Category Archives: user experience

Coffee Bean: Customer Focused every day

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I have high expectations for new businesses.

I have an expectation when entering a new store that I’ll be treated like royalty. I want that business to do everything they can to show me that I am a valued customer.

Frequently, this lofty ideal is crushed, leaving me departing the venue dejected, despondent; a new business’ worst nightmare.

I’ll tell my friends about my miserable experience, enlightening them about all that went wrong.

Coffee Bean's not just serving coffee, but memories.

Coffee Bean’s not just serving coffee, but memories.

On a sunny Monday morning in Austin, Texas, a shining, triumphant new business star was born. Nothing went wrong.

A new Coffee Bean Tea & Leaf store opened in our neighborhood, and my wife and I were eager to give the store a try.

Opening the door for my wife, we were serenaded with welcomes from the staff: “Hello, how are you today? Welcome, it is great to see you.”
We may have come in strangers, but we felt welcomed within an instant.

What store makes this a common practice? In most in-store experiences, it’s tough to get eye contact with an employee. This interaction, though, was authentic, engaging, breathtaking, refreshing.

After ordering our drinks, we relaxed in soft, cushiony chairs; the sunlight threw long shadows across the spotless floor.

Nearby, a young woman looked frustrated at her laptop. Within seconds, a Coffee Bean employee appeared: “Are you having trouble connecting to the WIFI? Let me help you.” The woman’s scowl disappeared; a fresh, surprised smile grew across her face.

Was this really happening? Employees that appeared happy to work there, and happy to please – there is hope for customers.

Our drinks arrived quickly. My wife couldn’t stop commenting on the flavor in her Latte. My coffee tasted fresh, not burnt. A few minutes passed, and a friendly employee asked: “Would you like a glass of ice water?”

If this is the new standard for service, I am a believer. Don’t just give me what I expect; blow me away with kindness; go out of the way to show you care.

Sadly, the day was too nice to stay at the Coffee Bean. The calendar said January, but the weather shouted April. As we left, the manager stopped by our chairs, thanked us for coming, picked up our glasses, and gave a hug to a young woman with her children.

“It’s great to see you again. Thanks for coming back,” he told the young woman.

“It’s great to be here. What a nice day it is today, “ the woman responded.

Another customer dazzled by attention, care, diligence, friendliness.

Give Coffee Bean a try. I hope your experience is a pleasant one. If it’s anything like our recent experience, you’ll come back for more.

Idea for Coffee Bean: Not sure of the return on investment for those loyalty clubs, but how about starting a Coffee Bean rewards club called the Beaners? Personally, I don’t need a program such as this to come back again, but it could help the skeptics.

Check Coffee Bean on Twitter: @TheCoffeeBean

Until next time,

Dan Naden

The big question: How’s business going?

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I make it a point to pose the following question to an unsuspecting waiter, hostess, cook, or ‘owner-looking’ person:

How’s business going?

The question freezes most in their tracks.  I guess they are so accustomed to hearing complaints and groans from customers that a genuine question is startling.  This is a departure from the standard fare: “The weather sure is warm today.”

When 'THE' question is asked, how will you respond?

Typical responses:

“Oh, fine. I guess.”

“We’ve been fairly steady. I think it’ll pick up later.”

“It’s a little slow now, but I am hopeful.”

“Great. We’ve been steady all day.”

“Oh, I don’t know. You’ll have to ask the manager.”

If you’re a manager, owner of an establishment, what’s your coaching to employees about how to answer this question?

Should you lie and say “everything’s rosy” all the time?

Should you give your honest assessment?

Should you gently smile and say the first thing that comes to mind?

I believe an employee should be honest, but sprinkle in some optimism.

For example, if the first person to walk into your establishment for the day asks the question: “How’s business?”

Don’t respond: “It’s been very slow. You are the first person to visit us today.”

Try: “We expect great things today; we have some great specials available on some of our most popular products. What brought you in our store today?”

Immediately, the employee has engaged with the customer and starts to understand his needs while introducing some of the fantastic offers available. This friendly tone won’t seem fake or pushy. The customer ‘should’ see this as warm, genuine conversation from someone who has his best interests at heart. In a world that’s sometimes too cynical and sarcastic, you’ll stand out with a fresh dose of optimism and enthusiasm.

Until next time,

Dan Naden

Blackberry’s customer service misfortunes

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With my flight hours away, and my departure gate in sight, I decided to move off the main pathway of Atlanta’s airport and into one of its many retail stores.

Moving past smoothie factories, cheery sports bars and bustling departure gates, I ventured into a Blackberry store.

Blackberry's in-store experience was extremely underwhelming.

