The Challenge

The Complained from Several Enigmatic Espresso Enthusiasts

• They don’t want to return because the café is always full, and they realize it won’t free up anytime soon when they see most people using laptops.
• Some customers even leave without ordering coffee due to the crowded environment.
• This situation needs to be addressed before winter, which means conducting thorough research and developing an effective solution within the next two months.

My Hero Journey & Deliverables

Discover

Understanding the Distressed Stakeholders Caught in the Laptop Infernal

To establish better research goals, we began by conducting some fieldwork and interviewing stakeholders. Here’s what we learned:

• Several cafés in the area have closed due to the pandemic, but the sales at the remaining cafés haven’t increased as much as expected.
• Post-pandemic, more people are visiting cafés with laptops, leading to a lower table turnover rate. Without laptops, tables are typically renewed three times per hour, but with laptops, customers may stay for 3-4 hours with only 1-2 coffee orders.

There are several assumptions and a new policy:

The owner believes that people with laptops don’t appreciate the value of the product; they only care about having a space to work.
They attribute the problem to laptop users, leading them to ban laptop usage in the café on weekends.

It is challenging to find a solution that isn’t aggressive or costly

One option involves enforcing a laptop ban.
Alternatively, we could remove power plugs.
Alternatively, the barista would need to act as a monitor, which could distract them from their focus on making coffee.

Researches

Untangle a Messy Ball Of Yarn

To uncover the core issue behind these messy facts, we begin with the basics: understanding our customers—especially those individuals whom everyone believes are the primary cause of the situation.

Goal: We aim to comprehend laptop users’ behavior:

• How do they choose a café?
• Why do they choose a café?
• What activities do they typically engage in while using their laptops?
• How long do they usually stay?

Method: User Interviews

We opt for user interviews because we want insights directly from café visitors. By popping by and asking a few questions, we hope to gain valuable perspectives.

Participate:

A total of 20 customers:

– 10 customers with laptops at Mile End and 1re branches

– 10 customers without laptops at Mile End and 1re branches

During our interviews, we discover that customers with laptops:

• Appreciate the quality of the coffee.
• Feel welcomed when using their laptops.
• Enjoy the work-friendly vibe but may not realize they’re affecting the overall atmosphere.
• May or may not be aware that staying longer without ordering more isn’t beneficial for the café’s business. Some feel guilty but continue anyway.
• Observe others staying with laptops and assume it’s acceptable behavior (following the crowd).
• Visit the café for work or study purposes.
• Sometimes occupy two seats due to limited space for their belongings.

We hear customers with “no” laptop

• They love the coffee.
• They don’t use the café for work due to the absence of large tables.
• They don’t pay much attention to laptop users.
• They notice a different vibe when the café is full of laptops.

We observe the message the café gives to the customers

• Wi-Fi is available.
• Laptop users are welcome.
• There are charging plugs for laptops.
• Small tables are designed for individual seating.
• Interestingly, no one objects when laptop users stay longer without ordering anything.

Insights

The brand image “taste good coffee with the ambiance” is indeed losing, and it is because

• The café sends the wrong message to the customers.
• There is a lack of communication between the café and the customers.
• There is a new culture to build on: working in a café is not a new thing, but certainly getting trendy now.

Share Insights

Solutions Are Born Through Great Teamwork

After identifying the core issues, I submit this information to La Connexiologue. They then work with the client to develop a customized solution. Then they:

• Present the research data to the client
• Brainstorm the solutions with the staff in the café
• Implement the solution

The Solution: Wi-Fi timer

All customers can enjoy 90 minutes of free Wi-Fi per day in exchange for their email address.