10 Worst Coffee Shop Customers
Yesterday I told my baristas that I created a blog to talk about the coffee shop business, they're excited and asked me to write about the worst customers that they've been dealing with this past couple of years. At first I just laugh about it when they start sharing their experiences, but after I think about it, I think it's nice to share to other coffee shop owners or baristas, without the intention to make fun of the customers, but more towards of how important it is to educate the customers, and how we responds to certain situations.
1. One Coffee For 8 Hours
While the coffee shop seats are full, new customers left since they can't get any seats, there's this one customer charging her laptop and only ordered 1 cappuccino for 8 hours. I believe you've had this type of customers in your coffee shops, but if not, how lucky you are.
Even though some people might disagree with me, I would talk with the customer and asked her to share her table with others and asked her if she needs more coffee since the cup is empty. Does it work? Sometimes. Some other times people just doesn't have that common sense. *sigh*
2. Not Hot Enough
This is the type of customer that didn't mentioned extra hot when they ordered, yet returned their latte three times because isn't hot enough (after we changed to the new one, and in the end we gave up so we just steamed it again and again).
Coffee shops these days are no longer serving extra hot latte, since milk best served around 60℃ - 75℃ , unless you insisted. There are reasons why baristas served milk around this temperature, because if you froth milk hotter than that, the milk will be bland, it won't be as sweet, and lost it's creamy texture.
3. Indecisive One
I remember one time I had to take an order from a customer that can't made up her mind. This type of customer have a tendency to ask for recommendations but too busy murmuring every single one of our menu and didn't even bother to hear our recommendations in the end. While the queues are building up behind this customer.
If there's no line I would've just leave her standing there until she made up her mind (or until the store closed). But since there are others in line, I asked her to move a bit to the side so I can take orders from the next customers. Some people might not be pleased with this, thinking first come first served, but we need to respect others that are rushing for their to-go coffee too. Right?
4. Always Talking on the Phone
A customer that are not ready to order, or not ready to pay in front of the cashier might be a bit annoying for us. But nothing like a customer that's talking on the phone loudly and give you this 1 minute hand signal.
Literally nothing we can do at this moment, just wait. Because we can't say anything to a person like that, we'll get the "Sshhh..!" from him.
5. Sugar Added
We never serve coffee with sugar here, it's optional, if the customer wants it, it's on the condiments table. Even though I totally understand that Jakartans are much into sweet drinks, but nothing breaks my heart more than seeing a customer added sugars to the manual brewed coffee we just made. Whyyy...?
6. Special Requests
This is one of the reasons we're thankful we're not Starbucks, can't imagine how many weird (and very specific) special requests they have to deal with every single day. But being in an independent coffee shop also didn't make us free from it. In the other day one customer insisted to have a cappuccino without foam, and when we said "Oh you mean flat-white", he raise his voice saying "Cappuccino, NO FOAM" in the end our barista just give him flat-white with less milk. *sigh*
We also had a customer that asked for a green tea latte with espresso shot just because "Starbucks served it like that" or even the caramel macchiato drama when the customers saw Macchiato on our menu, ordered it, and asked for caramel syrup. Please note that we're serving espresso macchiato, with extra caramel syrup, and guess who got scolded by the customer? I'd totally blame the green mermaid.
7. Picnic People
Have you ever bring food from the deli next door to a coffee shop? And asked for plates / cutleries? Yes? We call you the picnic people. Me personally think that's unethical to bring foods / drinks from outside to a restaurant / coffee shop, but clearly not everyone agrees. It's not that we mind about the trash and crumbles you left behind for us to clear up. It shows disrespect towards the coffee shop foods, so please next time try to restrain yourself from eating any other foods / drinks from other places in our coffee shop, otherwise there might be an awkward situations where I asked you to keep your food in our kitchen.
8. Social Media Freaks
I've seen it all, from a customers that takes 100s photos of the coffee bar, latte arts, interiors, baristas, putting the food & coffee on the floor to take photos from above, putting the food & coffee on the table and stand on our chair to take a photo from above, splashing the coffees, until the one that genuinely carried a luggage to our coffee shop and have a fashion photo session in one corner - while only buying a coffee. Me and my baristas can only stare speechlessly, some people just so unbelievable.
9. The Coffee Snobs
This is the type of customer that peep into your bar, asked you what coffee beans and water brand that you're using, and told you how to make the coffee. "Your machine temperature supposed to be 92℃, extraction time 23 seconds, milk temperature 64℃, and I can pour the latte art my self".
This is genuinely the worst type of customer that we came across to this day.
I mean, I get that you're trying to say that you have some expertise. But most of the coffee experts I've met before aren't behaving like this though. So here's the deal, every coffee shop have their own standard procedures to make coffees. Different coffee beans, different machines, roasting profile, grind size, roasting date, temperatures, etc etc. Just be chill about it okay..Show some respect.
10. Wi-Fi Addict
This is the type of customer that ask about the wi-fi passwords first before placing any order. If there's no wi-fi, they'll leave right away. It's funny somehow, the coffee shop here in Jakarta can be full or totally empty depends on the wi-fi services. If it's working, next they'll ask about the power output to charge the phone & laptop & tablet. *sigh*
I'd recommend to install a wi-fi software that make the customers buy 1 drink and can use the wi-fi for 1 or 2 hours. It helps sometimes, but we've seen some grumpy customers too.
There's some customers that are totally adorable and amazing and we love them so much! Not everyone is behaving badly, and we genuinely appreciate that. The big tippers are the one we love the most! Or the one that help us to put the paper cups into the trash bin. We love you!
