52 Give a bit extra
This guide was supposed to be 52 ways to make more profit. But
we’re giving you one more. This is not some “ra ra” motivational
nonsense about giving 110%. It’s just a mindset about doing the
best job you can and then sitting back and thinking:
“What else can we do for the customers?”“What else would I want
to see and experience?”“What would make me think ‘WOW, that’s
great – I’m going back there’?”
As ever, include your employees. They will have their own ideas
about service, marketing and promotions, some of which they will
have picked up from other cafés or restaurants. It will also make
them feel “warm and fuzzy” about working somewhere that really
cares about doing great stuff. That is valuable in itself.
So give the customer a surprise every so often. Hand out a few
coffees without forcing them to have full loyalty cards. Make
an effort to be a little bit more friendly than the competition.
Give out a few free portions or hand out taster samples of new
products. Spend a little longer genuinely trying to learn about
their lives in your chats with them. Provide a wider range of
magazines and papers to read. Allow free wireless internet
access. Whatever works for you and your business. But keep at
it and keep surprising them.
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