A leader I respect once said, “Your business model is merely your current theory of how you can make money. Recognize that it’s a theory, and be vigilant about testing it regularly.”
.-= Kay Plantes´s last blog ..Business Model Innovation Earns 2009 Inc 500 Spot =-.

As Heidi says, this is one of the challenges confronting new owners taking over any business – especially ones like coffee shops where people’s preferences often turn on small nuances.

Existing staff could play a big part in overcoming this given that maintaining some of the old familiar faces makes any ‘changes’ seem less daunting to existing customers. It is also important to exercise a degree of caution with regard to any changes made, so as to keep what is ‘good’ about the old way and evolve in a way which builds on these strengths (unless of course, the new owner wishes to take it in a totally new direction).

But whilst I do not question the value of trying to understand the intricacies with regard to customer purchasing behavior, there are certain ‘intricacies’ which will never you do any harm regardless of who your customers are. You can’t go far wrong with a nice, big smile. Nor can you go wrong with observing basic forms of courtesy, making prompt, friendly service a motto. Making eye contact always helps win trust (although not always appropriate when dealing with some Asian cultures).

Basically, your attitude, as well as that of your staff, should say “We like you, we are glad you came. We care about your needs and we truly want to serve you well. We want you to leave feeling better than how you felt when you came in.”

Few customers have nuances against being treated with this kind of basic respect.
.-= Andrew´s last blog ..My take on Goldman =-.

Someone who is truly in tune with their product and customers does know what they are selling and can imagine how change or lack of change might impact their results. The key here I think is that the individual needs to be deeply involved. Many aspects of running a business get between decision makers and their customers over time, including success.