Experiencing coffee - Make specialty great again

How can we create a better coffee experience for our customers?

There are now specialty coffee shops everywhere and the quality of the drinks on offer seems to have gotten better and better in recent years. But is that enough to create a real “coffee experience” for the customer?

Apart from the specialty bean, what else is included and what is currently being left out?

customer service

A true “Coffee Experience” starts with excellent customer service. Take care of your customers and make every customer feel like a regular customer.

An old tip is to treat the customer as you would like to be treated yourself. But this is only partly true. Many people seek physical contact to show their attention, others prefer little talking and only feel comfortable interacting with others as little as possible. There is no right and wrong and one's own person cannot always be the benchmark. Rather, the restaurateur and barista should be able to assess and understand the person and interpret body language. This sounds very complicated at first, but all it takes is simply observing and looking at the customer.

Customers are often no longer greeted when they enter a shop, but this is exactly where the first connection that can be made between customer and barista lies. A friendly ‘hello’ shows attention.

Remembering an order or a name can go a long way in making customers feel special.

Avoid unnecessary conflict

Not every drink you make turns out perfect, but it's better to admit a mistake and fix it than upset your customers. Correcting your missteps can give your customers confidence that they are doing business with a company that cares about them. Make great customer service part of the culture in your store; It will help create a comfortable environment and retain customers.

Serve a quality product and find your specialty

Without good coffee, your coffee house will most likely have problems. Before opening your business, test different drinks and techniques to create the best possible product. There are plenty of resources on how to make great coffee, but gaining experience is key. Practice creates masters.

Another good tip is to spell out products clearly. Attach information cards to your grinders so both customers and staff know what is being served. The more information you can give, the more informed the customer will feel and will see the store as a specialty store.

eye for detail

Your coffee shop isn't just a place for your customers to get their caffeine hit, it's a place for friends to meet, students to study, and business people to work. This means when setting up your coffee house, think about the people who will be spending time there and tailor your business to their needs.

For example, it's a great idea to offer different seating options to accommodate your different customers. Sometimes groups come into your store and need a large table, while other customers come alone and just need a comfortable chair. Creating a comfortable environment is key.

Designated internet areas can help give working customers their peace of mind while preserving space for regular day-to-day business.

social media

Make your customers a part of your identity, because to be honest, that's exactly what they are. A tidy and active social media presence now has many advantages:

It functions as a business card, as an information platform (opening hours and menu), as additional income (online shop) and much more.

Simple design objects such as large mirrors can help create more posts. A simple user handle is important so that the café can also be shared.

The more often the business is photographed or mentioned, the easier it is to share this content on your own channel.

stay inspired

Inspiration rarely comes only from ourselves, so it is important as a restaurateur to visit other restaurateurs and be inspired. This does not always have to be positive! In a cafe something was done differently but somehow not so well? Then you can learn from these mistakes and do better yourself. Did I simply get better service somewhere else? If yes, why? Making customers happy often means seeing for yourself what the customers see. Far too often baristas don't go to other cafes or other restaurants and bars. This is the most important inspiration we can have!

A real "Coffee Experience" is so much more than just good coffee, it means understanding every factor, from product to customer and community and it is also the goal to never stand still and to keep getting better.