Investing in your break room is a great way to create an office culture that invites, welcomes and engages staff at all levels across the company for a united purpose. The trouble with office break rooms is that it is just as easy to create an uninviting space as it is to create a space that oozes charm and good cheer.
Today, the office coffee gurus here at Corporate Essentials are going to take a little time and demystify the office coffee maker component of your break room to help you avoid the pitfalls and problems some businesses suffer in their quest for break room glory.
Not enough coffee
Some days, that little indicator light on the front of the office coffee maker can be the worst nightmare of an office manager. When the coffee machine is ready but there is no coffee to go in it, you know you have a serious problem. By establishing a good relationship with your NYC office coffee provider, you should be able to avoid this pitfall in two ways.
First, because you will have a regularly scheduled delivery of amazing office coffee products ready and waiting at your door at just the right moment. But second, because when crisis hits, you are likely able to dial up an extra delivery to tie you over when that delegation from Japan decides to stay for three extra days after drinking the break room dry.
Coffee everywhere, but no one wants a drink
Because there are a number of reasons people “go off” the office coffee, this single point really counts as four. If your office suffers from what appears to be a coffee surplus, there are a couple potential causes for that problem – and most of them are easy to rectify.
First, do a little investigating and see if the staff in your building enjoys the coffee products you are offering in the break room. If it turns out the office coffee is unloved, some of the most likely causes are:
- Old coffee: the number one reason people dislike the coffee on offer in any given break room situation is that it is stale. By working closely with your office coffee delivery company, you should be able to fine tune your delivery interval and product selection to ensure that your teams never have to face the tyranny of stale coffee again.
- Wrong brewing process: coffee has different roasts for a reason – and some beans behave better when brewed with one process rather than another. If your teams are adamant that you have the right coffees, but no one seems terribly enthusiastic about the resulting brew, ask your office coffee concierge for some tips on better brewing practices and help with selecting the right office coffee maker for your NYC team. You may find that a pour over is a better option than that pretty espresso maker the guys on sixth were so enthusiastic to recommend.
- Unpopular coffee: sometimes, a lack of variety and the absence of seasonal flavors from your office coffee product lineup can drive staff away from the break room and back into the welcoming arms of that café down the road. Keeping your staff engaged in the break room is a great way to ensure your break room menu satisfies the thirst of your crowd.
Low-quality coffee: the sad truth is taking the cheap option when you start your office coffee delivery contract can lead to dissatisfaction down the road.
Once you get the kinks ironed out of your office coffee order, encourage your staff to come together and learn about the new office coffee maker and all the amazing treats it can brew by having a tasting event.
Better still, include your teams in the selection process – we cannot stress this enough! Involving your colleagues in the process of picking the best national and locally roasted coffee products for your break room really encourages them to buy in to the office culture you are establishing.
Terrible coffee maker, part one
It is often said that only a poor craftsperson blames their equipment, and in the world of office coffee this is sometimes true. But there are occasions when the office coffee maker is simply no longer up to the challenge of churning out cup after cup of top-quality caffeinated bliss day after day.
So please, instead of sticking to your guns and assuming that the discount coffee pot your predecessor bought at the corner market back when the years still started with a 19, consult with an office coffee expert and take their advice to heart. There are scores of solutions out there for offices like yours in NYC seeking office coffee machines that can do everything from brew a simple pot of coffee in under three minutes to make you a bespoke espresso beverage with the press of a touch screen.
Terrible coffee maker, part two
On the other hand, there are terrible NYC office coffee makers out there who only have themselves to blame. Try not to take this personally, but rather, use this as a learning opportunity for yourself and as many staff as you can muster – a great office coffee service will help you and your teams understand the flashy new office coffee maker that is being installed in the break room so that no one in your building will ever suffer the scourge of a poorly-crafted cup of coffee again.
Look at this as a great opportunity to use your break room to its fullest potential – stage a training session, offer free drinks and snacks to participants and encourage employees to work together to concoct new and different coffee beverages that might be outside their normal realm of experience.
A well-stocked break room is a genuine asset to any company in NYC. Having staff that are well versed in the coffee – and other beverages – they enjoy most is a huge help in making sure that all your teams feel valued and catered for as individuals.
Working with an office coffee supplier like Corporate Essentials, with nearly two decades of experience in helping companies across NYC find their ideal office coffee maker, can be a truly rewarding experience. If you are looking for a way to avoid the trials and tribulations of bad office coffee maker karma, contact one of our experts today for a coffee consultation.
