Why ‘John’s breakfast’ should make every CX leader hungry to do more
You have to see the look on his face. He arrives at the restaurant on what appears to be a beautiful day in Ireland, and, even though it’s the weekend, he’s wearing a suit and tie.
Then, even before his sizeable order of eggs, sausages and roasted vegetables has been served, his server Stephanie points out a critical change on the menu in front of him: the dish has now been officially renamed “John’s breakfast” in his honor.
The smile, the glint in his eyes, the way he sits up just a little bit straighter – this is the body language that definitively signals customer experience (CX) design done right.
When the restaurant, called Grangecon Kitchen, uploaded a video capturing the moment on Instagram, it quickly generated tens of thousands of likes.
Buried within the comments, of course, were a number of criticisms, too. Someone complained about an issue on the restaurant’s web site, and a few wondered whether the price of John’s Breakfast is a little on the high side.
None of those nit-picks matter, of course.
Grangecon kitchen has demonstrated the secret to customer loyalty without using an established loyalty program.
It has demonstrated personalization without any complex technology to support it.
Perhaps most critically, it has blended this in-person experience with a digital one by sharing on social media, where word of mouth will no doubt work its magic.
Is this kind of thing scaleable? No. But the spirit of it should guide the thinking of CX strategies everywhere.
So many brands talk about wanting to develop customers into “fans” – but how well do they show they’re fans of their customers?
There are many customers similar to John, who patronize a brand with consistent regularity, who go unrecognized.
Other companies may not be able to change the name of their products, but how might they recognize the association regulars have with their favorite items?
How can they indicate they are expressing recognition not as a tactic, but because they’re . . . nice?
A move like “John’s Breakfast” feels like an anomaly in business. It shouldn’t be. Watch this clip and you’ll see a level of CX worth striving for.
