i recognize that this place isn’t a starbucks – or a coffee
shop for that matter. the owner and
staff may get annoyed by this simple request on a daily basis, but it still
doesn’t excuse a lack of common courtesy and basic customer service when you
are paying just under $3 for a mediocre cup of coffee.
i ordered 2 large cups of coffee, payed $6.49 with tip, and
walked over to add the standard cream and sugar. i made one with cream and sugar and, as half
and half upsets my stomach, asked the gal behind the register if they had any milk. her initial response was “no, just cream” but
after politely asking again, uncovered that they have whole milk as well. she then took a phone call so i asked the
other person working, who turned out to be the owner, if i could get a splash
of whole milk.
i won’t bore you with the specifics of the back and forth
that exchanged – but the net of it was, the restaurant has milk in the kitchen,
there are 3 milk choices actually listed on the menu signage, and the owner
repeatedly told me i couldn’t have a splash of it because i didn’t ask for it
when i ordered. no sign indicated i
needed to do that – and i didn’t want steamed milk for a café au lait, i just
wanted a splash of cold milk in my coffee.
she continued to repeat “that’s the way we have always done it” and that
is an unacceptable, and infuriating, response – to a simple request i would
have been happy to pay for had i been told that initially. instead i was just told “no.”
we are sadly a part of a culture where customer service is
dying, and are made to feel like a pain for requesting simple things like milk
for our coffee. there was a time in my life
when there was still a level of appreciation for me choosing to spend my hard
earned dollar for a coffee at your establishment. i am amazed on a daily basis at how little
people care about their guests and their business. obviously this does not apply to all businesses – but it
applies to a lot of them. benjamin
french café is not entitled to my $6 dollars, and they should not make me feel
that way.
needless to say, i won’t be returning to this spot. my meager $6 may not matter anything to them,
or their business, but it will at least make me feel like i doing something to
take a stand against people who think it is acceptable to be rude and
dismissive to their customers. and as a
20 year restaurant veteran who is still in the industry, i will use this story as
an example of how not to behave to guests as many times as i can – and to as
many people who will listen.