London - You might dash into Pret A Manger for a lunchtime sandwich or morning coffee without so much as a glance at those behind the tills.
But next time, it would be worth remembering to flash the pearliest of smiles at the staff serving you.
And perhaps throw in a wink or a compliment for good measure… To do so could mean skipping out the door with a free drink or meal in your hand.
The boss of the cafe chain has revealed that it runs a behind the scenes system that lets employees reward their favourite customers. Chief executive Clive Schlee said: ‘We looked at loyalty cards but we didn’t want to spend all that money building up some complicated clubcard-style analysis.
‘Instead the staff have to give away a certain number of hot drinks and food every week. They will decide, “I like the person on the bicycle” or “I like the guy in that tie” or “I fancy that girl or that boy”. It means 28 per cent of people have had something free. It’s a nice, different way of doing it.’
And it seems it is working for Pret. Yesterday it unveiled a 16 per cent rise in annual sales to £594million in the year up to January 1.
Daily Mail