Please show us the baristas some love next time that you go to a coffee shop, we've been working for long hours and standing on our feet most of the times, we can use some smile from you :)
xoxo
AP
 |
| Being "The One Coffee For 8 Hours" kind of customer at Hiveworks Co-Work & Cafe |
1. One Coffee For 8 Hours
While the coffee shop seats are full, new customers left since they can't get any seats, there's this one customer charging her laptop and only ordered 1 cappuccino for 8 hours. I believe you've had this type of customers in your coffee shops, but if not, how lucky you are.
Even though some people might disagree with me, I would talk with the customer and asked her to share her table with others and asked her if she needs more coffee since the cup is empty. Does it work? Sometimes. Some other times people just doesn't have that common sense. *sigh*
2. Not Hot Enough
This is the type of customer that didn't mentioned extra hot when they ordered, yet returned their latte three times because isn't hot enough (after we changed to the new one, and in the end we gave up so we just steamed it again and again).
Coffee shops these days are no longer serving extra hot latte, since milk best served around 60℃ - 75℃ , unless you insisted. There are reasons why baristas served milk around this temperature, because if you froth milk hotter than that, the milk will be bland, it won't be as sweet, and lost it's creamy texture.
3. Indecisive One
I remember one time I had to take an order from a customer that can't made up her mind. This type of customer have a tendency to ask for recommendations but too busy murmuring every single one of our menu and didn't even bother to hear our recommendations in the end. While the queues are building up behind this customer.
If there's no line I would've just leave her standing there until she made up her mind (or until the store closed). But since there are others in line, I asked her to move a bit to the side so I can take orders from the next customers. Some people might not be pleased with this, thinking first come first served, but we need to respect others that are rushing for their to-go coffee too. Right?
4. Always Talking on the Phone
A customer that are not ready to order, or not ready to pay in front of the cashier might be a bit annoying for us. But nothing like a customer that's talking on the phone loudly and give you this 1 minute hand signal.
Literally nothing we can do at this moment, just wait. Because we can't say anything to a person like that, we'll get the "Sshhh..!" from him.
5. Sugar Added
We never serve coffee with sugar here, it's optional, if the customer wants it, it's on the condiments table. Even though I totally understand that Jakartans are much into sweet drinks, but nothing breaks my heart more than seeing a customer added sugars to the manual brewed coffee we just made. Whyyy...?
6. Special Requests
This is one of the reasons we're thankful we're not Starbucks, can't imagine how many weird (and very specific) special requests they have to deal with every single day. But being in an independent coffee shop also didn't make us free from it. In the other day one customer insisted to have a cappuccino without foam, and when we said "Oh you mean flat-white", he raise his voice saying "Cappuccino, NO FOAM" in the end our barista just give him flat-white with less milk. *sigh*
We also had a customer that asked for a green tea latte with espresso shot just because "Starbucks served it like that" or even the caramel macchiato drama when the customers saw Macchiato on our menu, ordered it, and asked for caramel syrup. Please note that we're serving espresso macchiato, with extra caramel syrup, and guess who got scolded by the customer? I'd totally blame the green mermaid.
7. Picnic People
Have you ever bring food from the deli next door to a coffee shop? And asked for plates / cutleries? Yes? We call you the picnic people. Me personally think that's unethical to bring foods / drinks from outside to a restaurant / coffee shop, but clearly not everyone agrees. It's not that we mind about the trash and crumbles you left behind for us to clear up. It shows disrespect towards the coffee shop foods, so please next time try to restrain yourself from eating any other foods / drinks from other places in our coffee shop, otherwise there might be an awkward situations where I asked you to keep your food in our kitchen.
8. Social Media Freaks
I've seen it all, from a customers that takes 100s photos of the coffee bar, latte arts, interiors, baristas, putting the food & coffee on the floor to take photos from above, putting the food & coffee on the table and stand on our chair to take a photo from above, splashing the coffees, until the one that genuinely carried a luggage to our coffee shop and have a fashion photo session in one corner - while only buying a coffee. Me and my baristas can only stare speechlessly, some people just so unbelievable.
9. The Coffee Snobs
This is the type of customer that peep into your bar, asked you what coffee beans and water brand that you're using, and told you how to make the coffee. "Your machine temperature supposed to be 92℃, extraction time 23 seconds, milk temperature 64℃, and I can pour the latte art my self".
This is genuinely the worst type of customer that we came across to this day.
I mean, I get that you're trying to say that you have some expertise. But most of the coffee experts I've met before aren't behaving like this though. So here's the deal, every coffee shop have their own standard procedures to make coffees. Different coffee beans, different machines, roasting profile, grind size, roasting date, temperatures, etc etc. Just be chill about it okay..Show some respect.
10. Wi-Fi Addict
This is the type of customer that ask about the wi-fi passwords first before placing any order. If there's no wi-fi, they'll leave right away. It's funny somehow, the coffee shop here in Jakarta can be full or totally empty depends on the wi-fi services. If it's working, next they'll ask about the power output to charge the phone & laptop & tablet. *sigh*
I'd recommend to install a wi-fi software that make the customers buy 1 drink and can use the wi-fi for 1 or 2 hours. It helps sometimes, but we've seen some grumpy customers too.
There's some customers that are totally adorable and amazing and we love them so much! Not everyone is behaving badly, and we genuinely appreciate that. The big tippers are the one we love the most! Or the one that help us to put the paper cups into the trash bin. We love you!
Please show us the baristas some love next time that you go to a coffee shop, we've been working for long hours and standing on our feet most of the times, we can use some smile from you :)
xoxo
AP
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