Disappointing cafe visit a reminder of why profit shouldn't be top priority for businesses: Bird Lovegod

Looking around, the signs became more evident. Literal signs telling people what time they must arrive by, and leave before, and that they can’t stay longer than an hour if it’s busy. Somewhat of a rules- based approach to running a little cafe, and not entirely welcoming. Then my food arrived, microwaved scrambled eggs. Ah, I get it.

It’s all about attention to process. The service, the ambience, the food itself, all are secondary to the tick box minutiae of how everything must be done.

I would have loved to offer my services as a food critic and business consultant. First, let’s get rid of all the mildly intimidating signs.

Second, we don’t need an iPad, we need a pad of paper to write the order on. And we hand the paper to the person in the kitchen.

They will prepare the order, and let you know when it’s ready to take to the customer. It really should be very simple, friendly, and informal. As it stands it’s a microcosm of unnecessary digitisation and processes.

And lose the awful sachets of salt and pepper that have to be ordered in advance and just bring a salt and pepper grinder to the table with the food. Also, please, never ever microwave ‘scrambled’ eggs. Just don’t do it. Prepare the food nicely, with humanity, with love.

I think this must be the proprietors’ f irst-time business because everything has been really well considered. However, that is F rom their perspective as the business owner b ut not from the perspective of the customer. That’s an easy and foundational mistake to make.

Perhaps they think the business exists to make money for them. When in fact, it should exist to provide an enjoyable dining experience for the customers. If it succeeds in that, it will, providing it’s run properly, also make money for the owner.

Running a business to make money as the primary intention is not good business. Running a business to serve people good food, to provide people with pleasant homes, whatever the business is, the primary function should be focused on the customer, not the business owner. This counter intuitive approach works for one man businesses and huge corporations. Amazon was, and still is, totally focused on the customer. Sometimes at the expense of overworked employees and roughly treated vendors, but even so, it was a customer focused approach that conquered the market.

You can tell when a business is run just for money. From the tradesman who overcharges and under delivers, to the water company maximising profits at the expense of humanity and the living world. It’s morally wrong, it’s cheap, it’s dishonorable.

Many businesses should not be businesses at all. We have children's homes run for maximum profit, charging the most they can to local authorities, and spending the least they can on amenities and staff and actual care of children. It’s a travesty that such huma ne and vi tal services as wat er and ca r e f o r children should be owned by foreign private equity companies who have no care other than the profit they make for investors and shareholders. It’s also a travesty to microwave scrambled eggs.