From a marketing perspective, disaster strikes when you enter Franklin’s Deli.  I’m welcomed by a bowl of bananas, cupcakes, flapjacks and Oreos on my left.  Following this counter round, I then get to the cold drinks and sandwiches fridge.  Following this (still walking round), I’m then greeted by the friendly waitress who is standing in front of what appears to be the HOT FOOD counter:

“Hi what can I get you?” she says.

I struggle with an answer and blubber something like:

“Erm …(pause)….. Hmmm  (pause)…. I will haaaavvvveee…(pause)… erm..

…What is there? “

My question sums up my point quite nicely.

The sign in front of me reads “Roasted Deli Meats”. The salt beef catches my eye but there wasn’t any salt beef on display, nor did the waitress mention it. By the time she finishes describing the never ending list of hot delicacies,  my eyes have wandered over to the attractive ‘FILLINGS’ on display at the next counter. I look at the boards above me and see a list of “FILLINGS” and as I move down the counter I spot “BREAD TYPES”.

Surely you pick you bread before your filling? Maybe that’s just me but the experience so far is totally bizarre.  I ask the lady for a soup as it was too stressful to figure out what bread type I would like on my coronation chicken (hang on, is it coronation chicken?).

“What’s that?”  I ask the waitress, pointing to the coronation chicken.

“Home cured pastrami with deli mayo” she tells me.

Oh, ok. Maybe I’m being thick but a label would have helped.  I (finally) get to the end of the line and as I go to pay, a woman jumps in front of me (also ready to pay) with a hot dish in her hand.  Another woman also jumps in front of me. It became obvious to me that this was the Franklins way – these were regular customers who found it was acceptable to jump the queue if you had already been served.

I go to pay for my soup and the waitress asks me if I would like a drink.  I can see a big coffee machine in front of me – coffee and soup are not the best combo so I kindly decline.  As I turn around to find a seat, I notice the crisps and the salad bar behind me…where did that come from?!  The salad bar was in the middle of the room with a “SALADS” sign about 2 metres above it.

Now I’m frustrated. I would have liked a salad, and I would have liked a drink but it was just too inconvenient to go back to the fridge at the front of the deli (next to the oreos and bananas).

I think Franklins have it all back to front – start with fruit and a dessert and finish with salad. Even the signs are back to front (bread with your filling, sir?)  This may be some form of strategic inconvenience but I’m doubtful, as many of the customers are local businessmen who don’t have time to dance around deli’s.

Franklins should try doing some mapping to improve the customer experience and buck the trend of deli’s failing. They could turn a positive customer journey into increased revenue by strategically placing signage and products around the store and in till queues.  As for the hot drinks, try the GHIRARDELLI HOT CHOCOLATE , a finest ghirardelli hot chocolate mix, with steamed milk, whipped organic cream, and toasted marshmallows ( TIP:  don’t forget to pick up your flake when you arrive).

Let us know your thoughts?

The coffee in our office is drinkable but some connoisseurs wanted to add a little sophistication to their working lives. To take part in the Droidism experience, you need to be part of the ‘coffee club’  so after gaining permission from the CDO (Chief Droid Officer) I started on my new caffeine adventure which came at an unexpectedly high price.

The capsules needed to brew the coffee (which we purchase on an individual basis) are horrendously expensive and not many places seem to sell them (try the Dolce Gusto Capsules on Amazon).  It takes time to learn what size cup to use for the different capsules. By the time I found my favourite capsule (15 different capsule boxes and 3 weeks later), I realised that I could have gone to Starbucks three times a day for exactly the same price.

The first time I used the Dolce Gusto Piccolo, I left it on too long and the coffee tasted too strong and burned.  The second time, the aroma was fabulous but the quality didn’t really match my expectations. This wasn’t to do with the coffee per se, rather the flavour of the condensed milk.  I think the milk capsule tastes too artificial – now I simply brew the coffee and then I add my own milk afterwards.

NESCAFÉ ‘s Dolce Gusto Piccolo Coffee Machine is simple to use, compact and friendly. Try it and let us know what you think!

We take our hats off to the French and thank them for Handpresso, an innovative espresso machine for cars…May our morning traffic jam never be dull again!! We’ve all been there – forget to set our alarm in the morning, forget to tie our shoelaces, get into to work late…. I’m afraid this handy machine can do little to save you from your angry boss, but it may at least ease the pain.

Coffee lovers know that missing the morning coffee can easily lead to a bad day. For just 149 Euros, Handpresso allows you to brew your coffee in the car, it fits in a standard cup holder and plugs into the car’s 12V cigarette lighter.  Simply add water and a coffee pod of your choice, press the button and voilà, your espresso is ready!*

So what will be next in mobile kitchen appliances, the Autoaster?

