Soundtrack vs. Soundscape – Show You Know Your Customer

My bi-coastal colleague Helen is in Halifax this week. We scheduled a meeting with someone we have been wanting to connect with. I chose the location: a local café owned by a local entrepreneur who is passionate about coffee. With two locations downtown, his coffee shops offer a premium experience that feels “authentically” personal, beyond someone writing your name and order on a take-away cup. You have the sense that every drink is made with care, using all the senses, not just pushing buttons and reading a thermometer. The owner is so talented he can make a dragon design on your latte, I’m not kidding – one step beyond the typical heart or leaf produced by the average barista.

Helen and I arrived a little early for the meeting. We chose comfortable seats in a more secluded part of the café so we could talk privately. As we waited for our guest to arrive, we noticed how loud the music was. The music was beyond loud, it was intrusive and not at all conducive to conversation of any type. It was also distracting. The songs were familiar and I had to prevent myself from being drawn into the music to figure out what was playing.

Why??

I find myself asking this question too often.

There is a very popular – and successful – restaurant in Halifax that we don’t frequent because the music is (in my opinion) obnoxious. Why would I want to listen to loud “oldies” while enjoying a premium Italian meal? Paying $20 for a glass of wine while listening to music that I would change if it came on the car radio doesn’t make sense. If I was asked to choose a restaurant based on location or cuisine, the restaurant in question would be my go-to favourite. Instead, we frequent another nearby restaurant because the ambiance is more intimate and agreeable, even though the food is not as interesting to me.

I am willing to accept that perhaps I am not the target audience for the restaurant in question. The music is loud and the tables are situated close together to create a sense of happening. Noise is part of the experience for this destination. When I go out, I want the company, conversation and food to take centre stage. Personally I prefer to talk with my companions when we get a chance to go out. Loud music, which creates the need to shout, diminishes my experience. Furthermore, I do not value feeling as if I am in a place where something is happening simply because it is loud and crowded. I know I am not in the majority. The place is “heaving” to quote one of my favourite people. People go because it feels like a happening spot. It is a scene for adults, no question about it! Could the owners make different musical choices and still create that sense of excitement? I think so, but they do not need to. They do not need my business.

If the destination knows its customers, it can choose music that appeals to a narrowly defined audience and present it in a way that suits that group. The issue is that most places I have visited, do not select music with a perspective. They choose generic music that is familiar to everyone (and ends up appealing to no one). I suspect that even the people who frequent this super popular restaurant do not go for the “playlist”— although a manager has assured me that people “love” the music. My theory is that when restaurants play familiar music really loudly we need to tune it out, rather than engage with it. This restaurant only registers noise, which is an important part of the experience for this particular destination. The owners lack the imagination or courage to build a soundscape by layering musical choices that enhance the experience while still fulfiling their “buzz-creating” agenda.

Everywhere we go we are faced with an aural assault. Christmas music has replaced repetitive top 40 hits for the moment in most shops now. Loud, festive music dominates coffee shops and restaurants. For the most part, we do not even notice the noise. It is part of our world, assuming we are not plugged into our headsets, choosing our own personal soundtrack. There is a lot of research on how music influences customer behaviour in the retail, restaurant and hospitality sectors.

More business owners could take time to consider how the soundscape of their business impacts their customers.

• Does the music complement their product or service? Think of how “right” it feels when you hear Enya playing in a spa or an Indian restaurant with background sitar music. I once attended a yoga class where the instructor was playing Michael Jackson and it just felt wrong.

• Does the music contribute to the environment or experience you want to offer? Loud music with a lot of bass may work in a store targeting teens but I always turn around if I can’t hear myself think. The teens will happily stay.

• Will it enhance or interrupt your customers’ enjoyment? A fine dining restaurant that plays ambient music will invite conversation and encourage clients to linger. Similarly, a night club that plays quiet classical music will drive its customers to another, more energetic danceable space.

Who is your customer? What do they want? Why are they visiting your business? How can you encourage them to come more often and stay longer? Most businesses have a lot of data about their customer but they don’t take time to interpret or apply those insights so they can answer these basic questions.

Some businesses get lucky. It is less risky to have an insight-based plan to make sure your amenity appeals to a specific customer group.

#Restaurants #Alignment #CustomerExperience