Most of our customers are repeat customers, so if you can remember peoples names and orders, it can make a huge difference in their attitude towards you.

I almost always work DTO/DTR, I always have a fun greeting, called guests friend. At window I ask about their day. I try to find something to talk about. Maybe they have a sports ball hat on and I ask about that. Maybe they are a fan maybe they are just from there. That can be a good way to make small talk. If not talk about their drink, ask them if they have ideas about what you could get.

Ask any well known regulars to turn on and do the surveys for you, that can be a boost. I think stores in the 80s must do this. Also, knowing that the question asked is "did the barista make an effort to get to know you?" and it only counts towards your score if they give the highest score (7 out of 7 I believe, ex: if so, a 6 doesn't count for anything 😔).

Comment on drinks as you take orders or hand off to people, that's an easy, casual way to get to know people, make suggestions, etc. Think about vibes of a kind waiter, kinda passionate about food and interested in getting you something you will enjoy. Helps a lot. (Our score has been between 62 to 70, without begging for surveys).

But honestly it's only possible with proper staffing levels and a group effort.

You have to get to know them. You want to ask them: "Would you tell me your life story?" They can say no. But at least on the survey, they'll say you tried to get to know them.

If it’s a drive thru then it’s a bit difficult really making a deep connection while keeping times down. Try little questions and make a tally if needed, “what’s your favorite Disney movie?” “Best song in the history of music?” And hear peoples answers, it’s a small little thing can can be answered in under a minute but it keeps connections up

Our store is mostly drive thru, we always ask “so where ya headed?” Usually it’s work, sometimes it’s not. Either way, it gets a conversation started. If they say work, we ask “oh where do you work?” My trainer taught me to “always be curious.” Asking “how’s your day” or “how are you” elicits one word answers usually. Sometimes when people get decaf I ask them why, and I share with them I have to do decaf cause i get anxiety from caffeine. That’s started some cool conversations. Try the “where ya headed?” question though and go from there. It’s simple and effective. They usually leave with a smile, even if it was just a 20 second exchange.

Our busy cafe hovers in the low 80s and has a ton of regulars. We make it a point to learn customers names & greet them by it. We learn all their little extras like people that will want their egg bites extra toasted or pup cup & have it ready at MOP. I always pick 3 or 4 people on Fridays that I don't know as well and ask about their weekend plans & then ask them about how it went one Monday morning. It's exhausting and tedious but most everything about this job is honestly.

Basically we really do "get to know them" .

Don't force conversations. Give them an opportunity to respond, or something to talk about, but if they don't seem interested, let them sit and chill.

The ones interested in socializing will do so when they come through, and you'll get to know them as people, beyond their name and order.

What do you actually know and remember about your regulars?

my store has really high CC because we’re a small cafe with a freaking incredible SM. I think those two factors help. Also mostly regulars… I remember their orders and names. Act excited to be there even if you’d rather die.

You probably only get 40-50 responses a week. That’s it. Only people able to reply are app users. LEAN INTO THEM. If you are trying to connect over the top with the lobby guest paying cash while the mop person goes ungreeted then you aren’t playing the game right.

Tell your favorite regulars who mop “hey if you get a survey give us top score or it’s a fail. Top score If you think we passed, because anything below the top gives us a fail”. Most people hve no clue that giving someone a 8/10 is actually ruining their life because most people think there is always room for improvement. If they knew it was a pass/fail result based off top score they would reward you with better scores

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My store has a customer score of 50 and one of my shift was like, “yeah I don’t know why, it should be lower to be honest of how the mids are treating the customers.” We are closers.

She told me one barista went into a full-on argument with a customer over cup size 🥴. The shift tried to make it right but the customers alrdy upset. The next day the customers husband came in trying to fight the girl. He was shoving every female barista he saw. And that said barista wasn’t working that day lol, lucky I guess.

If it’s a Friday, I’ll ask them if they have any plans for the upcoming weekend. If it’s a Monday, I’ll ask if they did anything fun over the weekend. Middle of the week? Ask them what they do for work and talk about their job