See the Handpresso Auto in action here

* Please don’t pour your coffee unless you are stationary (ouch!)

Site: www.handpresso.com/produit-1-1-handpresso_auto_e_s_e_.html#

Dear Costa,

What does it cost (– a -) you to serve my coffee, and my sandwich with a napkin? I mean, seriously. As trivial as it may sound, this was an indicator to me that you do not have a clue about how to serve your customer properly, never mind even trying to be slightly Italian. Forget the nostalgic vespa and dolce vita posters for a minute and let’s go back to basics: customer service.

I come into your shop and to be fair, I don’t have to wait too long to be served. But once I have paid for my food and drink I’m told to “take a seat and we’ll bring it over”.  One wobbly table and 10 minutes later, a (not very friendly) waitress gives me my Panini and REGULAR latte (which in my opinion, is too big and sickly. I would have a small but this isn’t an option apparently).

There’s a knife on my plate and my Panini is cut in two. What if I don’t want my Panini cut in two? I bought my Panini as a whole, so why just assume I want this cut in two? Again, this may seem trivial but it comes back to my earlier point, customer service. I’d be interested to know what customer research and analysis you have carried out, my guess would be not very much or if so, it’s not done very well. It just so happens I wanted my Panini to be served whole, as I like to cut this up into bite size chunks as the mozzarella melts and goes everywhere but never mind, a minor point in comparison to my next.

My real gripe was when I had finished my Panini, there was no napkin (either on the table or served with my Panini) to clean my mouth and wipe my greasy hands. I didn’t even know where I could get a napkin as there were no signs and the people at the till just seemed to busy and unapproachable.  As I looked around for the napkins I eventually gave up and decided to go wash my hands in the toilet. No chance! The queue was so long, only one unisex/disabled toilet… seriously?

I left Costa utterly disappointed and perplexed, one of the leading coffee shops with a turnover of 2million is failing to meet my needs – all I wanted was a napkin.

But….what does it mean? Will he call? Does she like me? Need a coffee?

Nescafé seem to be targeting the younger generation, the twenty-something party animals, who are perhaps searching for love, or lust, and a cure for their hangover. Having been a student myself, this advert seems quite unrealistic: all the people are thin, good looking and things don’t always go back to normal straight after sipping a cup of coffee.

When it comes to the ‘me too’ products such as coffee, the brand should offer a distinct value proposition and associate the product with real life experiences: taking a break in work, staying awake, relaxing, watching TV and socialising with friends. To be fair, Nescafé have risen to challenge with its 3 in 1 handy sachet and (hopefully) done their research to identify their key audience but, what about the rest of us? I am now a busy working woman, my heavy drinking days are long gone and I would only be delighted to find out there’s a magic ‘pick me up’ 3 in 1 sachet on our supermarket shelves.

Another frustration with this ad is the confusion it brings. Marketing succeeds when the message is clear, so if coffee brands want to market themselves as elixirs of passion and lust, then I’d probably stick to traditional ‘love scenes’ such as the famous Gold Blend advert of the 1980′s, starring Antony Head and Sharon Maughn, which was voted the ‘most romantic ad of all time’.
To conclude, coffee brands should conduct thorough market research, identify their (real) audience and needs, segment their market and understand the consumer experience as the intersection between the product and real life will ensure that the coffee brand is useful, relevant and talked about.

Why, compared to France, Spain and Italy (and with the exception of prestigious locations such as the Champs-Élysées in Paris and the Piazetta in Capri) is the price of a cup of coffee so high?

Why can’t I get a cappuccino without it coming in a bucket sized cup or, in some cases, a plastic cup?

Why am I offered a wooden stick instead of a proper spoon?

This is where it often pays to shop around  to find a coffee bar which gives you what you want without having to specify a primo (=small!), one shot (not so strong that I will be shaking for the rest of the day) and skinny (made with skimmed milk) – Ok that is one of my pecadillo’s.

Most annoying of all is how long it takes these coffee bars to serve up your coffee.  In Italy, I pay at the till (which is separate from the bar), give the barista the receipt and they serve my drink in about 2 minutes flat. Granted taking a drink to the table is often more expensive and time consuming but this is a different experience.  It’s not all negative though, having a good range of newspapers is a good idea and the staffs are usually polite and helpful.

Now here’s a hint – ask for a long espresso macchiato and you get a mini cappuccino at a reasonable price. Costa has already cottoned onto this with their ‘Flat White’ coffee.

Best of all, buy yourself a De Longhi for less than £200 and make your drinks to your liking at home.

