Ya gotta have “personality”!

Do you have staff on board who are not engaging your customers in a friendly and meaningful way? If so, this could be damaging your business!

I’m not just talking about an extroverted employee, but one who has Personality Plus! Hairdressers and Baristas can measure their impact on sales by repeat business.

YES! it’s called Loyalty and no woman feels great if they have to change hairdressers! It’s the same with our Barista /customer relationship!

I highlight just 7 advantages to employing on “personality” … rather than just on skills!

Customers remember you and talk openly and fondly about your business
Positive personalities can create warmth and hospitality, especially when customer orders/their names are remembered
Staff personalities can make transactions into transformations and create a long-time customer
Customers can feel like they have an extended friendship/family with you and your staff and they get a real sense of “belonging”
Building loyalty and trust and gain a competitive edge
Sets a great standard for the other staff to replicate the same behaviours
Works to lift team morale

Becoming a great barista isn’t easy; and it comes with time, patience, and practice, but it’s a skill and can be taught, — unlike a great, positive attitude. You either have one or you don’t! A rotten apple does spoil the whole bunch as well as destroys your business; and try as hard as you can, it’s almost impossible to train a bad apple for a “better” attitude. Personalities are often “fixed” and in our hard drive for life!

As a customer, I know I’d almost always rather a coffee be handed to me with a friendly smile; and some positive interaction, regardless of how good that coffee might be, I want some meaningful, genuine engagement! And as an employer, I know that I can train and encourage someone to improve their skills on the espresso bar: It’s much harder to change someone’s poor personality!

Thanks to Bookface Cafe for this great pic!

Ivana Agapiou