I walked for fifteen minutes yesterday to a regular Sunday breakfast venue only to be confronted by a sign noting they are closed for the long weekend in Melbourne. This business is still establishing itself, it should not be closed, especially not on a long weekend when people have time for breakfast.
The experience got me thinking about how we communicate with our customers. I wondered what this cafe could have done. For a start, they could have let their regulars know a weekend earlier. They could have established a facebook page and let us know vis that. Or they could have setup an email list and sent us a note advising they are taking a break.
We need to run our businesses as if those who shop with us could go elsewhere and never return for the slimmest of reasons – such as being closed on a Sunday over a long weekend. Advanced communication is the key – so we don’t surprise shoppers with a change in opening hours.
My challenge to newsagents today is to think about how you communicate with your customers. Do you have a good path of communication? Is it two way? Or, are there surprises because of how you communicate?
This cafe runs its business as if it relies solely on passing trade. While there is considerable passing trade, there is also considerable regular local business. their approach to communication, or lack thereof, ignores this. The cafe’s sign also ignores weekend only patrons in favour of weekday patrons.
To sustain yourself in business over a long period you need regular breaks. If your product and service is great, regular customers will return. You need to make time for your family and have a life away from the business or you’ll simply burnout.
be even better if they could afford staff on a sunday and still take the day off, that would be the win win we all need, and everybody would be happy.
We try to avoid the work ‘closed’ where possible. Preferring to sign up when we’re ‘open’. Far more positive. Someone we once knew once posted on his business ‘Open (from blah to blah) unless we’re closed’ bit of a classic that one!
I’ve tried putting up my long weekend notices early…and I get customers coming in later and saying ” oh I thought you were closed today”…Many people never get passed the “closed” word..then they assume….my best word of advice is to remain consistent …I close every long weekend, and my customers know that…the cafe business is a very hard job…anyone who knows anything at all about the business would never begrudge them some time off…when ever they put their sign up:)