SKYE MCNEILL
she becomes focused on the human interaction and coffee facts
instead of worrying about the seconds ticking away.
Asking the barista to focus on anything other than making great
coffee may seem to go against our modern specialty sensibilities.
But I'm not suggesting we lessen the importance of technique and
attention to detail. What the 60-40 ratio is meant to emphasize is
effort and investment. Passion for coffee and the process is great,
but the effort put toward connecting with the customer should be
given even more attention. The barista's role is to ease the entire
process, remembering that customer service is mostly about reading people and making them feel good. A customer's choice to
return to your establishment will likely have more to do with their
overall experience than the flavor in the cup.
BRINGING IT HOME
With more consumers caring about the details of their food
and drink, single-cup brewing is well-suited to grab attention and
praise. It's an effective tool to showcase the taste of your coffee
and convey what's special about it to your customers. With the
owner, manager and barista on the same page, your shop can
implement a stunning single-cup program that ideally will result
in an enthusiastic pool of return customers.
freshcup.com July 2013
39