Man On A Wire by BluElephant
A couple of months ago, Kate and I went to Harvard Square and stopped off at a local sandwich shop called the Harvard Square Cafe. We were working on a video series called “Social Brick and Mortar” about local retailers using the internet to get more customers.
The owner of the cafe was an Asian-American guy with glasses and a long black pony tail. He looked friendly enough – even playful - the way he chatted with a couple from out of town, so we joined them at counter – a few stools away.
As their conversation continued, Kate and I sussed out the place, wondering if this guy even had a website. Finally, he came over to take our order. We said we weren’t hungry but asked if he’d mind answering a few questions. He smiled.
What followed was a conversation that felt incredibly relaxed and, well… human.
We talked about Yelp and how his customers write good reviews for the cafe – without any prompting. Most of his business is repeat or from word of mouth. He has a few google ads running but does nothing else. Business is plenty and he certainly isn’t about to get on anyone’s internet bandwagon.
Then we had a surprisingly uncapitalistic exchange:
We asked for some water and he said, “Do you want bottled water or tap water in a cup?”
We sat there, taking up his time – and his counter space – without having spent a dime. And he wanted to give us a free alternative? I was dumbfounded – and curious.
Do you trust your customers?
Too often, business owners don’t mention a less expensive option because (warning: this might hurt) they don’t trust their customers.
- They distrust their customer’s ability to understand the need to make a profit.
- They distrust the idea that goodwill creates residual income.
Macro-trust (is that a word?)
“We’ve sat here for 15 minutes without spending a dime”, I said. “When I finally asked for water you offered us a free alternative. Why?”
He answered, “Because I have two choices for water – tap water and bottled water. I can’t decide for you, because I don’t know what you want.”
His answer, as uncommonly simple as it was, seemed to reveal a deep sense of respect and trust in his customers. And by extension, a deep confidence in the laws of prosperity. We left feeling that the cafe’s success was somehow directly related to his refreshing attitude.
Where have you observed trust?
