Nadeem Khokhar – South West London

Nadeem Khokhar has been a Puccino’s franchise partner for 15 years. He runs three shops in South West London. He shares the story of how he became one of our franchise partners and subsequently one of our most committed brand ambassadors.

Why I chose to invest in a Puccino’s Coffee Shop

I learned about Puccino’s through a friend who worked in one of the cafés. I quickly realised that this was a brand that stood for something a bit different. It seemed fun, everyone was smiling; the humour of Puccino’s came through really strongly in store. Even the art on the walls was inspiring and modern, making it stand out against the competitors. I decided to go for it and take on my first franchise.

What I’ve learned from my partnership with Puccino’s

I realised quickly the importance of being in my shop regularly, getting hands on and supporting my staff. My team members are providing the brand consistency which makes Puccino’s so successful, so I make sure they get the training they need and I help keep them motivated with regular one-to-one catch ups.

Building rapport and giving customers recognition as they walk in makes them feel valued and important. Something as simple as remembering their name or their favourite drink – it’s about individual recognition. These are the kind of things which build loyalty; they surprise and delight our customers every day and help us to beat the competition. I’m sure that it’s our attitude behind the till and our smiles that are the main reason for customers coming back every day.

How Puccino’s supports me and my team

The head office at Puccino’s is always very supportive – nothing is too much trouble for them. I really feel that their heart is totally behind the brand – they’re here to support me and I know they’ll do everything they can to help me grow my business. It’s not “them and us”.

Puccino’s provide essential guidance and practical tools, such as marketing collateral, to ensure brand consistency – that’s really one of the main benefits of franchising. Having a skilled and experienced central team to take care of everything from supplier management to marketing, means I can concentrate on supporting my own staff to deliver top level customer service.

My top tips for franchisees

• Ongoing staff training so they are fully equipped to deliver the high level of customer satisfaction associated with the Puccino’s brand.
• Provide staff recognition schemes, look for ways to instil healthy in-house competition and run team bonding activities.
• Make sure employees feel they are part of the business to enhance their loyalty and commitment.
• Anticipate regular customers’ needs to build loyalty.
• Visit other Puccino’s or competitor brand shops to pick up new ideas.
• Build a strong local social media presence for your own store.
• You really must keep on top of your paperwork. I also recommend budget forecasting for at least 12 months and to always have a goal in mind.

A match made in coffee heaven

We have one customer, an older gentleman, who regularly comes into the shop early in the morning just after we’ve opened; the team have built a great relationship with him. Also, he acts as kind of mystery shopper, giving me feedback on the quality of service and products. It says a lot about my brilliant staff and the role they play in brightening our customers’ days.

It was a big investment for me but when I see not only the great financial return, but the positive impact that we have on people like this regular customer, I know opening a Puccino’s coffee shop was worth every penny.