Ed Celiesius and Stuart Austin know firsthand about the importance and business value of customer service. After growing frustrated while working at a company that they say did not prioritize good customer service, Celiesius and Austin started Quality Express Coffee in 2000. They soon recruited 40-year customer satisfaction industry veteran Scott Wechsler to join the Tullytown, PA-based team of founders, which comprises of Supreme Customer Service Provider (Austin), Captain Of Extraordinary Customer Service (Celiesius) and Chief of Customer Happiness (Wechsler).
Today, Quality Express Coffee mainly serves two types of customer groups: the retail service businesses, which includes delis, bagel stores, convenience stores and restaurants as well as office coffee service with clients ranging from large corporate offices to small businesses. Quality Express Coffee was an early pioneer in merchandising and setting up professional-style coffee bars for independent stores and chains to match the largest chains. The company was also among the first in the industry to offer clients electronic menu boards. On the office coffee service side, the company aims to bring the café experience to the workplace.
“The individuality we can provide to any company, whether it be private label programs or programs for the office world, really is customer driven and sets us apart in the industry,” explained Celiesius, who has more than 30 years of vending and coffee industry experience under his belt. “We devote a lot of time to staying in front of the curve with technology and understanding what’s new and what’s trending.”
Effective efficiency
In addition to creating customer-driven, individualized coffee programs, Quality Express Coffee’s prioritization of efficiency has kept costs down and profits high.
“Our ground efficiencies are probably among the best in the industry,” said Celiesius. The 17-employee team features a mix of full-time and part-time personnel, which Celiesius says has stayed around the same size since the company’s start. “With the efficiencies that we try to instill, we are able to do more sales with less stock and people,” he explained. “Instead of making a $190 delivery average, we make a $210 average delivery. It all adds up. We still have the same number of stops, just bigger deliveries so we don’t have to add route people.”
Efficiency doesn’t mean cutting corners, however. Quality Express Coffee has prided itself on answering phones with a live person, opposed to an automated operator, since day 1 of business. Personalized interaction is also a hallmark of the company with its emphasis on customer visits, access to state-of-the-art equipment and diverse inventory of coffee.
For the health-minded
Because staying on top of trends is vital for Quality Express Coffee, the company in recent years has embraced delivering more health conscious products such as herbal teas and organic coffees. Foodservice locations such as delis and restaurants are more likely to request these options.
“It’s not just about price anymore,” said Celiesius, adding that local blends have also grown in popularity among customers, especially Millennials. “They want better products."
