Half a croissant, on a plate, with a sign in front of it saying '50c'
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Frequent Buyer Card

The usual today sir?
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A customer frequent buyer card that knows "your usual ______ ."

Can be easily used in coffe shops, aswell as dining establishments. Basically a "frequent buyer" card that serves to let the staff know exactly what you want. Upon recieving your card, your "usual order" is recored, stored in a database, and is issued a barcode that is placed on the card. If you want something different, just order the conventional way, and still recieve your "frequent buyer points". If you would like "the usual" then the till attendant scans-in your "usual", you pay, and get on with your day.

Letsbuildafort, Nov 07 2003

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       However, could result in more annoying questions along the lines of 'do you have our loyalty card?' (and if not) 'would you like one?' (to which the answer 'no' is simply not understood). Maybe just asking for 'the usual' is simpler in the end. + for the idea though. You'd be a credit to any large company with your marketing ideas.
Mistress Bling, Nov 07 2003
  

       Thanks, Bling -- well, thats the beauty of it ... if you don't want to participate at all, then thats cool too ... its still as selective as the current frequent buyer system ... just cuts time for those folks in a hurry, or some less than social people like myself
Letsbuildafort, Nov 07 2003
  

       As Bling suggests, it will actually increase the time per customer, not cut it. The staff will have to ask each customer that does not have a card if they want one, and take those who do through the process of getting one.
waugsqueke, Nov 07 2003
  

       I know that for Subway franchises, its a simple yes or no question ... but it works off of stamps ... this could be streamlined by simply asking yes or no, and if "yes" then taking their daily order (which they should have in front of them), then putting a barcode sticker on a generic card ... I suggest this because I realize there's numerous places I order the same thing every time I go in, and I'm sure there are folks out there that do the same ... but there's no application process, its something your local burger drone can do from his or her register ...
Letsbuildafort, Nov 07 2003
  

       Perhaps if you had a separate counter where people could sign up for and be assigned their cards, it would not interfere with the day-to-day coffee hounds. That solves my concern.   

       I used to purchase my daily cup at a place that used little punchy cards to note purchases, and would give every 10th cup free. You could automate something like this using your system (which is probably your intent, if that's what you mean by 'frequent buyer points').   

       If you have a shop that usually has a bit of a waiting line, you could put a bar code scanner down line a bit, so that waiting customers could scan their own card, putting their order in the queue. Ideally someone could prepare the order and have it ready for them when they got to the counter. If their order differs from the card-order they'd have to wait, of course.
waugsqueke, Nov 08 2003
  

       its a pretty good idea, although it would eliminate the warm fuzzies of the cute counter girl remembering "the usual".   

       I once made the wrong "usual" for a customer, and he bought it anyway, apparently due to a crush i was unaware of.
the_coffeegirl, Nov 11 2003
  

       well, [coffeegirl] for things like that, then convieniently neglect to bring the card, and have a dialogue with your 'crushy' attendant about how good she looks or something while searching for the misplaced card ...
Letsbuildafort, Nov 12 2003
  

       Why not just have a card that operates on a system of grunts so you dont have to talk at all?   

       one grunts means "the usual". Two grunts "im feeling adventurous today so ill go for the raspberry danish, thank you for serving me" etc   

       In fact with an extension of this system, no one would have to talk to anyone else and provided everyone shopped and worked solely at faceless interlinked corporations and franchises then we could eliminate language altogether.
wongmeister, Sep 30 2005
  

       First of all I need a place with good service so I would like to visit it frequently (I live in the Netherlands).
rrr, Oct 02 2005
  
      
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