What are customers looking for in a coffee shop?
Experience tells us that customers of coffee shops in England are looking for cleanliness, friendly staff and a good atmosphere.
Location, Location, Location...
The latest study in the cafe industry in England showed that the main reason why people visit a coffee shop is the location. It has to be convienent and 'on the way'. A coffee shop that is on the wrong side of the train station will have significant less business.
Location is something that can not be changed very easily so make sure that you research the location the best you can. Sometimes it pays off to pay more for a location for your coffee shop.
Shopping malls and retail parks usually guarantee footfall which is very important. However, you will pay extra for rent and rates.
Research well and you will definitely enjoy it later!
Clean your coffee shop
Customers like to sit down at a clean table. Dirty tables upon arrival are a big mistake. Coffee shops should be clean and this means a good cleaning routine for your coffee shop. The cleaning should be done on the job and after opening hours. Cleaning whilst working is important because it looks good toward the customer, it shows professionalism and it means that you care.
Make sure the customer area is clean but don't forget the working area behind the bar or the kitchen. First impressions are very important and expect your customers to study your coffee shop whilst waiting in the queue. The displays, coffee machines, fruit machines and counter should all be clean. At all times!
Ensure that the stock and staff are clean as well. This will make your staff understand how important cleanliness is.
Friendly staff
A visit to a coffee shop is a treat. It's as simple as that. Whether the customer is meeting friends or having business meetings, the visit is a treat and you and your staff have to respect this.
Do not ruin your customers day by offering grumpy service. Make sure that you are coming across happy and serve your customers with respect. This means that you should look your customers in the eyes whilst taking orders or accepting payments. Give you customer a personalised feeling, act like every customer is just as important; because they are! Welcome people through and out the door and be your happy self.
Friendly staff in coffee shops are usually the ones that are enjoying their jobs. Friendliness should not be faked, it should come from the heart.
Motivate your staff with barista training and on-site customer service training. Set up incentives and keep the job exciting by organising daily goals and targets.
A good atmosphere in your coffee shop
A good atmosphere is the result of the right music, friendly staff, the correct temperature, warm colours, cleanliness and many more. An empty shop can still have a good atmosphere, just make sure that the customer feels welcome.
Never stare at customers or whisper behind the bar. It's okay to have a chat amongst eachother but don't make it look like you are chatting about your customers. You will meet many different kind of people but realise that everybody is equal, treat everybody the same at all times!
Recognise your customers
Expect a very big smile or surprise when you recognise your customers and remember the drink that was ordered last time.
Remembering customers is the biggest form of personalisation that you can achieve. It is great fun as well as it allows you to make new friends and relationships. It makes working in a coffee shop so much more fun!
WI-FI - Internet Access
Offering your customers Wi-Fi internet access in your coffee shop is a great extra service. It gives your customers an extra reason to visit your coffee shop and can be arranged without spending a lot of money.
There are a few things to consider when you start offering Wi-Fi internet in your coffee shop. People that are using internet in your coffee shop are more likely to spend a longer time in your shop so make sure to have the space to accomodate these customers or you might loose out on sales. If you have the space then the extra stay of those customers can create a nice and relaxing atmosphere and you might sell an extra cup of coffee.
Think about whether you want to charge your customers for the internet access. Most places offer a small charge for the internet access and you might stand out from the crowd by offering a completely free service.
Setup a wireless internet access service by installing a wireless router. It is a good idea to setup a password to ensure that only your customers are using the internet access from your coffee shop.
You can add your coffee shop to WiFI Internet directories such as TotalHotspots.
High quality drinks such as Latte Art
Imagine going to a cocktail bar where you get served a cocktail the Tom Cruise style as in 'Cocktail'! Wouldn't that be great!
You could have the same thing with coffee... it's called Latte Art.
Latte Art is the art of creating patterns with milk on top of espresso's. There are unlimited designs with Latte Art and the most popular ones are the Rosetta and the Heart design. We can teach you how to learn Latte Art.