If you think just serving a great coffee will make a great business you would be wrong. That goes for every business. Just having a great product does not make a great business and here is why.

I went to a meeting in a medium sized town North of Toronto on Monday to a coffee shop situated on one of the corners at the intersection of the main streets. I was expecting a dinner like atmosphere with coffee that had been sitting in a carafe for more than its allotted lifespan. What I got was a total surprise.

First, I found easily accessible designated parking for the business, directly off of the main street. There was an inviting entrance at the back of the business facing the parking lot. When I went in this entrance I was not greeted with a back corner of a shop that is rarely visited. The back was filled with cozy chairs, occupied by chatting patrons enjoying their beverage. The atmosphere was warm and welcoming.

I moved to the front cash to place an order for a coffee and walked through a well lit and comfortably decorated cafe style shop. I felt at home.

The menu was full of choices so I asked for ‘a Vanilla Latte for here’.

“Would I like something to go with that”, I was asked?

“No thank you.”

“Would I like chocolate or cinnamon on my latte?”

“Cinnamon please”, was my pre-programmed response to these normal questions from a Barista. The kicker here was I was not expecting this type service.

What made it so different?

I was told he would deliver my coffee to my table; A nice gesture.

I took a table and pulled out some work. When my coffee arrived it was an unexpected beautiful & artful creation, made with care. Riding on the side was a small biscotti.

Why do I tell you this story? Because we sometimes forget that our customers want more than product.

Your customers want atmosphere, to feel welcome, to be treated special. They want you to go the extra mile in customer service. Whether you are a B2B or B2C business your customers want to know they are valued by you for more than their money. Treat them well and you will sell to them over and over, plus they will tell there friends or colleagues about your business.

Do you want to know where to enjoy a great coffee North of Toronto? Stop in to Coffee Culture in Bradford. You won’t be disappointed.

Have you been somewhere else that gives you this type of awesome customer experience? Here’s your chance to let everyone know about it. Put it in the comment below.