about one regular customer who comes in twice a week and spends $5 per day. This customer spends $10 per week or $520 per year in your store. If the customer has a great experience, she may end up bring- ing a different friend with her once a month. If half of those customers end up becoming regulars, in one year you will have seven customers (the original customer plus six new ones), each spending $520 per year or $3,640 per year. This experience con- tinues to multiply exponentially as each friend brings in more companions. In five years, that one original customer can be responsible for the growth of several new locations, retirement or simply more profitability.
FRIEND OF HAPPY CUSTOMER
HAPPY CUSTOMER
FRIENDS OF THE HAPPY CUSTOMER'S FRIEND
ANOTHER FRIEND OF HAPPY CUSTOMER
FRIENDS OF THE HAPPY CUSTOMER'S OTHER FRIEND
Now let's think of the other side of the equation. What if
that customer comes in twice a week for a month and receives a poorly made drink? When she complains and is shrugged off by an employee, the customer heads to the competition down the street or writes a negative review online. Along with that customer goes each of her friends and their regular visits. Each time this hap- pens, your business declines while your competitor's grows. Customer service is especially important in the coffee industry
because of the frequency of visits and loyalty that our customers have toward a brand or location. It is not uncommon for a customer to visit a shop 18 times a month. This makes that $520-per-year visitor really worth $1,080, and her six friends can translate to $7,560 per year. For a coffee shop that does $350,000 in sales per year, that one customer is a significant portion of your income. Common courtesy isn't as common as you think. But you'd be
wise to make it the status quo at your shop. Empowering your people to simply treat customers well doesn't cost a dime, takes very little time and can make your coffee shop a great destination for your customers as well as your employees.
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