Last weekend, my daughter and I plotted a secret celebration for my husband’s birthday and decided to start with booking a table at a new favourite restaurant. We’d only recently discovered this local gem and had just been twice before.

As we hopped in the Uber, I wondered aloud if Jen, the world’s best server, would be there, and we tickled the back of our brains to remember the owner’s name. We remembered – Graham – just as we pulled up. 

As we stepped inside, Graham immediately called out to each of us by name and swept us over to ‘our usual’ table. We were pleasantly stunned. Within minutes, he was back with a round of personally prepared cocktails – on the house – for a birthday cheers. 

This is a man who knows how to make guests feel welcomed, cherished.

Intellectually, we all know it’s important to make clients feel appreciated – to feel good about working together – but too often businesses fail to take the welcome experience to another level. And that’s a big misstep. 

Why?

A well-rehearsed and earnest welcome process is essential to any business. It will:  

• Create the right first impression
• Enhance trust 
• Provide an opportunity to set expectations for your process and how you will work together
• Create raving fans who will refer you to their friends and colleagues
• Allow those little mistakes that we all make from time to time to be overlooked

And at the end of the day, you’ll have happier clients, a better retention rate, and higher cross-selling opportunities. 

Who doesn’t want that?

At Blackcoffee, we’re experts at helping businesses craft the perfect client experience. And we don’t believe in leaving anything to chance. That’s why we’ve created our own Welcome magazine that we share with new clients and update annually. It’s a small but significant step we take to help ensure our clients are taken care of, understand how we work, and how to find us day or night. 

I’m also working on a welcome package to share with the magazine. I might not be able to shake up the perfect cocktail for a birthday cheers the way Graham can, but I can ship a great coffee cup and some heavenly beans. 

Interested in finding out more? Download our Welcome magazine here to have a look. We’ll happily use it as a template to create a similar one for your business – just send us the details, we’ll help you craft a welcome message and choose some appropriate reading materials to include. And if you want help creating the full welcome experience, call me at 403.457.0590 or email hello@blackcoffeestudio.com to book a consult. 

As with most things in life, creating a great experience starts with an intentional process. 

Oh, and by the way, if you’re local to Calgary, drop by Cardinale (snuggled up next to Stampede Park) and say hi to Graham and Jen. They’ll welcome you with open arms!

With gratitude,