Always be selling

In my sales training sessions, I tend to reference Starbucks a lot, not for coffee reasons nor for their tax avoidance, nor for the way they treat part-time staff but for their ability to create a consistent customer service despite having over 100,000 staff globally.

Whether you like to admit it or not, they are good at replicating their “Green Book” and “5 Ways of Being” – coffee wouldn’t be my favourite, but each to their own.

I do like Clements – coffee, service, staff, all of it – it’s a great brand experience too but very different to Starbucks and for the right reasons.

In the Rosemary Street, Belfast shop, I noticed this sign – the “alternative close” in action – I just thought it was cool.

The Alternative Close, courtesy of Clements Coffee Shop, Belfast

I’d go for Tom Waits to narrate mine – what about you?