WHY CAFÉS ARE NOT ABOUT COFFEE AND WHY AI WILL NEVER BEAT THEM!
I realise the headline to this story is pretty bold and perhaps a bit obscure, but please go with me on this one.
Something I believe is really important for successful marketing is the ability to observe human behaviour and understand what lies behind certain attitudes and behaviours.
So, I am going to pose a question: Why do so many people start their working day with a visit to their favourite café?
On the surface of it, the answer to that question seems pretty obvious: “John, you idiot, it is pretty obvious mate – it is to buy a coffee and get a caffeine shot to get things moving!”
Okay, I accept that for quite a few people, caffeine has an addictive quality and there is no doubt motivation based on needing an early morning “energy hit” – and perhaps to try to drive some sort of motivation for the day.
But I think if you want to be really successful in running a café, it would be wise to consider that it is not just the quality of your coffee or the origin of the beans you grind for those flat whites and lattes.
I think cafés should actually have their description extended to include the words “counselling and personal coaching.” That’s because I think one thing that separates a good café from a great café is the service experience. And I don’t mean just smooth, efficient service, or not being left waiting for 15 minutes when you are in a rush to get to the office.
What I mean is that cafés are often the very first human interaction of the day. Even if you have kids and start the day interacting with them or your partner as you prepare for the day, the person who greets you at the café does so in a very different context.
Let’s face it, the thought of facing a day of work, or the prospect of a challenging meeting or task you’ve been avoiding, can leave your mental state at the beginning of a day a little circumspect, even fearful, or a little down.
But the difference it makes to be greeted with a smile at the café counter and to have a little friendly banter with the barista can be world-changing. This is not meant to cast a slight on baristas or café staff, but I think it is similar to the feeling dog owners get when they arrive home after a difficult day to be greeted by a wagging tail “fur baby”. It just makes you feel good – no one judging you, no one handing you another problem to solve – just a bit of emotional warmth.
Long-term readers of my blurbs might recall the story I told many years ago about my experience with a little café around the corner in my days as GM Marketing at HBF.
At the time, I had just come through treatment for quite a significant illness, and one of the results was that I struggled with drinking regular strength coffee – something had impacted my sense of taste. So, my coffee order changed. What really hit me that day was going up to the cash register to place my order and noticing that the owner had put on a new staff member.
He was working with the coffee machine just behind her, and after I placed my order, she handed me one of those table numbers. Immediately, the café owner reached over, very gently removed the number off the bench and whispered in the new staff member’s ear: “No, this isn’t Number 22, this is John, and he always has a weak flat white.”
You may not be surprised to hear that I never went to another café in the area again.
Which brings me to AI. I accept that good service can be delivered in an online or digital environment. I love my banking app as opposed to the old online banking system – it is so easy to use – great service, I love it. But that is for banking.
I can’t see how a machine – no matter how smart or efficient – will ever replace the warm smile and sympathetic ear of another human being when I go to my morning counselling session – sorry local café – first thing in the morning.
As an aside, this was not intended, but I am writing this while sitting in a café I have never been to before. It is around the corner from where I am having my car serviced. The service is excellent. The young woman who took my order was warm and welcoming, and the vibe is friendly and warm. I can guarantee I will be back.
For more insights and ramblings on strategic business communications and marketing from JLCA Director John Le Cras, visit the JLCA Journal page.
