The customer story is a tool I use more frequently these days when trying to analyse how a business performs. This is a method of my own devising which provides business owners with a clear guide in how to look at the intricacies of their business + customer relationships. This post looks at one aspect of the story - 2. The Middle.
I said "how a business performs" and it should be seen as just that. Every time a customer comes in to the business premises, sees the business from a far, or every time the business comes to them, it should be seen as a performance. Why? Because, for whatever reason and whatever way, your business has to stand out. Plain, ordinary, kicking it's heels in the corner doesn't stand out, but extraordinary, thought provoking, exciting and different does.
If you ever get a chance to visit Amsterdam, I would thoroughly recommend it, as there are shops there which exemplify my point so well. Let me give you one example...
One particular night we walked the strip of town and spotted in the distance a distinctly "chain" looking restaurant, called "Burger Bar". Burger restaurants still being poisoned in my mind by McDonalds and other fast-food "restaurants", we weren't going to even consider eating there. But as we walked past, looking inside we were totally taken in.
The most striking feature of this place was the up lit wall lined with cuts of wood at different lengths. It was a wall of art! There were large hard-wood tables with benches to match which looked like they had a history of their own. Small metal chairs for the smaller tables. Huge blackboards over the kitchen area displayed hand-drawn wording and pictures, with stories about where the beef had come from and fun facts - no prices. There was a giant blackboard (out of shot on the left of the picture) where customers had written little messages about Burger Bar or just anything they wanted. One message I remember distinctly was a UK mobile number with a message "Call me if you ever get to London."
The staff were lively, literally jumping around sometimes, whistling and singing along to songs played in the shop. They laughed a lot too!
With a little creativity and a low cost, this small franchise business made my night on holiday and I honestly can't wait to go back there again. The food was delicious as well and service was with a smile always. If I'm honest, of all the places we ate, this burger bar gave us the richest experience which is on par with and better than some gigs I've been to. Just sitting in the place soaking up the atmosphere was a pleasure. We bought some more snacks after the meal too because it was just so nice.
The great thing about this place was that, for very little cash, they made the place look extraordinary. No expensive lighting, no expensive furniture, in fact nothing fancy at all. Everything is simple but used to great effect to enrich the experience.
When a customer walks into an establishment, they should be thinking "This place has got something. I want to be here." If you give people a reason to like an element of your shop or business, a physical one, a tangible one, they are far more likely feel a shared sense of identity and will not hesitate to contribute, financially and through publicity, to your business. Encourage a sense of community too like "Burger Bar" did with a blackboard. Psychologically the blackboard is great too. It's like leaving out Lego or Play-Doh. People want to have a go. People want to interact with your business.
So how does your business perform for your customers?
I said "how a business performs" and it should be seen as just that. Every time a customer comes in to the business premises, sees the business from a far, or every time the business comes to them, it should be seen as a performance. Why? Because, for whatever reason and whatever way, your business has to stand out. Plain, ordinary, kicking it's heels in the corner doesn't stand out, but extraordinary, thought provoking, exciting and different does.
If you ever get a chance to visit Amsterdam, I would thoroughly recommend it, as there are shops there which exemplify my point so well. Let me give you one example...
One particular night we walked the strip of town and spotted in the distance a distinctly "chain" looking restaurant, called "Burger Bar". Burger restaurants still being poisoned in my mind by McDonalds and other fast-food "restaurants", we weren't going to even consider eating there. But as we walked past, looking inside we were totally taken in.
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| "Burger Bar" Amsterdam, 2011 |
The staff were lively, literally jumping around sometimes, whistling and singing along to songs played in the shop. They laughed a lot too!
With a little creativity and a low cost, this small franchise business made my night on holiday and I honestly can't wait to go back there again. The food was delicious as well and service was with a smile always. If I'm honest, of all the places we ate, this burger bar gave us the richest experience which is on par with and better than some gigs I've been to. Just sitting in the place soaking up the atmosphere was a pleasure. We bought some more snacks after the meal too because it was just so nice.
What a performance!
The great thing about this place was that, for very little cash, they made the place look extraordinary. No expensive lighting, no expensive furniture, in fact nothing fancy at all. Everything is simple but used to great effect to enrich the experience.
When a customer walks into an establishment, they should be thinking "This place has got something. I want to be here." If you give people a reason to like an element of your shop or business, a physical one, a tangible one, they are far more likely feel a shared sense of identity and will not hesitate to contribute, financially and through publicity, to your business. Encourage a sense of community too like "Burger Bar" did with a blackboard. Psychologically the blackboard is great too. It's like leaving out Lego or Play-Doh. People want to have a go. People want to interact with your business.
So how does your business perform for your customers?
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