It's Not the Coffee, It's The Queue: Why Perception Matters

The coffee sale tells you something. But not everything.

Picture this: 

You stop at the same café you’ve loved for years. The flat white still tastes great, but lately the line snakes out the door and the barista looks stressed.

Sales figures, taken alone, say “business is booming.”

But if the owner doesn’t ask what customers think about the wait, they might miss the warning signs:

• Grumbling
• Smaller tips
• Regulars quietly migrating to the cart across the road.

Councils run on perception too

Local councils deliver far more complicated “coffee queues.” 
Waste collection, playground upgrades, animal control, building consents.

Each service touches different people in different ways - every single day.

KPIs tell you:

• Bins emptied
• Permits processed
• Response time met

But they don’t tell you:

• Trust - Do residents believe we’re listening?
• Fairness - Do staff think decisions land evenly across teams and communities?
• Momentum - Are councillors confident we’re moving in the right direction?

And yet, many councils feel blindsided when the mood on the ground doesn’t match the reports in the dashboard.

You might be hitting targets - but residents still believe council is missing the mark.

You’ve done the engagement - but they say, “you didn’t listen'.

This mismatch isn’t just frustrating, it’s costly to the trust, momentum, and the team’s energy you've been building.

Without perception data, leaders fly half-blind. 
 

What perception gathering actually looks like

Frontline check-in's

Catch outdoor crews at a time that works for them and ask:

"How safe/respected/productive have you felt lately?"

👉 Surface issues like abusive behaviour toward crews well before they hit HR dashboards.

Community pulse

QR codes at your local aquatic centre. A few quick questions after their visit like:

"How was your experience using our facility today?"

Low-lift for citizens, high-value for facility and service managers.

Leadership reflection

Confidential check-ins for executives and councillors:

"How clear are you on next quarter's priorities?"

👉 Compare that with staff and community feedback

👉 Spot alignment gaps early before they grow

The pay-offs for better perception insight

• Faster course corrections
• Stronger funding cases
• Safer, more engaged staff
• No-surprises governance

So, how can you bring this to your next meeting?

Pick one micro-moment - say the library's school holiday programme.

Ask three groups a single question each:

• Parents: "How clear and inclusive was your experience today?"
• Staff: "How easy was it to run activities today?"
• Leaders: "How confident are you that the programme meets community needs?"

Chart the answers side by side.

Where the lines diverge, that's your richest improvement point.

The takeaway for today

Ask one perception question today that you didn't ask yesterday.

If the answer surprises you, congratulations.

You've discovered value no spreadsheet could show.