The young man glared at me as if I were the first visitor in hours. No greeting. No welcome. He stared straight ahead as if his job were torture.

Being a former Blackberry customer and ‘in the market’ for a new phone, I had an interest in the past, present and future on this once proud leader of mobile devices.

After browsing the many phones available in the store, I thought the staffer would inquire about my needs, yet the silence continued.

I took the first step and asked:

“Do you have any specials today?”
“No,” the worker responded, quickly retreating to his comfort of silence.

“Are all of the recent outages affecting Blackberry resolved.”
“Yes,” he muttered.

“Do you have any Sprint phones?”
He then pointed to a row of Sprint-enabled phones against the wall.

I tipped and tapped a few keyboards, touched some screens, read some feature descriptions and then it happened as I prepared to exit the store.

“Are there any questions I can answer for you?” the Blackberry representative asked meekly. Amazingly, he finally woke up to his role as customer advocate.

I turned and shook my head from side to side as I stepped back into the main artery of the airport.

Blackberry’s problems are much more fundamental and far-reaching than this dispirited exchange, yet this is clearly are a microcosm of this floundering mobile machine.

Years ago, Blackberry lost the touch of the customer. Apple brought products to market that inspired and energized the masses. Now, Blackberry’s doing its finest to ignore customers on their doorstep.

Until next time,

Dan Naden

@ Best Buy, it’s the stuff that brings them in….

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Since when have we become so ‘accessorized’?

Recently, I visited a Best Buy and expected to find wall after wall of big screen TVs, computers, electronics, stereos. I am not much of a gadget guy, so I don’t frequent these places very much. Well, I wasn’t disappointed. My preconceived notions were fulfilled.

The store’s perimeter is an electronic festival with flashes of light, color, images and sound.  A bank of TVs allure with stunningly picturesque pictures of bears swatting salmon in angry rapids, two children frolicking in a meadow of wildflowers, a fearsome linebacker delivering a knockout blow to the opposing team’s quarterback. I couldn’t help but look at every one, despite the fact that they were all streaming the same picture.

You could hear a pin drop in this aisle.

The store’s interior, however, pulses to a different beat. Let’s call it stuff (accessories): game cartridges, DVDs, CDs, gift cards, wires, cables, camera cases, Ipod skins. I am fairly tech-savvy, yet I almost felt compelled to ask for a translation guide. This accessory goes with what product? And why would I need this?

I used to think of Best Buy as the store of ‘Big Things’: TV, appliances, stereos.  It’s where I went with a friend’s truck because I knew my car wouldn’t hold my loot.

Now, it’s the land of small things. Five years ago, you walked out of Best Buy with something on a dolly for $500 pushed by a pimply-faced high-schooler. Now, you pack your cart full of ‘things’ and wonder how all of it cost $300. During my recent visit, the traffic condensed around the peripherals, add-ons, and accessories, not the big-ticket items.

The world’s become bigger. Its products, however, are becoming smaller.

Sure, we still buy the big things, but the ‘little stuff’ seems to be the locomotive in today’s economy train.

Until next time,

Dan Naden

A manual or no manual; that is the question

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My parents jumped into this techie world with both feet.

They purchased a slick, responsive Droid phone. I had a chance to recently test drive the new toy and was all smiles. Sadly, it puts my mobile device to the mat. I need to fix that.

They then slid back into the 90s with this one statement:
“Son, you are going to have to show us how we can order a manual? We need help in figuring out the icons.”

compass

What's your compass when embarking with a new product?

I chuckled, but then realized that they were dead serious. Online help guides, FAQ, user groups mean little to the ‘more seasoned’ over 70 crowd.

I know it’s a generational thing, but I would poke, prod, twist, turn the device through its paces before consulting any help source.

I begrudgingly helped my parents with their manual request, locating a Website whose only purpose is to send out printed manuals for all flavors of high-tech devices (printers, televisions, computers, phones). Now there’s a business sector that was created in the last five years. Most, if not all, the devices purchased today refer you to the Web for help, tips, tricks. The companies finally asked themselves: Why spike our operating costs with hundred page manuals when they won’t be read?

The questions about my parents’ new Droid world continue to come in waves:

  • Where’s the GPS?
  • What does Gallery mean?
  • Why would I want to send a text?

I’ll find the time to help while marveling at the incredible business opportunities that will come available every day to help guide older generations into this fast-paced technological world. This is just the start of a techie products and services push aimed at the senior set. Hold on; it’s going to be a thrill ride.

Oh wait; that’s my Dad on the other line. He wants to order a manual for his new printer.

Until next time,

Dan Naden