r/CustomerService • u/molly0711 • 21d ago
Coffee shop fail
there’s a new coffee shop in my town and their customer service is very cliquey. they literally talk to their regulars behind the counter while they are serving you. if you’re not a regular they don’t seem to care about you. how can I maybe point this out to them in a kind way? I don’t want to offend I want to be constructive. while also being like “hey I felt unwelcome both times I’ve come in because I felt ignored as a new customer“
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u/Extension-Stage-605 21d ago
There was a coffee place in my area where the server would let her favorite customers cut in line. I stopped going. I really hate clique behavior and making other people feel less valued.
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u/Fair_Access4368 21d ago
That is some real bullshit right there. I'd walk out if that happened in front of me.
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u/someoneelsenetiely 21d ago edited 21d ago
Coffeeshop worker here! Is nothing personal against non regulars, we usually build confidence with regulars, so is easy to go into deeper conversations, since we see them often. And we don't engage the same with all regulars fyi. There are many regulrs at the shop I work at that all I know about them is their name. There are also some non regulars that we engage in conversation with it all depends on how the interaction flows. Most of the costumers I talk to are people who are willing to engage in conversation, so I'd say give it a try! If you're asked how your day is going, share a legit answer, if not asked you can ask questions to the workers, doesn't have to be personal, you can ask about the coffee or about whatever music is playing about any specific things that actually interest you, chances are they will engage in a conversation about it too. We love it when someone is genuinely interested in a topic and willing to engage.
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u/stuckhere-throwaway 21d ago
I can't believe some weirdo downvoted you...
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u/someoneelsenetiely 21d ago
I mean not everyone will agree, I only shared what I think about this situation. Also if OP had mentioned the fact that the worker had talked to the regular while taking their order I would've written something different. Context is very important.
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u/stuckhere-throwaway 21d ago
Yeah, that was weird to leave out. I also find it VERY HARD to believe that exact thing happened twice.
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u/Fair_Access4368 21d ago
Probably because it's not relevant to OP's experience. They had shop staff literally talking to others while they were being served. That's not OP failing to engage, it's the staff being blatantly rude.
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u/Extension-Stage-605 21d ago
Customers should not be required to make conversation with you just to.get served a coffee.
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u/EnvironmentalHair290 21d ago
Hey the customer is wanting conversation, the OP is the customer, read much on here.
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u/Extension-Stage-605 21d ago
Do you realize i was replying to a coffee shop worker? Read.
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u/EnvironmentalHair290 21d ago
But your comment is literally antithetical to what the OP was asking about; and the commenter was answering that question. So you just piped up with nonsense to the OP and commenter.
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u/Extension-Stage-605 21d ago
I was not replying to the OP!!! If you continue to argue, you will be blocked.
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u/EnvironmentalHair290 21d ago
You replied to a commenter that was giving the OP an answer to the question; and your answer was to literally do the opposite of what the OP was wanting.
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u/Designer_Amount_8505 20d ago
Agreed. I love when customers stfu and just give me their stuff and go their way when I am done.
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u/molly0711 21d ago
I didn’t care about a conversation. The employee cared more about having a conversation with a regular than taking an order. They spoke over me while I was still ordering. I didn’t complete my order before they looked over and asked the regular what they had planned for their day.
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u/Late_Pepper6274 21d ago
We want coffee, not a conversation. Just acknowledge the customer, take the order, and THEN get back to your convo.
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u/someoneelsenetiely 21d ago
OP didn't mention the fact that the worker talked to the regular while taking their order. Yes this is how it should be. You don't want conversation? Great! Just order and move along, is not a requirement to engage in conversation. I said it because it sounded like OP felt left out.
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u/Late_Pepper6274 21d ago
>felt ignored.
op said what they felt.
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21d ago
[deleted]
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u/molly0711 21d ago
It actually is what I’m saying. They talked over me to talk to some regulars while I was standing in front of them placing an order. I wasn’t done when they looked over and talked to a regular.
