Monday, June 16, 2014

The customer

The customer is always sometimes rarely never right.

Over the weekend I saw links to two different articles about Starbucks. One was 5 ways not to order your drink and the other was things the barista doesn't think you should do. I believe the people that make your coffee should be treated with dignity and respect. I believe that good manners are always proper and necessary. Based on these two articles, however, the barista is right, and the customer is not. Apparently, the customer doesn't really even know what they want in their coffee cup, because these point out the error of our ways.

I think that if I want to order a coffee that takes 3 minutes to order because it's so specific (I don't, but if I did), if I want to pay $5.00 for a cup of coffee, you can make it the way I order it. If you want to only make them certain ways, don't offer it as a coffee house to get your coffee exactly the way you like it. If I want a cup of coffee that I pour my own cream and sugar in, I'll pay .99 cents at QT or .25 at work. If I have to lean over and yell across the lap of the person driving because they can't get my order right, just listen and take my order. I do that at Mcdonalds, Wendy's and Taco Bell. If you don't like it, find another job. People have been doing that at drive through windows since the invention of the drive through window.

If I want a grande latte in a venti cup with soy milk, no sugar and whip cream, don't judge me, just make my frickin' $5.00 cup of coffee. It pays your wage. And you don't know me. It may not be about calories at all. I may not like the taste of milk. I may like skim milk, because it's not as rich. I may like the way whip cream flavors my coffee better than sugar or syrup. And I may want to add water or ice to cool it down, or need to carry it and want an inch at the top where it won't burn my fingers and I don't need the sleeve.

I realize you make coffee at Starbucks which means you have the right to tell me how to order my drink, judge me for my drink, laugh at me after I order it, demand that I treat you with respect (it's a two way street) but whatever happened to treating the customer with dignity and respect? Whatever happened to the customer getting what they order, what they pay for? Especially at a coffee chain that is not a assembly line type store.

If you don't want to make a iced grande skinny soy no whip triple pump double espresso, go work somewhere else.

If I made a list and posted it on the web of the things my customers and suppliers did that I didn't like and judged them for how they manage their business, I most likely would get fired.

I'm guessing there are other professions that would be this way too.

Whatever happened to working hard at the job you have because that's what you are getting paid to do? Whatever happened to the food service industry? We've completely lost the "service" part of it.

Unfortunately this will not keep me away from Starbucks the once or twice a month I go. They make a delicious passion fruit iced tea that I like for about $2.50. But I order it half black half passion no water extra ice. Because if I want a glass of plain ordinary iced tea, I'll make it at home or buy it at McDonald's for $1.00.

And I will smile and order my venti skinny vanilla latte extra foam and expect to get it the way I order it. With my name spelled incorrectly on the cup. And I won't correct them because it doesn't matter. The coffee tastes the same whether the cup says "Patsy, Patsie, Patsi, or my favorite Pasty".

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