I work from my laptop which means when not working from my kitchen table, I work out of various coffee shops around Sonoma County. Mainly in Healdsburg and Santa Rosa, but I have been known to frequent a few in Sonoma, Petaluma and Windsor.
I would also like to add that I worked as a supervisor at Starbucks for over three years while living in San Diego, so I know what it takes to provide great customer service while managing employees.
Many times while working, I tend to twitpic images of what I am eating or drinking or talk about my surroundings. Mostly I experience great customer service and while my drinks/food may not be outstanding, my overall experience is usually pleasant.
Then there is my experience at one specific place where I have tweeted on three separate occasions about my displeasure with an owner of a coffee shop in Santa Rosa. I hesitate to call them out because even though I really hate what I have to listen to (I will explain soon), it is such a great location and it is quiet so it is a coffee shop I will be going back to again. Anyone who lives in Santa Rosa reading this probably already knows which place I am talking about and most likely has had a similar experience. And, if you ask me, I will gladly tell you their name.
Okay, imagine this: You are sitting at your table, drinking your tea, eating a bagel at about 8:30 in the morning. The cafe has two or three other customers on their laptops or socializing with each other. The owner of the cafe is working from her own laptop at a table near by. She gets up to talk to the barista and instead of taking her in the back room to discuss work matters, she proceeds to yell (yes, yell) at the young girl, telling her that if she didn’t do the order right she would write her up. You look at the other customers who also can hear this woman yell and then look at the barista apologizing for her mistake, clearly noting that everyone is listening to the conversation.
Or, another scenario: One of the barista’s is 10 minutes late and the owner yells at her saying she was writing her up… Oh, in front of a short line of customers waiting to order their coffee.
Or, the owner yelling at one of the barista’s for leaving something in the food shelf out.
All of these obviously happened and all of these events could have really been simple matters that wouldn’t be a big deal if handled properly. In this economy and this new media age, I am astounded that any small business owner thinks that yelling at their employees is a good idea. In any era it is not good business practice, but with inventions like wifi, Twitter, blogs and Yelp, I am even more in shock.
Employees are usually the first contact that a customer has with a brand. The servers and tasting room staff and sales people are the people that create an experience for the customer and they are also your best Word of Mouth advocates because they talk about their job to their friends and family, thus bringing in customers that already have a connection with the brand, which means that they will possibly tell their friends and so on and so on. Why would anyone want to mistreat the people who can make our break your business?
Second, the internet has allowed me to voice my own opinion of this restaurant though Twitter, turning away several people I have talked to about which cafe it is… Even if their Yelp page has 8 comments, all with fairly good reviews (all commenting on the new decor) it is the repeat customers that make a coffee shop or restaurant stay open.
Anyways, now that I am done with my rant on mistreating your employees, I will end it on a high note. For restaurants or anyone in the customer service industry, the Food Channel has a few words on building your brand by connecting with your customers. Also, I just came across an awesome blog called ALL THINGS WOM and their latest blog post on a hamburger joint called Mighty Fine Hamburgers in Austin, TX gave me hope that some small business people still do have the common sense to treat their employees and customers with respect.
September 15th, 2009 at 4:37 am
I couldn’t agree more! I run my own business, and often advise other prospective entrepreneurs about this very issue. We live in an age where the difference between the success and failure of a business is just one click away. And you’re right – it’s amazing how many businesses still don’t get it! Keep up the good posts.
September 15th, 2009 at 4:02 pm
There it is, of course I was waiting for this blog post. I have to formally introduce myself to the owner because I spoke to her on the phone in regards to joining the Chamber. They did and host events for us. She needs to know me by face, as I am her Ambassador. But one of these days…..I’ll slip in my 2 cents on yelling at the employees.
September 15th, 2009 at 4:53 pm
THANK you. I just wrote this big long comment, but basically just rewrote your blog, hah. I just think this management “technique” is a rampant problem in the small-business world, not just the food industry. While working for a small business has its own flexibility and perks, if you have an owner who doesn’t know how to MANAGE, it can be miserable. My biggest pet peeve is owners throwing their employees under the bus to make themselves look better – what the owner doesn’t understand is just what you blogged about: clients notice, clients see what’s happening, and ultimately, it makes it an uncomfortable place to do business. There’s this mentality, especially in this economic environment, that people are lucky to have ANY job. I don’t see that as an excuse for poor treatment.
November 3rd, 2009 at 4:27 pm
Really interesting story. I like the image at the bottom – “Don’t tell us how good it is, tell your friends.”
That’s really where all small businesses should be focused these days. What are people going to tell others about you? The internet just makes it too easy.
And I think you should call this coffee shop owner out. He/she clearly needs the feedback.
March 7th, 2010 at 2:35 am
Though I would’ve loved it much more if you added a relevant video or at least pictures to back up the explanation, I still thought that your write-up quite helpful. It’s usually hard to make a complicated matter seem very easy. I enjoy your weblog and will sign up to your feed so I will not miss anything. Fantastic content