With a 5% increase in customer retention producing more than 25% increase in profit, repeat business is big business – so make sure you’re doing everything you can to get customers back through your doors again.
These loyal patrons are a key ingredient in all successful businesses, as they help with continued profitability and can help spread the word about your shop to others coffee fans within your community.
Here are eight ways to ensure your customers keep coming back for more…
- Make A Positive First Impression
First impressions are everything when it comes to generating repeat business. Consider this: you walk into a coffee shop only to find dirty floors, a lacklustre menu, and a barista sitting on their phone. Chances are, you’d never set foot in this shop again!
So, to improve your first impression, make sure your shop has the following:
- A welcoming atmosphere - this means choosing a friendly playlist, good lighting, and keeping your shop tidy.
- Friendly staff - your baristas are the face of your brand. While we know they’re busy – it makes a great impression if they’re able to personally welcome all who step inside your shop - offering a smile and assistance goes a long way.
- A good menu - one of the best ways to impress a new customer is with your menu. Make sure you offer drinks that coffee-lovers and novices alike will want to try as well as tasty food accompaniments.
- Share Your Appreciation
To ensure your customers choose your shop over others, let them know how much you appreciate their business. This might involve writing thank you notes on each cup or sharing shout-outs on your social media platforms. Your customers need to know that you don’t just see them as a sale – you genuinely care about their experience and want them to be happy with their purchase.
- Focus On Responding
If a potential customer reaches out on social media or via email - quickly respond to their enquiry. With 82% of customers expecting a response within 10 minutes, you don’t have much time to spare here! Time is certainly of the essence when it comes to responding.
Make sure you have someone monitoring any messages that come in on your phones, email, website, and social media pages. You can even prepare responses ahead of time to frequent questions you’re asked, so customers aren’t left waiting for long. Be proactive in your messaging, and you’re sure to satisfy your audience.
- Create a Loyalty Programme
From punch cards to electronic systems, there are many ways you can implement a loyalty programme for your customers. For example, many shops offer deals such as buying nine drinks and getting the tenth one free or free food items when customers spend a certain amount of money. Use this loyalty programme to further thank your patrons and showcase your appreciation.
- Switch Up Your Menu
With the coffee industry constantly evolving, it’s more important than ever to ensure you keep up with the trends. This means offering seasonal specials, trying new preparation methods, and asking your customers which menu items they hope to see from you. Get creative here!
When you vary your products and offerings (such as hosting different events inside your shop), you’ll pique the interest of old customers and encourage them to return. Likewise, pleasant surprises such as new drink specials and flavour options are a great way to stay relevant.
- Ask For Feedback
If you want customers to come back to your shop, you need to remain aware of what they’re looking for from you. This means asking for feedback, utilising polls on social media, and sending out customer surveys. Then, take each response into account and use these answers to improve your efforts, whether inside your menu, marketing, or the layout of your shop itself!
- Share Your Story
One of the best ways to connect with customers is by sharing your story and highlighting why it’s your shop they should frequent. This means opening up about your passions and why you started your business in the first place. Social media is an excellent place to talk about the love you have for your coffee shop and its supporters!
You’ll also want to be using social media (and your website) to share helpful information. Make sure your hours are continuously updated on these platforms – the last thing you want is a new customer to stop by only to find that you’re closed. Share content from your followers as well to showcase your appreciation online.
- Prioritise Customer Service
We hear the phrase “customer service” thrown around regularly, but few businesses truly make this a priority. If you’re looking to bring customers back into your shop, you need to pay attention to their wants and needs. This means utilising the strategies above and updating your internal policies regularly. By doing so, you’ll ensure all of your employees know how to treat customers with respect and the standards you expect from them.
Return customers can quickly become one of the most significant sources of revenue for your business. It’s cheaper to retain existing customers than to try and find new ones – and if you can keep costs down – your profit margins can only go one way – up. So follow these steps and you’ll be sure to get people showing their faces a lot more than once.
If you’re looking for more ways to impress, consider a trade account with us. Get access to the best coffee-making supplies and accessories at discounted prices so you can maximise profits and delight your customers at the same time.
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