As with so many self employed people, I have a favorite place to work. It’s an independently-owned coffee shop here in Murfreesboro, called JoZoara. It’s been in business for about a year. The year prior, there was another coffee shop here at this very same location. But they didn’t last long.
Yet, here we are in the midst of a much worse economy than back when the other shop was here, and JoZoara is going strong. What is JoZoara doing that the previous coffee shop didn’t do?
Well from the table where I’m sitting, it appears that JoZoara is doing a much better job of creating community. I’m sure there are other factors (like product quality and perhaps better management of operating expenses), but I do believe community makes the difference here. I felt more connected to this establishment after 2 weeks of coming here than I did after several months of coming here before it was under current management.
I think a lot of it comes to Teresa who manages the shop. She’s a saint (I’ll refrain from calling her Mother Teresa).
Teresa knows by now, I’m not one of the bigger spenders around here. I usually buy a soft drink or a bag of chips and connect to the free wi-fi. But Teresa treats me like a premium customer, regardless.
Within a few weeks of my patronage, I asked Teresa if they carried a certain flavor of chip (jalapeno-the spiciness wakes me up). She said they didn’t carry it. But she wrote it down and in a few days, jalapeno was on the chip stand here. And she’s repeatedly asked if there was anything else I wish that they carried and said that they would try to get it. She even gave me a whole box of like 30 bags of jalapeno chips when the expiration date ran out (she didnt’ want to sell them at that point).
And Teresa also takes a genuine interest in what’s going on in my life. She asks how my business is doing and really seems to care.
Why has community gravitated to JoZoara?
In Seth Godin’s recent book, Tribes, he talks about how communities form around shared values and interests. I believe that JoZoara coffee shop is an example of that.
I tell friends about JoZoara. And since most of my friends are self-employed, we often meet here during regular hours. They like it and then they become regulars here.
People around here feel very at home. Probably because of the cozy environment and decor. In fact, when I tell friends about the environment, I say it’s the next best thing to working at home, if not better.
And it’s not at all uncommon for me to start a conversation with a stranger here, or for a stranger to start a conversation with me. So there’s a social opportunity here for networking and just making new friends as well.
There are other places I could go for free wi-fi. For example, the local mall has free wi-fi in the food court. It’s just as nice as JoZoara in terms of a creatively stimulating environment. Not quiet as cozy perhaps. And maybe that’s why there’s no community at the mall food court.
This is where I feel like I belong when I’m not working on site somewhere.
Now what’s happened as a result of my many enjoyable trips to this coffee shop, is that I’ve met several other self-employed folks. We tend to have several common interests (i.e. building our businesses).
And I’ve gotten to know some other acquaintances from around town and church who frequent here as well. In other words, people with shared values.
At the end of the day, I think that the community that has formed here is independent, creative minded people who still enjoy meeting other people, i.e., they long for community. Which is why they’re here and not at home. Or at the mall food court.
Lessons For Your Bank
1. Like Teresa, treat all of your customers as welcomed guests.
2. Listen to what your customers want and deliver on it.
3. Give customers something of value for free, just like JoZoara gives us free wi-fi.
4. Engage with the community for reasons other than marketing and transactions.
5. Create opportunities for social networking and community building among your customers.
6. Create an enjoyable experience and your customers will tell their friends about it.
Does this sound like too much for a bank or credit union to do? It shouldn’t. In fact, I’ve had a credit union client, Allegacy Federal Credit Union, in Winston-Salem, NC that actually offered a location with a lounge with free wi-fi, coffee, and even a jukebox for customers.
But your bank doesn’t have to go that far at first. Take some tiny steps. You could even start online with social networking opportunities. After all, community happens online and offline these days.
And if a coffee shop can build community around its brand, why can’t your bank?
Is there a favorite place you like to hang out? Tell us about it.
-Kevin McIntosh
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