From the moment I walked into Golden Gecko Coffee I knew it was a special place. What was it? It was a combination of the happy, smiling patrons, the cleanliness, the special touches, Jake the enthusiastic owner with his equally friendly staff, the level of service, the “Gecko” branded merchandise inconspicuously displayed, the underlying Star Wars theme… it was… everything.

Here are just some of the things I noticed “King Gecko Jake” and the Gecko Team does to make Golden Gecko Coffee a truly Awesome Customer Experience:

• Background music was upbeat, at the right volume, without being annoying.  In my opinion the 80s retro suited the clientele.
• When I purchased my coffee, the barista asked “Do you need much room for milk/cream?”.
• Staff greeted customers with a sincere “Hi How are you?” and often engaged in a brief conversation with the customer.
• The café (and restrooms) were tidy and kept tidy. During a lull after a Saturday morning rush, a staff member proceeded to sweep the floor. This may sound obvious but I rarely see cafés being swept mid-day.
• During another lull Jake took the opportunity to do some staff training. I overheard Jake say “Let’s talk about a little housekeeping… this cloth is a little dirty, this is what you do with those…”. This was done with utmost respect toward the staff. Staff training is an ongoing process and The Gecko knows this.
• There’s a “dirty dish” bin near the front. The dirty dish bin was never overflowing and was picked up, emptied and promptly replaced regularly.
• Jake was always present with eyes and ears in all directions, ready to assist staff and customers when needed. On one occasion, he walked by the cash, noticed a staff member a little unsure with a cash function.  Jake pro-actively offered his staff some tips, moving the customer transaction along smoothly.
• The staff create a fun and friendly vibe by laughing, joking and engaging with customers, asking questions, building relationships… all done genuinely and with sincerity.
• A monitor hangs over the entrance door. Golden Gecko could be using this solely as an ad board to promote products. Instead, the Gecko displays a real time public transit bus schedule. Golden Gecko is located directly in front of a public transit bus stop and patrons can simply glance at the monitor to view the schedule to make sure they don’t miss their bus. Something which solely benefits the customer. Nice touch Gecko!
• One aspect of creating an Awesome Customer Experience is to make the experience unique. The Gecko does this by peppering the Star Wars theme throughout the café without it becoming a Star Wars museum.  this is done without excess, just enough to add personality.
• On several occasions I witnessed the art of anticipatory service. For instance, when a mother pushing a baby carriage was leaving, staff quickly rushed to assist by opening the door for the mom. The Gecko is a caring one.

Keep it up Jake! The Golden Gecko rocks an Awesome Customer Experience.
(Click here to visit the Golden Gecko website.)