The Hidden Power of Your Customers: Four Keys to Growing Your Business Through Existing Customers

YOU ARE ALWAYS ONSTAGE

Recently, I was one of only a few people sitting in a local branch of a major-brand coffee shop (no, not Starbucks), when I overheard a loud conversation coming from behind the counter. It went something like this:

Wow, can you believe three limos of high school students pulled up the other night after their dance and we had to make a whole bunch of lattes, iced teas, and frozen drinks? It took forever to close!

It continued:

Some huge PTA group came in the other night at 8:30 and promised they would help put the chairs back when they were done. They finally left at 9:00, and the place was a mess. We didn't get out of here for ages that night. How rude.

And finally:

Julie was in here and was so drunk we had to close the doors early and put chairs in front of them so no one would come in.

I was very tempted to stand up and say, “Hey, guys and gals, I write about the customer experience, and I am not too impressed with yours right now!” I don't think they realized that every word they were saying reflected on the business. Based on what they said, none of these employees seemed willing to put in a little extra effort to service large, late-night orders, because it might inconvenience them. Just as disappointing, they didn't seem to care (or even notice) that I was there and could hear them talking; they were too busy having their own “social hour” behind the counter.

Here is another example, which I heard the other day spoken by a cashier at a grocery store ...