ONE FREE CUP is a new promotional concept pioneered by Quickfire Tableware of Yorkshire.
The exclusive story in the latest Coffee House explains it like this -
One of
the UK's historic customer-loyalty systems is being revived for the modern
coffee-bar trade by Quickfire Tableware of Yorkshire.
The 'trade token' was a common part of British shopkeeping life from the 1600s
right up to the 1950s, and as the Surrey Advertiser reported
earlier this year, 'were issued by all sorts of tradespeople… they were used as unofficial money, payment to farm labourers, and many people
remember
the Co-op's plastic milk tokens'.
The new product is One Free Cup, which is intended to be used promotionally by
cafe owners and caterers - the idea is that a glazed
ceramic token, probably with the message 'one free cup' on one side, and the caterer's logo on the other, will serve as a promotional item,
perhaps to be given away during the launch period of a new café, or as a loyalty gift, or if necessary, as a customer-service gesture
to soothe
a complaining customer.
Simon Martin of Quickfire acknowledges that there is historical inspiration for
the product - "I can remember my mum buying
plastic
milk tokens from the Co-op and leaving them on the step for the milkman as
payment for the milk," he told Coffee House.
The new product is expected to have several possible promotional uses.
"These tokens have applications in all establishments from small independent
stores to large chains," says Simon Martin. "Everyone
needs to grow business, and the One Free Cup coin will contribute to this growth. We see these coins being offered to reward loyal customers,
to make
up for a bad experience so the customer gives it another go and to bring new
customers in off the street.
"What better way to advertise your coffee shop to a local firm than to offer the
sales manager 50 coins to give to his staff as a sales incentive?"
The products are being made by Quickfire in their Yorkshire factory.
For details, email - ianb@coffee-house.org.uk