Guest Experience
The primary feeling that Elle will try to impart to our clients is a feeling of relaxation wherein they can feel that they can leave all their worries at our front door and collect them later on. From start to finish the entire experience is meant to emphasize that our clients can and should relax when entering our store. After picking out which type of dessert they want from the counter our customers can head to the deck of our restaurant where they can take in the view of the surrounding lake and landscape. Once they are properly seated they will be provided with a complimentary cup of coffee while they wait for their order, and if it’s a Sunday they will also be given a free newspaper to read. Our waitresses are not only kind and pleasant, but they greet every customer as they are seated with phrases such as “I hope your day goes well,” “take care and have a nice day,” or other such phrases that are meant to elicit positive emotions from our clients. All of our furniture has been specially picked out to emphasize comfort yet still look ergonomically quaint and pleasing to the eye. Our shop does not utilize any garish colors, rather, it uses soft yellows and pastel colors to help not only our customer’s minds to relax but their eyes as well. Combined with the crisp and noiseless atmosphere of the surrounding lake environment and the delicious cakes we provide our clients are sure to have a quiet yet pleasant experience (Verespej 1993, p. 29).
Atmosphere
What makes the atmosphere at Elle unique is that it combined delicious sweet pastries with an exquisite lake view. When customers enter the shop they are exposed to not only the sweet and delicious aroma of waffles and cakes baking but are treated to an exquisite view that overlooks the nearby lake at Monteux. The air will be saturated with the crisp clean scent of a pristine lake with the sweet overtones of delicious pastry as well as nice soft classical music (Music at Inspirational Shops: Inspiring Inner Peace and Balance 2011, pp. 222-227). Visually, the entire experience will seem slightly surreal to them as they view the lake from the deck of our shop. As they walk into the shop, they will be treated to rows upon rows of delicious pastries in their refrigerated display cases with the stone walls painted in a light yellow color with lacquered cabinets, tables, and chairs in the background. The outside deck itself will be a dark brown color that accentuates the surrounding trees and lake. As such, as soon as a customer has selected a nice cake and possibly some coffee to drink with it, they can wait for their order on the deck while viewing the spectacular lake view.
It would almost seem like a fantasy setting for them, especially when taking into consideration the enclosed spaces and polluted air that most modern-day people are exposed to. The open atmosphere of the deck combined with the sheer expanse of the surrounding environment will instill into our customers a feeling of openness, of being in a sacred place and that in this area they can relax without a care or worry in the world (Kracklauer 2007, p. 36). Combined with the fact that Monteux is a sparsely populated area without any significant industrial developments this ensures that the entire location has a certain peace and stillness to the general atmosphere which helps to create a sense of calmness in people who are normally exposed to the noise and cacophony of a city environment. As such, the feeling of stillness that the location instills upon those within it will enable our customers to relax. This feeling of relaxation is the main goal of our shop since for them it can be a sort of “getaway” that enables them to finally relax, be at peace and to banish all thoughts of work, family problems or health concerns from their minds.
Reference List
Kracklauer, B 2007, ‘VIEW WITH A ROOM’, Gourmet, vol.67, no.2, p. 36, MasterFILE Premier, EBSCOhost.
‘Music at Inspirational Shops: Inspiring Inner Peace and Balance’ 2011, Souvenirs, Gifts, & Novelties, vol.50, no.6, pp. 222-227, Business Source Premier, EBSCOhost.
Verespej, MA 1993, ‘Smells sell’, Industry Week/IW, vol.242, no.15, p. 29, MasterFILE Premier, EBSCOhost.