Appreciation post for that coffee shop owner in Austin who taught me about customer retention

I was at a small coffee shop called Brew & Co on South Congress last week. The owner spent 15 minutes talking to me about how they use handwritten thank you notes to bring people back. Their repeat customer rate went from 30% to 60% in just 6 months after they started that simple practice. Has anyone else found a low cost habit that made a huge dent in repeat business like that?

3 comments

3 Comments

ninas676d ago

Follow up with something small but personal. I've seen a little bakery near my place do the same thing - they slip a free cookie into your bag on your third visit. Nothing big, just a nice surprise. It makes people feel remembered, and that's what keeps them coming back more than any discount or fancy sign ever could.

ivanross6d ago

Isn't that the stuff? My buddy got a free donut on his fifth coffee run at some place and now he won't go anywhere else.

hannah_perry6d ago

Oh that's a good one, the free cookie trick works way better than people think. It's that little jolt of surprise that locks it in your brain, makes you feel like a regular even if you've only been a couple times.