The Second Cup

Sound familiar?

• Can't count how many guests came back this month.
• Recognises regulars by face, with nowhere recording what they drink.
• Spends on promotions for new faces while the old ones quietly thin out.
• Doesn't know why guests choose this shop, so can't protect that reason.

Each chapter answers one question

1. Chapter 1: Is my shop busy, or just full of strangers?

   Of last month's 100 customers, how many came back this month, and how do I know?

   If you cannot count who comes back, every marketing number is a guess.

2. Chapter 2: Does the first cup sell a drink, or a return?

   What do customers remember about their first drink at my shop, apart from the price?

   The first visit does not sell a drink; it sells a reason for a second visit.

3. Chapter 3: Is the rush hour driving my regulars away?

   At the busiest hour, how long do customers wait, and how many leave without my counting them?

   Loyal customers are usually lost right at the busiest hour.

4. Chapter 4: Is my best seller really the one paying the bills?

   Which items draw customers in, which earn the profit, and am I mixing the two up?

   Some items bring people in, some make money; confusing those two roles confuses the whole strategy.

5. Chapter 5: If my shop closed tomorrow, what would anyone miss?

   If a customer had to describe my shop in one sentence, what would it be?

   A shop without one memorable reason competes on price until the day it closes.