Hearing my alarm go off at 5:45am, I rose (blearily) from bed. I jumped into a quick shower to wake up more fully, got dressed and headed out the door. I was meeting a friend for our morning walk.
I met up with him at our usual spot, put our mask on and began walking.
We’d done the walk a few times before, so we knew where we were going. To our regular coffee spot. When we got there, we were greeted by the barista. He surprised us by knowing our names and our coffee orders. He spoke to us like old friends and asked us questions about what we were up to that day.
We left 5 minutes later with our long blacks, feeling great. We felt special.
Of course, the coffee is good (I’m unashamedly a coffee snob). But that’s not the reason that I’ll keep going back to this place.
I’ll keep going back because of the way the barista (and by extension the business) made me feel. I’ll tell my friends about it. I’ll gladly post on social media about it. I’ll keep spending my money there.
Loyalty is built by creating remarkable experiences for the people you’re serving. The best businesses are the ones who become a part of our story.
So if you are building a business or a brand, start by connecting with your customers. Learn their name and learn their story. It sounds simple, but it’s powerful.
Simon G. Cooper 