customer satisfaction

People visit cafes for myriad reasons. Some need a quick cuppa. Others want to meet up with friends. Still, others like to get some work done in a place that’s not their office. The savvy coffee shop owner who can appeal to lots of different kinds of guests is the coffee shop owner who has satisfied and loyal customers. If you’d like to create more customer satisfaction, then think about employing the following five tips.

Give Them Space to Socialize

While many people go to the local coffee shop to pick up a drink or a snack on the go, many people see the local coffee shop as a second living room. That is, they love to meet up with friends to catch up. Make your cafe as comfortable and as inviting to people who like to socialize. This encourages them to come back again and again, which ultimately helps your bottom line.

Offer Menu Options Beyond Snacks

Many coffee houses serve snacks, like banana bread or muffins. These are excellent options if you’d like to encourage upsells. However, if you want to draw in a crowd, consider adding some simple lunch options, like sandwiches. This gives you organic ways to attract customers who may not otherwise come into your shop.

Create a VIP Program

People love the coffee shop experience, and the smart cafe owner strives to send a little of that experience home with her customers. One way to do that is to start a VIP program that allows customers to get goodies after a certain number of purchases. Most coffee shops have a punchcard system that allows people to get a free drink after 10 or so purchases.

However, there is no rule that says the VIP goodies have to be free drinks. If you’d like to start a VIP program and you’d like to do something different, then think about offering something like a 2 lb bag of whole bean Colombian coffee (or other coffee du jour). It’s even better if it’s branded so your regulars think of you when they’re using it at home between visits to your shop.

Appeal to the Digital Nomad

More and more people work from home or are embracing the digital nomad experience. You can tap into this market by making your space comfortable for people who want to work there. For example, ensure there are outlets where people can charge their electronics. Having consistent and free WiFi is also a must-have. The sacrifices you make to ensure this is a comfortable space will pay dividends in good reviews of Yelp and plenty of repeat customers.

Employ Friendly Staff People

This should go without saying, but your staff should be friendly and kind to your cafe guests. If a guest ever feels like they’re a burden to the staff, then chances are good that that customer will go someplace else for their daily java.

In these days of the digital nomad and work-from-home arrangements, the local coffee shop has an important role to play in the community. It’s a place where people can meet, grab a meal and find a home away from home. It’s an opportunity for cafe owners like you to really increase their bottom line. As such, anything you can do to increase your customers’ satisfaction should be job one.

“Customer satisfaction is worthless. Customer loyalty is priceless” –Jeffrey Gitomer

Michael LeBouef was once quoted to say that a satisfied customer is the best business strategy of all and in more ways than one, his sentiment could not be any truer.

Regardless of what business or industry you are in, customer satisfaction is paramount. Not only would this ensure that you would not receive any backlash from selling substandard products or purveying inferior services, but in most cases, it would guarantee you customer loyalty as well—the foundation of every thriving business. In this regard, you should steer most of your endeavors to improving customer satisfaction and doing what you can in order to meet their expectations—realistically of course. Your productivity apps for sales can only get you so far, if you want a significant improvement in your sales, it is best if you centered your focus on enhancing customer satisfaction. After all, a satisfied customer would almost always guarantee you a second-time sale or would even refer you to his or her friends and family—raking in the revenue and profit for you. When you have satisfied customers, your products and services would ultimately sell themselves. After all, the best marketing strategy is keeping your customers happy.

Here are some of the ways you can improve your customer satisfaction:

Treat your customers the way you wish to be treated

Sure, this might sound a little cliché but no customer wants to be treated badly. A good sentiment to remember is that you need your customers more than they need you. After all, if you treated them badly, they could just go and do business with your competition. Ensure that you give them a favorable experience for you and your business. Learn to filter yourself whenever necessary and put yourself in their shoes as well.

Develop customer service communities

One way of cementing customer loyalty is to take your existing customer base and building a community for them where they can generate product ideas and test new products. In this regard, your customers would feel like what they have to contribute or say is important. Furthermore, it allows you to get feedback on how your existing products are being used and gives you an insight of the features your customers want as well.

Bring new perspective and ideas

Customers are availing of your product or services because they need it. They are stuck and would need your assistance. Had they been able to diagnose what their problems were and came up with a feasible solution to it themselves, they would do so without needing your help. But since they cannot, you must be able to bring something new to the table to keep them coming back.

Make employee satisfaction a priority

While customer satisfaction is paramount, you should never overlook employee satisfaction as well. Remember, your employees are in providing excellent customer service and that they are the first people your customers would interact with before they can get to you. With this in mind, keep your employees happy. Remember, the happier your employees will be, the better customer service they will provide. In fact, it has been shown that employees that feel appreciated would perform better at their jobs. So, every now and then give praise where praise is due and if possible, introduce an employee of the month program where your employees can take a sense of pride in their efforts.

Turn customer survey data into action

Do not simply install a suggestion box simply just for the heck of it. Make use of it and take advantage of it as it offers you a wealth of things to do which can really improve the way you run your business. Take time to read them and see whether they are feasible enough to integrate into your business. Furthermore, take a look at where you fall short and think of the ways you can start improving in these areas. Take note: The complaints your customers have listed on the suggestion paper are actually avenues for improvement and better customer satisfaction. So, do not take offense.

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