Improving Customer Service in Cafes

This assignment focuses on improving customer service within the cafe industry. It emphasizes the importance of direct customer interaction for baristas and cashiers, suggesting personalized conversations and effective query resolution. The document also highlights the need for standardized greetings and training to ensure consistent positive customer experiences.

Develop and Maintain Professional Networks
Contents
Introduction...........................................................................................................................................1
Business Plan Review.............................................................................................................................1
Budget review.......................................................................................................................................2
Contact Plan..........................................................................................................................................2
Vision Statement...............................................................................................................................2
Strategic Directions:..........................................................................................................................2
Communication Strategies................................................................................................................3
Networking in the Industry............................................................................................................3
Local network building at personal level.......................................................................................3
Performance measures......................................................................................................................4
Target Organizations.........................................................................................................................4
Building relationships with people....................................................................................................5
Recommendations.................................................................................................................................6
Customer service officers..................................................................................................................6
Baristas and Cashiers.........................................................................................................................6
References.............................................................................................................................................6

Develop and Maintain Professional Networks
Introduction
The report comprises of two parts. The first part of the report includes business plan review along
with the budget and the second part includes network building plan. The adequate review of the
business documentation would require policy exploration to understand the level of adherence with
the service framework and regulatory/statutory requirements and to make sure that the objectives
and roles of all the parties are explained clearly. The business plan review would demand an
exploration of all the subjects associated with the business document. The primary objective is to
make sure that the plan comprises of all the necessary elements so as to fulfill all the goals. The
network building plan specifies the roles of people as per the organizational structure and hierarchy
and special mention has been given to the cafe manager.
Business Plan Review
It would be necessary to answer the following set of questions to identify the effectiveness of the
business plan of CoffeeVille.
 Is there a unique selling preposition highlighted in the plan? The company has the primary
goal of establishing itself as a leading provider of gourmet coffee and food and the same is
the USP of the company.
 Does the plan talk about the major target markets? The primary focus of the business will
be Australian markets that are considered to be ethically responsible.
 Is there an exit plan and steps of actions covered in the plan to deal with the scenario of a
business failure or losses? It is assumed that the business will be able to experience profits
in all the scenarios and therefore, an exit plan is not covered.
 Is there a clear vision associated with the plan? The vision of the company and the
management is to establish the company as a leading provider of gourmet coffee and foods
in Australia (Hackley, 2005).
 What is the roadmap to success as specified in the plan? The business strategies and
decisions are covered in the plan right from the launch of the business. The specific
strategies that will be followed for achieving success in terms of cost management and
control, revenue management, adherence to the quality standards, ethical compliance,

Develop and Maintain Professional Networks
customer relationships and training of the staff members has been covered in the plan.
There are no specific targets and milestones included in the plan for the purpose of tracking.
 Does the plan talk about the customer, market competition and market trends? There are
three groups that the company has identified as individuals willing to takeaway, sit & sip
individuals and the units willing to collaborate for catering. The various regions of Australia,
such as Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Noosa have also been identified and targeted. The
plan does not include the information around the customer choices and preferences along
with the list of competitors. This may come up as a primary challenge for the business as the
USP pf the company will not be fully utilized without understanding the customer
expectations and market trends (Higgins-Desbiolles, et al., 2015).
Conclusion: The business plan includes the information on the USP of the business, vision and key
success criteria. However; it does not include the specific milestones and the customer preferences,
list of competitors and market trends. The elements that are missing may have an impact on the
success of the business in the market.
Budget review
It would be essential to verify that the estimated budget would be sufficient to carry out business
activities and would be able to achieve profits in the budget review. The answers to the following
questions will make it easier to understand the budget designed for CoffeeVille -
 Are the assumptions includes regarding the sales scenarios valid and in-line with the
market growth factors? The estimated budget includes an income of $1,400,000 from the
sales of food, $1,300,000 is allocated for beverages sale, and $800,000 is considered to be
associated with the catering services. The net worth of Australian Tea market in the year
2013 was calculated to be $473 million. Melbourne experiences maximum consumption of
coffee in Australia and the total population is 4.5 million (WONG, 2010).
 Is there an alignment between the estimated expenses and the company value? The vision
of the company is to establish itself as a leading provider of gourmet coffee and foods in the
Australian markets. The plan covers the major figures that will be invested in the market for
establishing the desired position. However, the share of costs that will be spent on research
and development activities has not been adequately specified (Morgan, 2015).
Conclusion: The budget does meet the economic feasibility and highlights the expenses to achieve
the short-term goals; however, it is not suitable for the long-term vision that has been set by the
company.

