Office Coffee Machine Challenges
What's the recipe for success?
The decision you make regarding which office coffee machine and solution you order is more important than you may think. Providing great coffee at work really makes a difference to how valued staff and visitors feel and the wrong choice could have a negative impact on your workplace.
We reveal the three ingredients for coffee success: serve great tasting coffee, include a variety of choices and coffee types, and position in the right location.
Quality Coffee
Poor quality coffee at work may leave the wrong impression with visitors - a survey of 1,000 consumers revealed that one in two consumers are likely to view a business favorably if it serves high quality coffee in the lobby or reception area. What’s more, when it comes to staff, research by InSites Consulting shows that 40% would like to see better quality of workplace coffee, which shows that this really matters. In turn, not having the right coffee at work can make staff feel less valued and this could have a negative impact on their motivation.
Quality coffee can be provided in various ways: from fresh beans to filter coffee, from liquid to instant coffee. Although the taste will be different for each type of coffee, quality should remain consistent to ensure that they all taste great.
Choosing the right solution for your business needs is vital to ensure that you provide quality coffee.
Barista made coffee is the sign post for ultimate quality, but having said that, beans aren’t always the answer, for example - bean to cup machines can deliver substandard coffee if they are not maintained correctly, or the products are not stored in the right conditions. In which case a different office coffee machine may provide better quality for your environment - if you don’t have the operational capability, you can still provide great coffee with a different type of coffee machine or solution that requires minimal input... so it's worth taking the extra time to make sure that you purchase the right coffee machine for your business, so that you can ensure the quality is always the best it can be.
Freedom of choice with a variety of options
Allegra 2017 shows that the UK Coffee Shop market is continuing to expand. As a result, drink choice has now broadened and consumers now have more options for where they buy their coffee. This means that quality and choice are becoming top consumer priorities. Consumer preference tends to be a Latte, followed by Cappuccino, then Americano.
How does this impact the workplace?
People expect to have the same experience of coffee at work that they have at home, so it's important to offer a variety of options for people to choose from – this should cater for the fact that people have different tastes, but also many will choose different types of drinks depending on the time of day and their need at the time. For example, your drink of choice in the morning might be an espresso for a quick reboot, but you may prefer a latte when you are connecting with a colleague or taking a break from the computer screen.
Latte, Americano, espresso, cappuccino, latte macchiato... Today you can provide this selection and variety from just one machine. This is cost-effective in the long term, because employees who can enjoy their cup of coffee of choice are likely to be more motivated and productive.
Location and environment are key
Keeping your coffee machine hidden away in an unsociable place, so that employees do not take too much time away from their work may seem smart in the ‘time-is-money’ philosophy, but it isn’t motivating. People don’t work effectively and don’t enjoy work if they are sat at a desk for hours on end, so why not encourage staff to take a productive break in a nice coffee corner? Coffee culture is on the rise, with many coffee shops now doubling up as business and social spaces – the two can go hand in hand. You may be surprised how much business is done over a cup of coffee.
Putting your coffee machine in a place that is accessible to everyone will encourage conversation. Make the area comfortable and welcoming, so that colleagues are happy to stay there. This way you create the ideal conditions for an informal chat and help to cultivate a dynamic and collaborative environment, encouraging face to face conversations and effective working sessions, helping to move away from ‘email culture.’ This also contributes to providing a professional impression to visitors, making sure that they feel welcome at your office.
Providing great coffee at work is important. It’s not difficult to get it right but getting it wrong can have a huge impact on your staff, and visitors alike. Our coffee experts at JDE Professional can help you with these three tips so don’t hesitate, give us a call on 0808 100 1030 or get in touch via our web form.