98 Add a sofa

98

ADD A SOFA

Coffee and tea shops have tables and chairs. When you have fi nished your coffee, you leave. Some have waitresses who come to the table to place your order. Self-service cafeterias have counters. Coffee was often instant, or it was made with a machine that gurgled weakly. And suddenly a coffeehouse with sofas opened.

The idea Starbucks is successful because it was a hundred thousand percent better than the archaic, badly run, rudely staffed cafes we’d been stuck with. Yes, there were some good ones; many of them are still there and doing nicely because Starbucks made going out for a coffee into a leisure activity, so they pulled their socks up, tried harder and joined in. Near me, one coffee shop owner was desperate to retire but couldn’t fi nd anyone to buy the business. When Starbucks moved next door, they didn’t lose all their customers and fail, they got busier and sold to Costa Coffee for enough to retire comfortably. They created a space for specialist organic and single estate coffees bean companies to set up and thrive; they have FairTrade coffees; most of all they give you somewhere to go and sit in a comfortable chair, and don’t give you the evil eye if you stay to do your emails after you’ve fi nished your drink.

In practice • What do people really want? When they fi nd a brand that gives it to them, they fl ock there. • Make your customers feel welcome. • Often we don’t realise we’re accepting low standards as normal until someone comes along with an alternative. Then it seems so obvious that we slap our foreheads and wonder why we didn’t think of it ourselves. So what would make a huge difference in your area of businesses? How about giving it a go with your brand?