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that need replacing? Are there cobwebs in the corners of your items; every time? Are their portions correct, and are the items
ceiling? Are your air-conditioning vents clean, or are they cover they prepare attractive? The only way you’ll know the answers
with dirt and fuzz. How do your walls, ceilings, and floors look? to these questions is to watch your employees! You should work
Do your menu boards look clean and professional? What about with all your employees at least a few hours a week. This will
your baseboards and corners, are they clean? Is there a crack in not only allow you to observe what they do, but will also provide
your pastry case glass, or a duct tape repair on one of your seat you with an opportunity to provide some reinforcement and ad-
cushions? How do your restrooms look? Does anything need to ditional training.
be repaired or repainted? Beyond preparing menu items, you and your employees
These are the types of things I look for when I’m pro- must provide friendly, attentive, customer service. Consumers
viding consulting help to a struggling retailer. They’re important become regular customers when they feel you really care. Learn-
because they are also the things consumers will notice when they ing your customer’s names, and something about their lives, will
visit your store, consciously or subconsciously. If your business result in a loyalty that other businesses can’t easily take away.
doesn’t look inviting, it will cost you in lost customers and sales! If given the choice, we all tend to buy from people we like. The
Because it may be difficult to notice things that a “fresh easiest way I know to make people like you, is to be genuinely
set of eyes” might notice, I suggest you employ a friend to help interested in them!
you out. Ask someone you trust if they would be willing to do
you a favor. If need be, you can compensate them for their time
with credit at your store. Tell them you would like them to take
an hour or two to evaluate your store’s appearance, by making
critical observations and writing them down on a pad of paper.
Tell them to be totally honest, and that anything they say will not
offend you. You need to know, because if they notice things that
are unattractive, then chances are others might also find them
unattractive.
Have them start their evaluation as they approach your
store from outside. Does your sign catch their eye? Would the
building be more noticeable if it were painted a different color?
Does your landscaping add to the store’s appearance? Are the
windows and glass doors clean? How do the official and promo-
tional signs displayed in your windows look?
Next, have them enter and evaluated the interior of your
store. What is their first impression? What do they notice; good
and bad. Is the pastry case glass clean, and are the pastry displays
appealing? Are the countertops and cabinet shelves behind the Good customer service also includes execution of the
cashier neat and organized? How does the condiment area look? fundamentals: Greeting the customer upon first contact. Helping
Are the retail merchandise displays dusted, stocked, organized, them through the order process. Recommending appealing menu
and arranged in an appealing fashion? Are the point-of-sales signs items. Verbally guiding the customer through the remainder of
clean and crisp? How do your bathrooms look and smell? the service sequence. Sincerely thanking the customer, and invit-
When your friend has finished their review, have them ing them to return: “Thanks, we’ll see you tomorrow!” And, are
debrief you as they walk you around your store, pointing out displays stocked and primed? Condiments stocked? Is the seating
issues they sighted. Remember, don’t get upset or argue with area maintained? Restrooms checked?
them if you don’t agree or are hurt by something they say! You Once again, the only way you’ll know what going on is
asked them to do this, and if they don’t like something, potential to work with your employees.
consumers might feel the same way! You leading by example, and by interacting with your
With this evaluation, and your friend’s notes, you can customers, will provide a good template for your employees to
put together a punch-list to eliminate, or at least improve, the follow.
negative issues they noticed. Start immediately! Food service is one of the toughest businesses I know.
When it comes to “reality-checking” your products, As humans, when hunger strikes, and blood sugar drops, we want
there is no substitute for your discerning senses. You need to food…now! If it takes too long to get it, or the quality is less than
touch, smell, and taste a sample cross-section of your products what we expect, or the service is not friendly or timely, chances
on a daily basis. If something doesn’t look fresh or appealing, you are you won’t go back! For this reason, you must be on top of the
need to pay it extra attention. Ask yourself, would you be happy if three fundamentals of your business… at all times!
you paid full price for that? And, while “fire-selling” or disposing
of products can be painful and cost you money, far better to do
that, than lose customers for life! Ed Arvidson is President of E&C Consulting
Equally important to quality ingredients, is your em- www.coffeebizconsultant.com and he is the creator of the
ployee’s ability to prepare items properly. Can they discern Specialty Coffee Industry’s premier online coffee business
between a servable and un-servable menu item or ingredient? school
Do they know and follow the correct procedures for preparing www.coffeebusinessschool.com
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