Cafe vs Customer; First Contact

Never forget this rule:

Your initial actions when a customer enters your establishment will set the tone for their visit – these actions with either make or break any further dealings you have with customer.

Many establishments have had many theories both trialed and tested when it comes to the initial contact or “greeting” a staff member will give to a customer when they enter your establishment. These theories will often change once a customer is a regular & is then known to staff members. There are many establishments where the staff member who is serving the customer or prospective customer literally pounce on the person the moment they set foot through the front door! Questions are immediately fired off in quick succession; “Hi can I help you?”, “Are you ready to order?”, “Would you like to start with drinks first?”. Enough is enough already! As the customer we get the point! You are trying to serve us & offer us something, we get it!

Here’s the deal ladies & gentlemen. Scrap the interrogation techniques & give your customer or potential customer room to breathe. If the customer is going to take the time to enter a café or restaurant, chances are that they are there to spend money on the products that you offer so there is no point in suffocating them. Half of your job & the jobs of your staff members is already taken care of because you have established & maintained an inviting “hospitable” environment for the customer.

Out of all the industry big names, Starbucks have nailed this technique – or at least where I worked, the theory was nailed. When a customer enters the Starbucks they are immediately acknowledged by staff members by someone taking the time to look at them, smile & say hi. This doesn’t have to include the staff member walking up, wrapping their arms around the customer & slapping a kiss on their cheek! It’s a simple, run of the mill “hi” & a smile. The customer is then given space to breathe & make choices. The questions about what they are going to order are asked when the customer is ready. Not when the staff member is ready. This will make the customer feel like they are in control.

Relax when it comes to greeting your customers or potential customers. Always remember that they are there because they want to be there. Don’t push them away by being so overbearing that they feel uncomfortable & pressured. Most of all, don’t get offended when the customer doesn’t want to be friendly as this should not be a reflection on you.