Develop and Maintain Professional Networks
Contact Plan
Vision Statement
The vision of the company and the management is to establish the company as a leading provider of
gourmet coffee and foods in Australia in next 5 years.
Strategic Directions:
Strategic steps that have been specified to meet the vision are as listed below.
 Target market campaigns shall be planned and launched for enhancement of the company
sales and revenues.
 Adequate management and control of operational costs including direct as well as indirect
costs.
 Adherence to the quality standards as per the industry standards
 Enhancement of ethical compliance showcased by the company and ethical trainings to the
staff members to enhance the compliance percentage
 Design of the community network comprising of clients and the suppliers
 Enhancement of the motivational levels of the employees in the company
Communication Strategies
Networking in the Industry
The following communication strategies have been specified that shall be followed so that the goals
and vision are met.
 The consumer trends and preferences specific to the regions shall be explored and the
results shall be discussed with the peer on the factors that led to increase or decrease of a
particular trend associated with the consumption of coffee in Australia.
 Social media platforms shall be used to connect and communicate with the consumers of
coffee on their choices and preferences.
 Maintenance of the relationships with the industry giants and experts through the medium
of industry events and meet-ups for long term association that would benefit both the
parties (Heaton, 2014)
 Professional social networking channels, such as LinkedIn shall be used to connect with the
professionals in the field to arrange for the meetings. The posts and blogs that have been
shared by these professional shall also be studied for knowledge enhancement.

Develop and Maintain Professional Networks
 Enhancement of communication and relationship with the supplier association to
understand the factors that the suppliers look out for. Such an exercise will also provide an
opportunity to develop business relations for future assignments and associations (Grosse,
2002)
Local network building at personal level
In order to develop and build a local network, there are several events that are organized that must
be explored and an active participation must be made in the meet-ups, campaigns and seminars.
Such gatherings will provide an opportunity to meet and connect with the professionals already
established in the industry for enhanced business relations and connections. An analysis of the likes
and dislikes of the attendees in such events in terms of the market factors, choices and preferences
shall also be made. The following strategies shall be followed for building a strong local network.
 Participation in the industry events shall be enhanced which will provide an opportunity to
connect with the professionals in the field. The primary topics of interest shall be identified
and discussions shall be carried out on such topics.
 The contact information of the professionals shall be gathered and a personal interaction
shall be made to connect with them in the future.
 A list shall be prepared of the people most active during the event and a connection with
them shall be established so that both the parties may benefit from such an association (Kim
& Grunig, 2007)
 Social networking channels shall be intelligently utilized to connect with the consumers,
suppliers and professionals. There are business networking sites, such as LinkedIn that must
also be used for the purpose of networking. The contact details of the professionals and
suppliers shall be obtained from the social media.
 The contact details as obtained from the social media channels must be utilized for
establishing the connections.
 Other social events shall be explored with the aid of the Internet to look out for events
wherein maximum likelihood of the presence of the industry experts and giants may be
expected. The attendance to such events and trips shall not be missed (Long, 2003)
 A personal invitation shall be sent out to the professionals to have a cup of coffee at the
café. In this manner, the professionals will be able to provide their valuable feedback and
the business relations will also be established.

Develop and Maintain Professional Networks
Performance measures
The networking strategies that are used and applied shall be evaluated on the basis of the
performance measures as listed below.
Organizational Level: A period of two months shall be utilized for establishing connection with at
least five supplier units and five clients. The measures used would include:
 New clients that are collaborated per month.
 New suppliers that are contracted per month.
Managerial Level: A time period of three months shall be used to connect with at least fifteen new
industry professionals and experts. The measures used would include:
 Total number of industry events and campaigns attended
 Increase in the number of people added to the professional network and to the LinkedIn
profile (Motorola, 2009).
Barista Level: A period of two months shall be used to attract at least ten new customers at the café.
The measures used would include:
 The total number of new customers with the aid of the professional network.
 The total number of corporate clients added to the professional network
Cashier Level: The overall sales shall go up to AUD 12,000 in a period of 4 months or less. The
measures used would include:
 Total number of new corporate customers included in the clientele and the sales made out
of the same.
 The total number of new suppliers added to the network of suppliers and the sales provided
by them.
 The number of new customers and suppliers added through the social networking channels
(Lunenburg, 2010).

Develop and Maintain Professional Networks
Target Organizations
It would be necessary to establish relationships with the customers as well as the suppliers. The
following organizations shall be targeted for establishing relationship with them.
National Australia Bank Limited: It is one of the leading banks of Australia and there are over 35,000
employees engaged with the bank. The bank shall be contacted to supply coffee to its staff members
which will lead to the enhancement of 35,000 consumers in the portfolio of the company. It would
also provide an opportunity to understand the choices and preferences of the consumers. The
services may then be expanded and provided to other banks as well (Hall, et al., 2017).
Atomica Coffee: The organization has been in the industry since past 20 years and has a complete
understanding of the preferred taste and flavor of the various customer groups. They provide 100%
Arabica coffee beans and have been able to establish a string hold on the market. The organization
shall be contacted in order to establish a supplier-buyer relationship so that they may provide coffee
beans at lower costs. This would allow the company to achieve their vision and mission and will
allow them to appear as a leading provider of gourmet coffee.
Building relationships with people
The relationship would be established with a number of people from different backgrounds and
departments.
INDUSTRY CONTACTS
Industry Peers: Social media, social events and industry meet-ups will be used as the mediums to
connect with the industry peers. The contact details will be obtained and the same will be used to
connect and build professional relationships with the peers in the future. Business networking sites,
such as LinkedIn shall also be used to contact with the peers and read through their posts to
understand their business knowledge, needs and requirements.
Supplier representative: These people will be contacted with the aid of social events and industry
meet-ups. The basic agenda would be to obtain their contact information through such events. The
contact details would be used to connect with them later on to have personal discussions for
professional relationship building and networking (duPont, 1999).
POTENTIAL CUSTOMERS

