Making the Sale or Changing the Customers routine?

Cafe Chico

What would make you change your routine?

I admit it … I’m boring!

Every Sunday morning myself and Dee go for a walk with our four legged creature, Bing to the local park with our good friends Tommy and Joan and their four legged creature, Tammy.

This routine was so predictable – walk to Ballincollig Park, lap of the first field, walk alongside the river to the lower fields, cut up through the Gunpowder mills and the GAA fields, into the village, stop for coffee and scones at Nosh and Coffee, chat, walk through the village and home. This as I mentioned is what we do pretty much every Sunday.

A few months ago a very cute little mobile coffee kiosk moved into the car park at the start of the park serving coffee and buns and they even have a few very neat tables and chairs outside their unit complete with flowers in vases. Now, this didn’t really suit our break “routine” as the location of the kiosk was at the start of our walk and not in the middle so even though it was a really nice set up it wasn’t quite right for us (its a big deal changing people’s habits!).

Recently we did our usual walk but some of the “crew members” were a little hungover so having completed stage one of our walk we double backed, cut the walk short and went back to the little kiosk, “Cafe Chico” (the owner called the kiosk after her dog, who she brings with her for company each day) for some very welcome refreshments.

The woman working in the kiosk was really friendly, the coffee and home made scones were perfect and to top it all she offered us biscuits from a tin especially for the four legged creatures – Wow! this woman knew and understood her customers really well.

Officially we have changed our routine! Now the first leg of our walk is the same as it was before but now we do a few laps of the lower fields, double back along the river to lap the first field again and then return to the beginning to enjoy our coffee, scones and chat at Cafe Chico!

I know.. exciting stuff!

Why? She runs a great little friendly business, she understands her customer and she goes a little further than you would expect but fully appreciate.

Are you making a sale or are you changing a customers routine – which is worth more?

While we can look after your PR needs, your reputation starts with what you do yourself.

Greg Canty is a partner of Fuzion

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6 Responses to “Making the Sale or Changing the Customers routine?”

  1. Billy OConnor Says:

    Greg
    GREAT story and demonstrates that while the town cafe was doing nothing wrong, CHICO was doing it 1% to 5% better, my philosophy! Life (and business) is cruel and is a game of inches, little winning-edges and small moments of impression. Customer loyalty? Maybe forget it in 2011…customers today are too knowledgeable, fussy, sophisticated and discerning. However there are always exceptions…I been going to a local chipper since i was a kid (Lennoxs in Barrack St. Cork…FAMOUS AND BRILLIANT!) and I defy anyone to make me change! What a formula!

    Thanks for the reminder Greg.

  2. Tina McAvoy Says:

    Love your story Greg….My question is how many times did you pass by the new coffee station before you changed your routine? I reckon you passed this a few times observed the lovely tables flowers, atmosphere and bingo just one morning you had a NEED or maybe an excuse with new crew members for nourishment and the lovely tables with flowers now gave you an excuse to try it out….. now all of a sudden you changed your routine again I ask the question why? you changed your routine because here was someone who met all your needs and gave you customer service possibly beyond your expectations and bingo a HAPPY customer! I say Good on you Cafe Chico!!!!

  3. Greg Canty Says:

    It’s amazing – we were there again this morning – now there is a little tribe of regulars going there – I chatted to two women who told me they are now deliberately going for walks to the park so that they can enjoy the coffee shop and her fab cakes – they were laughing that they will be the only women ever to put on weight exercising!!

    Just as I said that they bought four different slices of cake to take home with them.

    Fabulous & well done Cafe Chico!

  4. xxx Says:

    Splendide article, encore une fois

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