Pondering the Local Latte

Cafe Santoro, the independent coffee establishment across the street from where I get my car serviced, delivers an integrated experience that is head and shoulders above the one I get at a Peets or Starbucks. In fact, it's at the top of the delight-o-meter.

I've run into other independents around the country that are equally delightful and each has my undying loyalty. Any time I am in hailing distance from one of them, I'll find the time to stop by.

So, what makes the difference?
I'm a long time coffee aficionado. So why will I seek out what may/may not be technically the best cup of coffee? Aside from the specific charms of each establishment, what do they share that exerts such a pull?

Genuine Engagement
Customers can sense whether someone is genuinely happy to see them/provide them service/interact with them, just going through the prescribed motions, or in truth, couldn't care less. It makes a difference.

My experience today has just that sort of engagement: I only come to the Santoro when I have work done on my car, so folks here don't know me. When I came in and joined the line this morning, I noticed the barista (who is also the owner) look up from the espresso machine, and acknowledge each person in line with a smile and "I know what you want." When he got to me he said "But I don't know what you want,"and proceeded to ask for my order as if he wanted to get to know me.  It's rare to experience that sort of smile-producing welcome from a chain.

Personality
Chains, even the good ones, are regimented. One of the strengths of a chain is the dependability of the product. But the regimentation of overall experience leaves little room for personality. If a particularly engaging person is on staff, she or he can infuse personality into the atmosphere, but once that individual is gone, the shop goes back to being a variation of the corporate norm.

Independent establishments have an identifiable personality that is a product of personal approach, not just company policy. Patrons "make friends" with that personality.  A great example of this is when the staff at Santoro sang 'Happy Birthday" to,and joshed around with a customer in line. Ir was the interaction of friends, not patron and provider. They even used the language of friends: "It's your birthday, let me buy you a latte."

Not just a cup of coffee
The characteristics that make for a connected, delightful experience don't just apply to grabbing a cup of coffee.

Genuine engagement is palpable, even online. Personality is important; it's a telltale sign that humanity is at work, not just policy. Neither personality nor genuine engagement will compensate for out-and-out poor execution, but when price, quality and convenience are equal, these so-called intangibles can strongly influence whether a customer will come back.

What do you think? If your company or organization were a cafe, would I want to come back?

Who Represents Your Brand?

I had an interesting experience this weekend that reminded me that sometimes brand experience is as much about the messenger as the message.

Have a Glass of Wine
House guests in tow, we took advantage of a break in the weekend's storm and went wine-tasting.  El Dorado County is an up and comer, with some very fine wines coming out of some very off-the-beaten path locations, so we sought out a small, well-respected winery at the end of a mountain road. 

Instead of being greeted when we walked in the door, the person behind the tasting bar (we'll call her "Ms. X") looked at us and said almost churlishly, "There are 15 wines, what do you want?"  Huh? With such (a lack of) welcome, we almost turned and walked out, but we'd driven somewhat far and the wines have a good reputation, so we stayed.

You've Got To Be Kidding
Instead of telling us about the wines as we tasted, Ms. X poured in bored silence. We had to start the conversation - talking about the storm and the low elevation snow that might shut things down.

Having a wine pourer make the statement "All I need is cigarettes and beer, and I'm happy. And I can walk to the store, if I can't drive."  was incredibly shocking. Hello? Appropriateness? You're pouring WINE. You should be talking about the wine! If you're partial to beer and cigarettes, keep it to yourself.

Ms. X indicated through conversation that she'd worked there for a while and I wondered whether the winemaker has a clue that she is making his business look bad and costing him money? It's a common understanding that being hospitable translates into bigger sales, particularly in a face-to-face business. We couldn't wait to get out of there.

This all made me think of how easy it is for a business to shoot itself in the foot. We think someone working for us is on the same page, so we don't go over specifics about how we want them to behave with customers, or we think visitors to our website are on the same page, so we don't make sure to make the experience THEIRS, not ours.

Ms. X  really didn't care if we were there or not. Our experience seemed irrelevant to her.  I'm thinking of calling the winery this week and talking to the winemaker. His wines are pretty good; this is something he needs to know.