How To Deliver Excellent Coffee Shop Customer Service

A Focus on Excellent Customer Service

How To Deliver Excellent Coffee Shop Customer Service

(And Why It Matters)

Customer service matters. This is especially true for independent coffee shops.

But why?

If you've ever walked into a coffee shop or restaurant and experienced poor customer service, you know that it sucks.

Poor customer service sticks with you. Sometimes, it eats at your patience and could turn a repeat customer into a sworn enemy. Poor customer service experiences undoubtedly impact our future spending choices and personal referrals.

In this post, we will discuss the importance of customer service for your coffee shop, why it matters, and how you can provide the best service for your coffee-loving patrons.

As a coffee shop owner, you know customer service matters. The competition is fierce – and customers can be your biggest enemies or your biggest champions – depending on their experience at your coffee shop.

How To Deliver Excellent Coffee Shop Customer Service

Treat Customers As If They Walked All Day in The Rain

When I first moved to Seattle, I walked halfway across the city in the rain to visit a coffee shop I had heard good things about.

Of course, rain is expected in Seattle, but the weather was particularly miserable that day.

By the time I got to the coffee shop, I was soaked. When I arrived, it was no longer about the coffee – I just wanted a warm, dry place where I could comfortably sit and gather myself – and I wanted to feel welcomed.

As it turned out, the customer service at Herkimer Coffee was excellent, warm, and inviting. Not only was their coffee delicious, but their customer service won me over.

I am forever a fan of Herkimer Coffee – and have been going back regularly ever since.

But what if their customer service wasn’t excellent?

I would have remembered it and would have never gone back. I certainly would not have recommended them to countless others.

The experience got me thinking…

What if coffee shops treated every customer who walked through their door as if they had just spent half the day – in the rain – trying to get to their coffee shop?

For example, if you knew that your customers struggled to get to your coffee shop – would you serve them any better?

I’d sure hope so.

Coffee Shop Management

Your Coffee Shop Customers Have Choices

Coffee is everywhere. In most cities, customers have tons of choices for coffee. Even in small towns, coffee options are abundant.

Developing your Unique Sales Proposition, having a coffee shop marketing strategy, and excellent customer service will help you compete with the most prominent coffee players – but it will take consistent work.

Let me emphasize this point: It will take consistent work to win over customers with choices.

Even when neighborhood coffee shops are scarce, excellent home brewing options exist – and online coffee businesses are always willing to send out excellent coffee.

Today – more than ever – brewing coffee from home is an appealing option for coffee lovers – and probably provides the steepest competition for coffee shop owners.

So, how do you get home coffee brewers to ditch their home espresso machines to visit your coffee shop?

The answer: EXCELLENT CUSTOMER SERVICE.

 When it comes to coffee, it’s the experience that counts.

When your customers have choices, you need to ensure that you strive to develop a winning strategy to keep them coming back. Poor experiences can be devasting to your bottom line.

The impact of poor customer service:

• Destroys loyalty
• Implodes perceived value
• Makes potential enemies
• Chokes off your sales and profits
• Contributes to lower employee morale

The impact of excellent customer service:

• Increases your revenue
• Enhances business reputation
• Marketing through word-of-mouth
• Creates a loyal customer base
• Boosts baristas’ morale
• Creates positive feedback
• Improves product quality

Ultimately, specialty coffee is about quality and service. If you feel that you would struggle to provide good service to your customers, you will struggle as a business owner and find your coffee shop profits dwindle over time.

Coffee Shop Customer Service Essentials

Excellent Customer Service Pays

Over time, providing excellent customer service results in more money in your pocket, a healthy coffee business, and a stronger reputation and coffee brand.

Consider the following customer service stats:

• About 93% of your customers will like to come back and purchase from you if they've experienced good customer service, according to HubSpot Research.
• Even if a mistake is made with an order, 78% of customers (that's nearly 4 out of 5) will give you repeat business if they've experienced excellent customer service, according to Salesforce Research.
• According to Bain and Company, striving to increase repeat business by just 5% can increase profits by 25%.

As you can see, even by making minor improvements to your customer service at your coffee shop, you're almost guaranteed to get more money.

Increasing sales, generating repeat business, and affirming a solid coffee brand reputation are how you will maintain – and thrive – in light of heavy competition.

If your customer service is so impactful on your bottom line, it's a mystery why many coffee shop owners don't prioritize it.

Build Your Customer Service on Your Vision and Feedback

Define Your Vision:

When you start your coffee shop planning, you will want to determine what type of experience your customers will have. Next, you want to arrange your coffee menu, seating, décor, and barista training centered around that vision.

As your coffee shop's owner and general manager, your job is to ensure that your highest vision is consistently reached – through customer service and product quality.

Do you have to be perfect all the time?

No.

Perfection is not always possible. But it would help if you made it a habit to strive for excellence every day, for every customer.

Your Customer Feedback:

If you are already operating a coffee shop, you'll want to objectively examine your existing customer service. To do this, you will want to get authentic customer feedback.

Constructive feedback from customers can offer some great insight into your whole operation, from your coffee and your speed of service to the cleanliness of your bathrooms.

You'll undoubtedly always have customers who love complaining and have ridiculous expectations. Additionally, you'll experience having sweet and friendly customers in front of you, and then go home and write the worst online review you've ever read!

Some customers will never be satisfied.

Take a deep breath and focus on what you can do to make your coffee shop operation better.

There are several different ways to get feedback:

• Take online surveys (through your social media or website)
• Get an old-school suggestion box
• Through your Coffee Shop POS system (digitally or paper)
• One-on-One talks with customers
• General feedback from customers

Each of these is a great way to solicit feedback; I'm sure a few others will work well too.

