖.

If they don‘t repeat the order back to me, I think, ‗did they hear me correctly or are they on auto-pilot?‘

The number of times I‘ve had them say, as they pick up the salt cellar and start shaking it over my sandwich, ―Salt with that?‖ I‘m

then faced with a dilemma; do I hold up the queue and chew up more of my time waiting while they redo the sandwich with a scowl

on their face, or do I put up with it?

Usually I put up with it but it doesn‘t make for an ideal lunchtime experience.

So, please be present with your customers. Confirm that what you think you have heard is what they think they have told you. It only

takes a few seconds longer and it can save a lot of time and result in far more satisfied customers.

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23. Redeeming Coupons

Recently a reader of my Terrific Tips e-newsletter wrote in commenting on how poorly she was treated when handing in a voucher.

As she pointed out, the purpose of the voucher was to attract her to their premises. However, the way she was treated like a second-

class citizen who was too much of a cheapskate to pay full price meant she would never go back their again. This poorly handled

experience happens in far too many restaurants and coffee shops.

When redeeming a coupon or voucher, please treat your customer with the same respect as someone using real money. Congratulate

them for having a coupon and do everything you can to make the experience as memorable as possible for all the right reasons.

Your objective with every customer should be to make them feel better about themselves for having chosen to come to your coffee

shop. As many people can feel uncomfortable when redeeming vouchers – due to the poor way it has been handled for them in the

past – you need to be particularly sensitive to this.

Café bosses please note that whether it is a smart phone voucher or a paper coupon, ensure you have:

a) Communicated to all your staff what promotions you accept. It makes them look foolish if they haven‘t been informed about

the promotion.

b) Ensure they are trained in how to handle the redemption of the voucher. Having to get the manager is no fun for the server or

the customer.

c) Enthuse them about such promotions so that they in turn enthuse their customers.

http://terrifictrading.com/terrific_newsletter

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About the Author – Jurek Leon

For years I've been writing articles on customer service issues. The customer experience is something that fascinates

me.

I‘m based in Perth, Western Australia and regularly present courses and seminars on influencing the customer experience, customer

focussed selling, motivation and word of mouth marketing.

I am a consultant and trainer working mostly with smaller retail and tourism based businesses in Australia, New Zealand and the UK

though in more recent times our expertise is being sought increasingly by a range of professional and trade service firms.

Back in 1992 I founded Terrific Trading, a Western Australian based consultancy. We‘re a 3-person specialist team where I go by the

title of ‗Director of Curiosity‘.

Terrific Trading focuses on customer service as a way of assisting companies to get a better result from their sales and marketing,

foster repeat business and greatly enhance teamwork and motivation.

I write regularly for small business magazines and newsletters particularly in Australia and New Zealand and present a regular

segment on Winston Marsh‘s popular Business Marketing audio magazine.

I also produce a FREE monthly ‗Terrific Tips‘ e-newsletter which you can subscribe to by clicking here.

I‘m author of a number of publications including ‗52 Terrific Tips Guaranteed To Improve Your Selling And Service‘, ‗52 Terrific

Retail Tips‘ and ‗Terrific Telephone Techniques – the ultimate guide to excellent service over the phone‘

http://www.winstonmarsh.com.au/products/all-audio-cds/business-marketing-monthly/


http://terrifictrading.com/non-retail

http://terrifictrading.com/non-retail

31


Here‟s what you will find in „Customer Tips for Coffee Shops – Volume Two‟:

The Service Experience Teaching alertness and efficiency

Should staff wear name badges?

Improving your tableside impression

The most important customer we ever had

Be respectful of first time customers

Cutlery – recognise the signs

Customer conversations

Engaging with customers

Serving toasted focaccia and sandwiches

Ban tall servers

Never, ever…

Points to Ponder

Starbucks, Training and Moby Dick

Coffee – A drug of persuasion

The coffee house – a school of wisdom

You can tell a lot about people


If you‘ve got it, flaunt it

Fostering disloyalty schemes


What do you look for in a coffee shop?

Small tables mean flexibility

Tea tips for coffee shops

Music, ambience and being heard

Lessons in loos

Order your copy from the Resources section at www.terrifictrading.com.


32


The latest tips on customer service, selling skills and

marketing available …..FREE EACH MONTH

Would you like a free newsletter emailed to you each month packed with anecdotes, ideas, examples and inspiration to motive you

and your team?

The author, Jurek Leon of Terrific Trading is a Western Australian based speaker, storyteller and coach. Jurek writes for a number of

magazines, trade journals and ezines particularly in Australia and New Zealand but also in North America, South Africa and the

United Kingdom.

Jurek‘s ‗Terrific Tips‘ e-newsletter includes ideas and articles you can use in staff and client newsletters and pass on to colleagues,

team members and friends.

To subscribe to Terrific Trading's FREE monthly ‗Terrific Tips‘ email newsletter go to: www.terrifictrading.com click on ‗Sign up to

our free Terrific Trading e-newsletter‘ and type in your name and email address. It‘s simple and easy. Alternatively, email

[email protected] and we will arrange it for you.


mailto:[email protected]

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