4 Coffee Shop Guest Experience Factors That Keep Me Coming Back

Customer loyalty is based on much more than product alone.

Whether you own one coffee shop or offer multiple locations, it’s important to build guest loyalty with exceptional products and customer service that keeps your customers from checking out other coffee shops in the neighborhood — and potentially choosing to sip a competitor’s lattes for good.

I’ve been going to the same coffee shop daily for six years now. Before that, I was loyal to a different coffee shop for more than 10 years. While the quality of coffee, lattes and other specialty drinks was about the same at both shops, I made the switch to my current coffee shop based mainly on the quality of customer service I received.

The first coffee shop I loved had great customer service for years. And my love for that shop was obvious, since their business photo on Facebook also showed my car, parked in a space by the front door. But when a small chain bought that shop, customer service gradually declined with disinterested staff, lower morale, and high turnover.

So, I began checking out a different coffee shop that was within the same driving distance. Soon I was that business’s loyal customer. The old coffee shop hung on for a couple of years and then went out of business. Meanwhile, my new coffee shop is thriving, thanks to both high-quality products and top-notch customer service.

Here are four guest experience factors that keep me coming back for my morning cup of Joe.

1. Baristas extend a friendly greeting

As soon as I walk through the door, my coffee shop’s baristas smile and greet me by name. When there’s no line of people behind me, we exchange banter, I ask them about their lives and they inquire about mine. That’s a big improvement over what became the just-get-the-job-done service at my old favorite coffee shop.

That morning greeting sets a friendly, positive tone for the day and makes me look forward to not just my coffee but also the daily friendly interactions.

2. The staff knows my order preferences

The baristas all know how much I love super-fresh coffee, so they always let me know which batch is the most recently brewed. And when training new baristas, they let them know my preferences, too. This is one of my favorite customer service factors, since it makes me feel appreciated and valued as a loyal customer.

3. Brand product is consistent

My coffee shop has three locations, all of which offer the same consistency and level of outstanding products and customer service. I’ve never gotten stale coffee that’s been sitting for hours, a “meh” pastry or a bad breakfast burrito with this brand.

4. Adequate staffing is a given

I’ve been to a few coffee shops over the years that had only one staff member working at a time. So, while the line grew ever longer, that poor employee had to take the order, make the drinks — including the more labor-intensive and time-consuming beverages — while disgruntled customers shifted and glared in frustration.

That scenario never happens at my current coffee shop, which has at least three staffers on shift every morning and two workers in the afternoon and evening.

This is a huge factor that keeps me coming back. Sure, the line can get long at times. But I’ll wait because I know there is a big enough staff to take orders and payments and prepare drinks in a reasonable timeframe to keep the line moving.