A Barista Showed Me the Essence of Customer Success

A barista who wouldn’t even bother to greet me showed me the essence of Customer Success more effectively than any course or workshop ever could.

Before we go any further, just for context, let’s define Customer Success (CS): Customer Success is anticipating customer needs and proactively providing solutions, thus ensuring that the customer will become more successful after using the product.

So, back to our story. Following my gym sessions, I developed a routine of stopping by a small coffee kiosk for my morning cappuccino. The barista, a buff and rather somber fellow, was part of this routine. Each time, I’d greet him cheerfully and order a cappuccino. In response, he’d usually mumble something, turn away to prepare the drink, and then hand me the cup without a word, charging me for the coffee without a customary “Have a good day”.

Awful customer service, but amazing coffee. It’s a trade-off I can live with.

One day, as I waited at a traffic light, preparing to cross the street towards the kiosk, I noticed the barista spot me. He immediately turned inside the kiosk. Within a minute, as I approached, he handed me my cappuccino. No greetings, no words. Pure efficiency. I paid, wished him a great day, and left without receiving a response.

But it didn’t matter. I was thrilled. The experience was genuinely satisfying.

Remember the Customer Success definition? Anticipation -> Proactivity -> Success.

The barista had anticipated my usual order and proactively prepared it despite the risk of me wanting something different or bypassing the kiosk altogether. The result? I saved precious time during my tight morning schedule, marking a personal success.

For the cost of a few cappuccinos, I acquired the best definition of Customer Success there ever was.