Coffee and Hospitality: Three Ways to Make a Lasting Impact
Follow these steps and I guarantee every customer will rave about you.
Ever been to a cafe where you felt instantly at home? What did it for you?
Was it the way the coffee was made? The ambience? The barista asking about your weekend? Chances are it was a culmination of these things.
Whether you’re a cafe owner, barista or waiter, the pressure’s always on to provide customers with the ultimate cafe experience. But it takes more than just great coffee and drool-worthy pastries to make a lasting impact. And with more cafes in every neighbourhood than there are episodes of Friends, standing out can be a challenge.
Here are three simple ways to ensure you can.
1. Remember Them and They’ll Remember You.
Have you ever experienced unrequited recognition? You know, when you come across an acquaintance you’ve met before and you greet them by name only to discover they have no recollection of who you are? Your heart sinks a little and you instantly regret everything, wishing you played it cool and pretended not to remember them either.
Now contrast that to the feeling you get when an acquaintance does remember you. And your name. And some random detail from the last time you met. Doesn’t it make you feel all warm and fuzzy inside? And you kind of feel like you like them just a little bit more?
There’s a simple explanation for this and it all boils down to human connection. We human beings have an innate desire to belong; to feel known. We can play hard-to-get and pretend we’re full of confidence and that we don’t need attention but the truth is, we thrive off it.
There’s a reason why cafe work is called hospitality: Good baristas make coffee, but great baristas remember names. In doing so they give their customers the same warm, fuzzy feeling that keeps them coming back for more. It’s the oldest yet most effective trick in the book.
“But I’m so bad with names”, I hear you say. Well I have good news. While some are born with natural name-remembering genes, the rest of us mortals can still learn the tricks of the trade. Here’s a three-step crash course courtesy of Forbes:
- Meet and Repeat.
Use your customer’s name throughout conversation and make an effort to commit it to memory. When you’re saying goodbye make sure to use it one last time while looking them in the face. - Spell it out.
This helps especially if you have a visual memory, then: “…the first moment you get, put them into your contacts with a few pieces of information that will help you remember them.”
Now I don’t know if all baristas secretly keep a notes section of their phone filled with customers’ names and quirks, but hey, I can’t say I’m opposed to the idea. As long as it’s all in the name of great hospitality. - Associate.
This is a simple one. If you meet someone named Ryan, associating him with someone famous, like Ryan Gosling, can help you. I’m sure he wouldn’t complain, either.
If you work in hospitality and you’re absolutely committed to making a customer feel at home on their very first visit, you’re bound to make an impact. Personally I couldn’t count, let alone tell you the names, of every cafe I’ve ever been to. But I could easily list the handful of cafes where I’m known on a first name basis. Because it’s at these cafes that I feel most at home.
2. Don’t Be a Snob.
I hate to say it but it’s true: this is a huge problem in the coffee industry. For reasons mentioned above, people’s perception of you and your cafe will depend heavily on the way you make them feel.
If you make your customer feel as though their level of coffee knowledge is inadequate, chances are they won’t be coming back. It doesn’t matter how rare your award winning micro-lot beans are, how many barista championships you’ve won or how many petals you achieve on your latte art, if you give them any reason to feel less than valued, they won’t have anything positive to think or say.
A barista friend of mine recently told me a funny story about one of their 30-something year old customers. His regular order? “A large steamed milk topped with chocolate powder please”. As a barista sometimes you just have to put your pride aside and make the damn giant babyccino.
Despite Australia’s wide recognition for its coffee culture, a vast number of people couldn’t care less about the origins, altitudes, processing and fermenting techniques applied to their beans. These things just don’t come into consideration for the average person ordering their pre-work latte… or giant babyccino.
No matter how passionate you are, be sure to inspire people with your knowledge, don’t lecture them. The last thing you want to be is a coffee bible basher. If you’re making someone’s day a little better, you’ve done your job.
3. Have an Element of Surprise.
Back in my Hobart-residing days I’d frequent one of my favourite locals, Sash Coffee. Elrick, the owner and barista, was a name remembering wizard, had infectious charisma and served every coffee with a Tiny Teddy.
To this day Elrick’s notorious for his energy and ability to remember everyone. I remember taking my brother Hudson one time, then again two weeks later. The minute we walked in we heard a, “Hudson buddy! Good to see you again!” from behind the counter.
Whether it’s a Tiny Teddy, side of sparkling water, or the occasional coffee on-the-house, the element of surprise evokes a powerful emotion in humans. And it’s definitely one that keeps us going back for more.
I recently read a write-up by someone who dropped into a cafe in the midst of a hectic day. The waitress came and took his order, and after asking how his day was going he responded honestly, saying he wishes he could just “press the restart button”. Minutes later the waitress returned with his coffee, as well as a freshly baked cookie with the word Restart piped on top in melted chocolate. This small gesture evidently left a lasting impression, as he was writing this story ten years after the event.
The cliché truth is this: the simplest way to connect with your customers is to treat them the way you’d want to be treated. At the end of the day we’re all impacted by people who remember us, treat us well, and leave us feeling a little happier than before.
