Why cheap coffee is a bad for business?

How long do you think it takes us to make up our minds whether or not we like someone when we meet them for the first time? Ten minutes? Twenty? It’s actually just seven seconds. Like super-computers, our brains can process a new acquaintance’s facial expression, appearance, speech and mannerisms and make a decision faster than we can say, “Why yes, I’d love a cup of coffee, thank you”. If we get off on the wrong foot with someone, research by Harvard University suggests that it takes eight subsequent positive encounters to correct a negative first impression. 

Now imagine that someone is meeting your business for the first time. Perhaps they’re a potential new customer, or an existing customer with whom you want to build a strong relationship. You wouldn’t bring them into a dirty, untidy meeting room – so why offer cheap coffee? Not only does it not give a good first impression, it may also reflect badly on your business ethos.

Not only is inexpensive coffee made up of lower quality beans, it also doesn’t help promote preservation of the environment or fairtrade ethics. Suppliers of cheap coffee have to cut corners at every stage, and that means that the beans are normally grown with the use of chemical pesticides. The end product is coffee that’s poorly blended, of low quality and taste and does little to support the economy of coffee growers and workers. Does that sound like something you’d like to have associated with your business? 

While every business has to keep a sharp eye on its bottom line in these modern times, opting for cheap coffee could be a false economy. Providing top quality coffee made from ethically sourced beans can only help create a great first impression. Installing a commercial coffee machine, which will grind the beans freshly and deliver the perfect brew at the touch of a button, is the icing on the cake – or in this case, the crema on the espresso!

To find out more about our fairtrade coffee and commercial coffee machines, visit our website www.rijo42.co.uk.