What is Excellent Coffee Shop Customer Service?

How to Promote Excellent Customer with Your Employees

In life, there are things we can and cannot control. However, like a coffee shop owner, your level of customer service is entirely in your hands and in your control.

Therefore, promoting excellent customer service – starts with you.

It starts at the top.

You know this. You’ve heard this. And yet, many coffee shop owners believe or act as if they can delegate away this responsibility.

As the owner or general manager, nothing speaks more volumes than the level of customer service you provide your customers.

Everything you do, including your actions, words, mannerisms, and gestures – non-verbal and direct communication – are all essential examples for your employees.

You will lead your level of customer service by example.

Additionally, communicate your vision and goal of excellence in your coffee shop employee handbook, cafe website, and social media accounts, and weave it into your coffee branding.

Your barista training is among the essential tools to structure your customer service expectations. Therefore, we encourage you to train all of your baristas regularly and weave your customer service goals within that training.

How to Promote Great Customer Service

• Setting the example
• Your employee handbook
• Company communication (email, staff meetings, and signs)
• Social media accounts
• Brand messaging
• Barista training
• Regular recognition

Recognize Excellent Customer Service

Recognizing excellent customer service from your employees is one way to keep your employees motivated and on point. Whether you offer a bonus, gift card, or just public praise, recognizing your employees' hard work and effort is a great way to keep them motivated.

What Does Excellent Customer Service Mean?

Customer service exists throughout your operation – at every touch point. From the moment your customer walks in the door, they should be greeted or acknowledged in some way.

For example, when customers approach your coffee bar to order, a sincere smile and hello should be given.

Here are what customer service looks like:

• Positive and amicable attitude
• Listen to customers and employees
• Knowledgeable and trained employees
• Efficient service
• Clean cafe and surroundings
• Personable service
• Appropriate engagement
• Actively solve problems
• Polite and courteous baristas
• Anticipate what customers want and need
• Empathize with the customer’s needs
• Following through

When customers leave, acknowledge them. Thank them for coming in and buying from you, and tell them you hope they return soon.

How To Deliver Excellent Coffee Shop Customer Service

Customer Service Is Part of Your Company Culture

Maintaining excellent customer service reflects your company culture. In a solid company culture that values training, its employees and customers will generally have a better time. Consistently offering excellent customer service will put you ahead of those who don’t.

A variety of elements impact your company culture. First and foremost, your coffee shop’s vision and mission. Your coffee shop's solid vision and mission will help you and your employees achieve that goal.

Next is you, the owner. The owner and general manager impact the company culture in every decision you make, including the people you hire, your enforcement of employee practices, product quality, space and ambiance, and the general vibe of your space.

Deliver Excellence Every Time

How To Improve Customer Service

Understand Your Mission and Vision

What is your coffee shop’s mission? What vision do you hold for your business?

If you don’t understand your vision, your employees and customers won’t either. If you haven’t done so already, create a mission statement.

Look in The Mirror

Self-assessment is critical.

Your company’s level of customer service comes directly from you, the coffee shop owner.

If you struggle to be enthusiastic or focused on your customers, your entire staff will also struggle.

Prioritize excellence within yourself. Only then will you be able to expect it from your staff.

Your life changes when you decide that your priority will be delivering excellence in everything you do. Your business changes.

You begin to make better decisions – for your coffee company, employees, and customers.

Better decision-making that is solidly based on a mission and vision with the attitude of figuring out how to be the best coffee shop can be incredibly powerful.

Your Hiring Choices

Who you decide to hire to serve your customers will resonate throughout your coffee shop.

While your coffee shop is a business with four walls, it consists of people who make its operation possible.

If you hire mediocre people with poor attitudes, you aren’t going to get the customer service you’ll need to survive in a competitive environment.

By hiring amazing baristas, you’ll be able to put your best foot forward every time. But this isn’t as easy as you think. Finding and cultivating good barista candidates takes effort.

Expect Excellent Customer Service

You need to expect excellent customer service – every single time. You need to expect it from yourself and your employees.

When you have high expectations – and you support those expectations – you can often reach heights you’ve never been.

Communication

Communicating your values and your expectations is critical. From everyday conversations to your employee handbook, you will want to consistently affirm your expectations with your employees.

By communicating your expectations daily, your actions, dialogue, and service become a part of your company culture.

Barista Training

Train every new barista before they start their first shift. During your training, you’ll have a rare opportunity to solidify your values, expectations, and behavior.

Your training – especially in the beginning – is vital to customer service delivered to your employees.

Don’t wait to instill your company culture – teach it on the first day and affirm it every day after.

Reward Excellent Customer Service

Hiring and training for excellent customer service are essential. To maintain it, you’ll need to reward it when you see it.

Make it a point to acknowledge good customer service – privately and publicly with each employee.

By recognizing good service – and even providing bonuses – you affirm your priorities and encourage the same customer service.

Conclusion:

I would rather drink horrible coffee with excellent service than great coffee with crappy service. I suspect many of your customers would, too.

Prioritize your level of customer service. Start with yourself and develop a plan. Get feedback, listen to customers, and make essential changes that meet your vision.  Creating a culture that expects and rewards excellent service will increase the likelihood of success and profits.

Additional Questions:

How can I compete with large corporate chains?

You can compete with large corporate coffee shops. While large corporate establishments have many built-in advantages: money, familiar branding, and low costs, you can still outcompete them with excellent customer service (and great coffee, too!).

Prioritize your coffee shop customer experience and product quality, and develop a strong message that your customers and employees absorb.

Over time, your consistent customer service will solidify customer loyalty, improve your average ticket price and insulate you from customer anger when mistakes occur. In turn, this all impacts your coffee shop's profitability and success.

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