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CAFÉ FINANCE Continued from page 28 jump credits an increasingly healthy economy, but the article also notes some customer service-oriented moves the chain has made of late: It has beefed up its online offerings, begun free shipping with no minimum order and added free Wi-Fi in all full-line stores. In short, the company is growing by giving customers exactly what they want, even if doing so creates more expenses for the business. Southwest Airlines is thriving using similar thinking. When most carriers started charging for checked baggage a few years back, Southwest opted not to follow suit, a move that plays into the company's belief that "we are in the customer service busi- ness—we just happen to fly airplanes." Southwest, with its eye constantly on customer need, has seen sales rise 11.4 percent in the past five years, and the value of the company has doubled since January 2009. All the while, its com- petitors continue to battle bankruptcy and image issues. CONNECTING IT TO THE CAFÉ You can follow the lead of those giant companies by bringing exceptional customer service to your shop today—and it may not cost you a penny upfront. The cost of a smile, a genuine hello or a "what's new with your day?" is nothing, but such behavior is exactly what supporters of independent coffee and tea stores tend to desire. Having your employees learn about their customers will give those customers a reason to come back regularly as they engage in conversation. Your employees will also enjoy their jobs more as they learn about the people coming in day after day. Lower employee turnover means lower long-term training costs as well. Also be cognizant about how you and your staff deal with complaints. Customers will forgive one-time mistakes if they are treated correctly in the first place. Customers who don't feel they're being listened to will try other means to get heard, such as passing their grievances on to others. It can be quite expensive to recover these exceptionally peeved guests as regular customers, if they can be recovered at all. And when it comes right down to it, keeping and satisfying your existing customers is the key to success in the café world. Think 30 Fresh Cup Magazine freshcup.com