Coffee shops have so many lessons for those of us who want to make a success online or, indeed, in bricks and mortar. They are usually small, the operation is simple and the whole set up easy to observe and make notes on.

Once again a visit to a local coffee shop stimulated thoughts of mistakes we fail to see when we set up our online stores and other services. Offline/online we consistently make the same mistakes.

It was my own fault. I missed all the signs. I should have known better. There were few patrons (3 as I recall) at this shop when others nearby were bustling. It was in a great location on a beautiful sunny day; all reasons to expect people to be out and about enjoying a cup of coffee. We went into this particular shop because it was near a play area so my friends could supervise their children.

Experiencing customer service and business communication

Walking up to the counter and asking for coffee we were confronted with ‘the sign says go to the other end'. What sign? Ah, there it was on the counter drooping down at just below belt buckle level. Now, I'm not tall but I missed it completely. Why should I even be looking for it? We moved to the ‘other end', about 2-3 meters, and ordered. We were the only ones at the counter. There were two staff. Either one could have taken our order. That's probably called ‘Customer Service'. Customers should take some sort of priority. They are very important to business success. It seems that service reflected the apparently obvious sign.

While we waited 20 minutes for three coffees to arrive, three more unfortunate customers were drawn in. Our coffee was warm, not hot. Why didn't I take notice of the pending signs of disaster and move on to another shop? There are many in this mall, all close by.

I will never go back to that shop although I visit this mall quite often. Would I come back to experience what you have to offer again? Or would I stay away?

Frequently reflect for success

The shop is at an entrance to a large shopping complex, on a very busy mall with a lot of food outlets and a large pedestrian traffic flow. It should be bustling with clientele. The shop on the other side of the entrance always has people at its tables.

So the location is great, passing foot traffic is heavy and consistent, and the weather ideal for sitting under an umbrella for coffee and a chat. Other coffee shops nearby are crowded. The management has some serious reflection to do or they will do poorly.

What are the lessons for us; online or offline?

Signs are key communications

Make important signs truly obvious; place them in plain sight. Make them large or brightly colored, especially if they are a crucial part of communication to your customer. Does your site have any hidden (to the customer) messages that are important to smooth flow and operation? If so, move them or highlight them somehow. Signage must be ranked to allow for priority positioning.

Test and trial

Get someone to visit. Let them browse and buy to test your systems. Sit with them and ask a few pertinent questions about what you wanted their experience and learning to be (what color is …?, where was …?, how much is …?). More importantly, get their comments and observations (ease of use, ordering, finding information, sense of quality, sense of trust …). What you think you have and what the customer experiences may be very different. Make sure the customer experiences what you expect them to. Make sure your systems are as good as you think they are. Make frequent checks of everything to see if it still works.

Live up to your claims - deliver

Customers should get what they expect; more if possible. Anything less is failure. Do you serve coffee at suitable temperature (meeting expectations) and of style ordered (order fulfillment) and within suitable time frame (delivery promise).

In most retail situations customers have pre-conceived expectations. Customers are quick to remind us if any expectations are not met. If we want to do things differently we must tell our customers or educate them so they are not taken by surprise. Online we need to tell customers in detail all that we supply, all they can expect in terms of service and quality and any guarantees we are able to give to them. Then we need to do all this and more.