When a customer arrives ready for their cup of coffee, or lunch-sandwich-to-go, they are not a bit interested in any of the reasons why you cannot accommodate them quickly, pleasantly and efficiently!
Designing smooth traffic patterns, and appropriate equipment placement for efficient service is an immense challenge that can be met wisely by experienced design teams.
In the coffee house pictured here, the challenge was additionally layered by some unchangeable factors inherent to an old industrial building that had charm — but also some functional drawbacks.
There were uneven concrete floors and other features that needed modification in order to accommodate clusters of lingering customers lining up for fast service, then roaming about with hot drinks in hand.
By creating an open and flexible feeling, the environment is welcoming for groups of schmoozers, impatient coffee and snack seekers and folks just lingering over their morning newspaper or laptop with no sense of crowding or bunching. It takes an overall insight regarding crowd management to achieve that balance for customer comfort, personnel efficiency and speed, ambiance and quality delivery of the product.
Combining speedy service with the laid-back perception of old world charm and a slowed-down-pace is about keeping all those plates in the air like a classic juggler. It’s possible, but you have to keep your eyes open, watch the rhythm and don’t lose your place.
Serving hungry people is a challenge in itself. Some folks know exactly what they want, while others hem-and-haw and actually want service personnel to help them decide. Merchandizing and presentation is critical for getting people to make up their minds in advance, in order to “…keep the lines moving!” Designers must take these factors into consideration.
In subtle ways, the placement of display units, interesting distractions, color treatment and noise management all figure in to assisting with efficient crowd management. An irritated, hungry individual — or one of us that can’t function before that great first cup of coffee — can be brought around a pleasant corner for mood change. Facility layout and presentation must speak directly to those realities.
Of course, the design team can’t be responsible for the importance of personnel training that is so vital to good customer service. However, it has been shown over and over that providing service personnel with the appropriately functional environment, that addresses specific needs, can make a world of difference.
There is a huge difference between efficient, speedy service and “the bum’s rush!” If the service environment is not laid out to accommodate the essential sequences needed for that fast service, it is just an invitation for chaos. Noticing how the flow needs to happen makes a world of difference in who returns to that retailer.
Robert Boccabella, B.F.A. is principal and founder of Business Design Services and a certified interior designer in private practice for over 30 years. Boccabella provides Designing to Fit the Vision© in collaboration with writingservice@earthlink.net. To contact him call 707-263-7073; email him at rb@BusinessDesignServices.com or visit www.BusinessDesignServices.com or on Facebook at Business Design Services.
