A Latte in Paris and New York.
Business Structure and Coffee Shops
When you go to a coffee shop in Paris, you order coffee to sit and enjoy the moment. There is no rushing, no urging to get to the next thing. Being at the coffee shop is the next thing. You quietly enjoy your java and croissant, converse lightly, and soak up the moment. And when you’re done, you say thank you and continue quietly on with your day.
A coffee shop in New York is the polar opposite. It’s the model of efficiency, giving you exactly what you ordered, as fast as possible, so you can continue on with your day well-caffeinated and focused on the next big thing. This coffee shop is less of a shop and more of a walk-through (as opposed to a drive-through), where the revolving door spinning is the only thing that matters.
Few things in life are more frustrating than arriving at a Parisian coffee shop when you want the New York experience, or trying to sit and enjoy the moment when everyone else is driven to get you out the door.
The critical question here is: what kind of coffee shop do you own?
Are your customers more concerned with arriving, enjoying, experiencing and soaking up the moment, or do they want great, customized service as fast as possible so they can get on with their day?
Structuring your business the wrong way might be why your customers are so angry with you.
PS: Another critical point here is that the latte is the same for both. It’s the environment, the service, and the mentality that change.