Develop and Maintain Professional Networks
Corporate buyer representative: These people will be contacted with the aid of social events and
industry meet-ups. The basic agenda would be to obtain their contact information through such
events. The contact details would be used to connect with them later on to have personal
discussions for professional relationship building and networking. They will also be provided with an
invitation to have coffee at the café to provide their valuable feedback.
Young buyer: These buyers will be personally met and their feedback will be collected. The feedback
will provide a chance to understand the needs, preferences and choices of the youngsters which
makes up as a major customer group that will be targeted. There will be offers, deals and events
carried out for these buyers in the café.
Employed: The employees of a company will be personally met and their feedback will be obtained.
There will be discounts provided to these employees if they will be found to be engaged with a
customer organization.
Travelers: The travelers will be personally met and their feedback will be obtained to understand
their choices and preferences. Also, there will be personal suggestions provided on the places to visit
so that the travelers may recommend the café to their friends and family.
Recommendations
Customer service officers
There are certain changes that have been recommended for the customer service officers to make
sure that the networking goals and objectives are achieved by the organization.
 Every order shall be completed with providing the customer with a feedback form to fill that
shall ask them about their experience and preferences.
 The comments that are provided by the customers in the feedback form shall be entered in
the automated system and a data analysis shall be performed on the same. The analysis will
provide the customer preferences, choices, expectations and areas of improvements.
 There shall be a standard established for the staff members to greet the customers. The
same standard shall be followed by all the members and there shall be trainings provided in
case of improvements.

Develop and Maintain Professional Networks
Baristas and Cashiers
There are certain changes that have been recommended for Baristas and Cashiers to make sure that
the networking goals and objectives are achieved by the organization.
 There shall be personal discussions carried out by these members with the customers rather
than completely relying on the staff members to greet and communicate with the
customers.
 The customer queries shall be resolved by these members and they must make sure that
they guide the customers to correct person to contact in case of any compliant or
requirement.
 There shall be a standard established for the members to greet the customers. The same
standard shall be followed by all the members and there shall be trainings provided in case
of improvements.
References
duPont, K., 1999. Handling Diversity in the Workplace Communication is the Key. s.l.:American Media
Inc. .
Grosse, C. U., 2002. Managing Communication within Virtual Intercultural Teams, s.l.: The American
Graduate School of International Management.
Hackley, C., 2005. Advertising and Promotion: Communicating Brands. s.l.:SAGE Publications Ltd.
Hall, B., Simmons, D., Faint, P. & Bonnell, Y., 2017. THE 2017 MELBOURNE TOP COMPANIES
REVEALED: THE TOP 10. [Online]
Available at: https://www.businessnewsaus.com.au/articles/the-2017-melbourne-top-companies-
revealed--the-top-10.html
[Accessed 13 December 2017].
Heaton, A., 2014. Achieving Integrated Digital Marketing. [Online]
Available at: http://www.smartinsights.com/traffic-building-strategy/integrated-marketing-
communications/integrating-digital-marketing-199/
Higgins-Desbiolles, F., Wijesinghe, G. & Moskwa, E., 2015. A TASTE OF SUSTAINABILITY: CASE
STUDIES OF SUSTAINABLE CAFÉS IN AUSTRALIA , Adelaide: University of South Australia.

Develop and Maintain Professional Networks
Kim, J.-N. & Grunig, J. E., 2007. Problem Solving and Communication Activeness: A Situational Theory
of Problem Solving (STOPS), West Lafayette, IN : Purdue University.
Long, L. W., 2003. COMMUNICATION & CONTEMPORARY ORGANIZATIONS, s.l.: Illinois State
University.
Lunenburg, F. C., 2010. Communication: The Process, Barriers, And Improving Effectiveness, s.l.: Sam
Houston State University.
Morgan, R., 2015. Caffeine wars: which city is Australia’s coffee capital?. [Online]
Available at: http://www.roymorgan.com/findings/which-city-is-australias-coffee-capital-
201503240030
[Accessed 13 December 2017].
Motorola, 2009. Improve Customer Service with Instant Communication, s.l.: Motorola.
WONG, J., 2010. Aussie café culture accounts for ‘biggest growth in coffee’. [Online]
Available at: http://www.ausfoodnews.com.au/2010/03/04/aussie-cafe-culture-accounts-for-
biggest-growth-in-coffee.html
[Accessed 13 December 2017].