Hello Everyone!
It's been a really exciting time for South Quad Java Blu over these last few months. Things are finally starting to settle down and I am extremely happy to report that we now have our full menu up and running! We even have some new editions the Student Managers have been able to come up with to increase food sales like late night Nachos! We've all really been enjoying the freedom to order our own products and make big decisions like what food and drink items to put on our menu. Our sales have steadily been increasing since this major change so I certainly think it is working!
One of the most interesting things we have noticed over the last couple of weeks is how much Java Blu has become part of the daily routine for some of our most loyal customers. Before this year I don't know if I would have been able to say that we had any "regulars". Now it seems that, like clockwork, I can expect the same few people every day around the same time for the same products! I know that one of the RA's, Adam, will come downstairs around 7:30 every night for a small Strawberry Banana Smoothie. And Mary, a freshmen who lives in the South Quad dormitory, will come around at about 9:45 for a locally baked Great Harvest Bread cookie and a coffee to keep her studying going into the wee hours of the night. I once jokingly asked Mary what she would do without her nightly coffee and cookie and she laughed and responded "I honestly don't think I could get through the night without it! Once 9:30 hits I start thinking about these cookies and craving some caffeine and I just have to come here and get some!"I really found this statement interesting, especially coming off of our class discussion of the book "The Power of Habit" that we read the other week. It appears that Mary and Adam both display the exact characteristics of being stuck in a habit "loop" following the path of a "cue-->routine-->reward" (The Power of Habit). The cue for these "regulars" seems to be the time of night or their normal study routine. This then leads them to their apparent "routine" of coming to visit Java Blu for a quick snack. The "reward" is the actually purchase and ultimate consumption of whatever they buy from us, and thus the cycle continues! The fact that Java Blu has made its way into the habits of the residents in South Quad is a huge accomplishment for us. Our sales are now at an all time high for the semester! It's even clear that some of these habitual purchases have started to induce "cravings" in our customers for specific food and drink items. Mary is a prime example of this and I have no doubt there are other customers whose behavior is becoming more and more automated because of these cravings (Angell Lecture)!
Now that students have had a chance to get situated in their class routines and study habits, they have also had a chance to explore the various food options around their dorms. It's gratifying to see that Java Blu is the top choice for so many students! It really makes us feel like all the hard work we've put in to get this place up and running was worth something and finally paying off.
Since we now have our complete food menu up and running as well, we are hopeful that we will also become a part of students' habits when it comes to late night meals instead of just snacks and beverage purchases. I don't think it would be too much of a stretch to think that students might start getting a hankering for nachos or chicken nuggets when 10:00 PM rolls around and the dining halls are closed.
With this latest success South Quad Java Blu is now prepared to open for breakfast second semester and see all that we can achieve in the early hours of the morning as well! This gives us yet another chance to enter into the habits of our customers, or potential new customers. We would instead be attempting to "change old habits" instead of creating new ones (Angell Lecture). We would be attempting to insert ourselves into the morning routines of the students by slightly changing their everyday morning actions. Instead of getting their morning coffee from Starbucks or some other store in the Union, they could buy it from us! Instead of grabbing a bagel from Au Bon Pain they could come down in their pajamas and grab one from us or opt for a fresh Washtenaw Dairy Donut! The possibilities are endless and as long as we continue taking advantage of students' normal routines and integrating ourselves within them, I think we are in a good position to exceed all expectations for success and attack this next semester with vigor!
I'm very lucky in that I can say that I look forward to going to work each and every day, and that I absolutely love what I do. It's been such an amazing experience this year especially with all the changes we have been going through and I can't wait to see what my last semester at Michigan goes. So for now, and forever, Go Blu! Java Blu....
This blog post does an excellent job of applying The Power of Habit to Java Blu customers. When it comes to coffee, falling into the habit loop of cue-routine-reward seems to be a very apparent pattern (The Power of Habit). As we have learned, once you get into that habit loop it is very hard to break, so that is great for Java Blu to have created such a loyal customer base. As a freshman, I used to go to Java Blu everyday, since I was always in a dining hall. I never seem to go anymore, but after learning that the South Quad Java Blu sells Washtenaw Dairy Donuts, I might have to check it out!
ReplyDeleteDuhigg, C. (2012). The power of habit: Why we do what we do in life and business. New York: Random House.
Another great post, Cailin! I guess I didn't realize that Java Blu hasn't been open in the mornings for breakfast thus far. I am 100% positive that you guys will be able to move your way into students' morning habit loops, first and foremost because of your convenient location within their living space. I think where you might find more of a challenge will be breaking into that late-night habit loop, because students may not associate a coffee shop with a late night eatery. However, it sounds as though you have positioned yourselves very well in letting students know that you offer more than just coffee drinks. Perhaps offering some late night promos would be a first step in jumping into the late night habit loop! Overall, it sounds as though Java Blu is well on its way with winning over students at any time of day!
ReplyDeleteHere is a link to a really cool article about the 50 best college coffee shops in America. Maybe you could check it out and scoop up some of their successful strategies to make JavaBlu even better!
http://www.complex.com/pop-culture/2011/05/the-50-best-college-coffee-shops-in-america/
What an interesting way to connect the idea of "regulars" to The Power of Habit. I always think good and friendly customer service (with baristas like you who know people's names) is another reward that encourages purchase habits as well. I'm glad to hear that the updates Java Blu has made are paying off with increased sales too.
ReplyDeleteIt's also nice to hear that you enjoy your job so much. I think the amount of ownership, input, and control this new project gave you and your fellow employees probably contributed to your satisfaction at work (Babin / Harris 283). It's always nice to feel recognized and heard.
As a side note, I think it's so smart to offer Washtenaw Dairy doughnuts. The Dairy is such a well-known and well-loved part of our Ann Arbor town microculture (Babin / Harris 193). Its positive brand recognition and the amount of customer loyalty it has is really incredible. Plus, they've got awesome doughnuts which I can now buy at South Quad!