Perhaps the first coffee bar in Liverpool serving cappuccino was the El Kabala on Bold Street. The atmosphere inside was more like a casbah than the usual café with Formica tables. The Gaggia machines had a unique look – a long chrome machine with handles sticking out of it and of course the fascinating steam outlet for froffing the milk. The smell of roast coffee was intoxicating and the coffee, served in a glass cup and saucer tasted wonderful, especially the extra enjoyment garnered from spooning out the foam when all the liquid was gone.

Today we can only dream of places that sell exquisite coffee at just 6 pence a cup. Thankfully, the stylish Gaggia is still available to purchase and give us a taste of heaven at the height of sophistication.

Looking up at the board in the coffee shop I read and (out of curiosity more than anything else) ordered a  ’babyccino’ . I was expecting either a teeny cappuccino or an espresso macchiato (espresso which is ‘stained’ with milk) but what did I get? Frothy milk with a dusting of cocoa powder served with marshmallow.

I was pretty convinced that the marshmallow was there to soften the blow. When I got home, I asked Google “What is a Babyccino?” and it told me that children want to drink the same as their mum and dad so coffee shops have started to sell the ‘Babyccino’ which is marketed as a ‘bespoke milky hot drink’ with a similar froth on the top to that found on a cappuccino.

I started to wonder – could the waiter SERIOUSLY have thought I wanted heated milk? From my recollection, I wasn’t with child and neither was my friend. In fact, there wasn’t a child in sight!  A little warning that I wasn’t going to get ANY coffee would have been nice (or a sign that clearly states DOES NOT CONTAIN COFFEE).

I’ve just about recovered from my baby coffee experience but what’s next, the ‘Teenespresso’? No coffee, just steamed water and a marshmallow that reads “Don’t worry, maybe next time you’ll get it right”.

Over the past few weeks I have been watching countless episodes of Sex and City so it’s no wonder I have got a little Carrie’d away this evening.  I’ve invited four of my fabulous girlfriends around to sample coffee cocktails and to get the weekend started in style.  These coffee cocktails can be whipped up in no time and are guaranteed to help you wind down after a super-productive week….

Chocolate Hazelnut Coffee: This elegant cocktail is served in a warm wine glass, simply add 10 oz brewed coffee to 1 oz chocolate liqueur and 1 oz hazelnut liqueur . Dazzle some fresh whipped cream over the top with a sprinkling of cocoa powder.

Jamaican Coffee: Mix the Tia Maria (which will add vanilla sweetness) and a generous shot of Jamaican rum together in a saucepan. Serve in a brandy glass and top with freshly whipped cream.

A Night in Florida:  To pack in that extra punch, mix 1 tsp Kahula, Frangelico, Grand Marnier and Baileys together then add to ¾ cup of coffee.  To mellow it out, top with whipped cream.

Café Royal is made with 1 ½ oz coffee-flavoured tequila ( Patrón XO Café), strong brewed coffee and cocoa powder. Add whipped cream to garnish.

The simple but classic Irish coffee is usually served with a thick dollop of whipped cream.  Simply mix together 1 cup of hot coffee, 1 ½ oz  Irish Whisky and 1 tbs sugar.

For the Monte Cristo, add 1/2 oz coffee liqueur,  1/2 oz orange liqueur  to coffee and top with whipped cream.

And finally (my personal favourite)…

Although the Caffe Corretto is more of a digestive than a cocktail, it certainly is bite-sweet-aaaah.  Simply make an espresso (why not use your Bialetti?) then add a tablespoon of your favourite liquor :  sambuca, martini, , Campari, baileys, jack daniels, grappa, or whiskey.

“A coffee cocktail is one of life’s decadent pleasures, share it with friends and it’s happiness tasted.”

Happy weekend! X

I’m often disappointed with the ‘cinnamon’ flavour latte, which in most coffee shops is made by adding syrup or sprinkling a dash of cinnamon over the top. I have been doing a little digging (away from the graveyard) and discovered that the reason for this lack of flavour is that by simply adding cinnamon to a coffee does not work – it will float to the top and which doesn’t really add any flavour.

To give your coffee a nice cinnamon flavour, a trick (or treat) is to add a sprinkle of cinnamon over the top of the ground coffee BEFORE it is brewed. Alternatively, you can mix the cinnamon into the coffee in the filter container which will give it a better distribution. Of course, the more cinnamon you add, the stronger the flavour and be warned not to add too much if you are using a paper filter – the cinnamon will plug up the holes in the filter and reduce the amount of coffee that is brewed.

There’s always the option to use cinnamon flavoured coffee, I’ve been pleasantly surprised with Coffee Finest Cinnamon Flavoured coffee.

But if you prefer a hint of sweetness, stick with syrup. Taylorson’s currently does succulent aromatic syrup which will wow your guests with something daring and different.