Client Experience Lessons from My Favorite Coffee Shop

There’s this new coffee shop in my town that I’m loving. Well, the coffee shop isn’t new, but it’s new to me, and I’m obsessed. Has that ever happened to you? You visit a delicious spot, and you find yourself returning over and over.

Gosh, I just love their mini donuts and their cold-brew coffee. What’s crazy is that I was never a cold-brew girl, but I think I am now. This morning I got my cold brew with pumpkin spice and a splash of oat milk, and it was incredible. 

But you know what else makes this place amazing? Their customer service! 

I mean, they greet you at the mic in a pleasant, non-overbearing way (I’m coming for your SB, lol), and when you finish your order, they tell you to “scoot on around!” Like, how freaking cute is that?! 

Then, when you get to the window, they’re genuinely nice, and the whole experience is just peaceful.

This is the kind of experience your clients want. They want to know that you care and that they’re in good hands when they’re working with you.

How can you provide that experience?

• Be communicative in the way that your client best communicates. Whether they like frequent check-ins or they’re more hands-off. You’ll also want to make sure you know the medium in which they want to be communicated with (i.e., email, Voxer, project portal, etc.).

• Deliver on time. And if you need to push a deadline back, be sure to let your client know that as soon as possible. You’re human, so life will happen—but keeping them in the loop will build trust.

• Build a relationship. Whether you’re working with a client for just one project or on a retainer, make an effort to build a relationship with them as a person. This goes a long way and is likely to increase repeat clients and referrals, which are a plus.

Creating a great client experience doesn’t have to be this fancy, elaborate thing with lots of automations and systems running in the background. A large part of it is simply being a human who is authentically connecting with another human.

P.S. The coffee shop I love is called Scooters. I 10/10 recommend.