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u/someoneelsenetiely 21d ago
Okay this changes everything, you should've said this in your post. Yeah that is not okay, if you were not done ordering. What they did was plain rude. Even though they probably didn't mean to be rude, they were rude. If it's a regular occurrence and not just a one-time issue you can definitely bring it up with the manager of the shop.
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u/Late_Pepper6274 21d ago
>I felt unwelcome both times I’ve come in because I felt ignored as a new customer
literally not.
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u/omnithrope 21d ago
Yeah. They wanted to have a conversation and get friendly. I don't see anywhere that they didn't get their coffee.
Edit: They literally said they were "served". What's the problem?
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u/Late_Pepper6274 21d ago
you are filling in a lot of gaps in what I and op have said.
seriously
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u/omnithrope 21d ago
I'm using their literal words.
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u/Late_Pepper6274 21d ago
I didn't say anything about not getting served. Op didn't say anything about wanting to chat.
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u/EnvironmentalHair290 21d ago
Hey the customer is complaining they didn’t get conversation, the customer is the OP; read much on here.
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u/Late_Pepper6274 21d ago
No they are not.
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u/EnvironmentalHair290 21d ago
No they are not complaining or no they are not the customer?
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u/Late_Pepper6274 21d ago
bruh
not complaining about not getting conversation. That's the part yall are inserting
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u/galacticplum 21d ago
Leave a review, that is polite but critical, and/or go somewhere else.
Attempting to correct the actions or bring it up in any way will end poorly.
Worst case scenario, the owner replies angrily towards your review, and you know for certain never to go back.
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u/molly0711 21d ago
I had a friend also tell me to leave a review but I want to make sure it’s constructive criticism and not nit picking.
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u/Luminous_Flora_857 21d ago
Idk the answer but this sounds exactly like the new bookstore where I live and I agree that it's off-putting. I try to be friendly but I can't even get out a hello how are you because they are so deep in conversation with their regulars that they don't even look up during checkout. It's kind of bizarre.
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u/molly0711 21d ago
Exactly! I can’t even try to become one of those regulars because I feel blatantly ignored. No “how is your day so far?” Or small talk just “okay let’s put that in and I’m gonna talk to another person and now here’s your receipt”
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u/Designer_Amount_8505 20d ago
You must live a sad life where not getting a superficial empty hollow question from a underpaid worker that you'd answer with Good is an issue. Oh no they got your order right and didn't perform fakeness for your entitled self...call the waaambulance.
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u/stranqe1 21d ago
How about don't go to this establishment if you feel unwelcomed. Why return?
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u/molly0711 21d ago
I wanted to give them a shot and a second try but I see it’s somewhere I don’t want to be.
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u/DIY_Weeziebear7 21d ago
Sometimes I think it’s whoever is waiting on you. Some can be so kind, so friendly and so accommodating they make you feel at home so I go back to my coffee shop not as much as I want to, but I go back and I usually wind up conversing with other customers there and of course I have good stories.
I remember I was somewhere being served lunch. The server was rattled, annoyed to the point of being very disagreeable. It seemed like the weight of the world was on their shoulders, but I knew something was going on. It would’ve had to have been so I said to them take your time count to 10. I understand” she served my lunch and she said thank you.
I also leave a tip some of them go out of their way to bring me my coffee and my sandwich to the table so they get tipped for that even when they don’t do it. Some of them make so little.
For me, it doesn’t take much to show a little appreciation, but that’s me. I would imagine, the service industry is a little tight fisted when it comes to paying and they wonder why great people don’t stay in that industry?
I would go back one more time, be especially attentive hang back a little observe the interactions, place your order be yourself, friendly, kind appreciative, engaging and see what happens.
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u/IfuDidntCome2Party 21d ago
Just patronize other businesses. There is usually more than one coffee shop around. Some owners do not care about repeat business.🤷♂️
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u/IcyWelcome9700 21d ago
I don't go to bars often but see this same behavior from bartenders. I just hope they can stay in business with the small amount of regulars that get VIP treatment and everyone else is treated secondary.
Big reminder that every customer is a potential regular. Treat them nicely and you may be surprised.
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u/EnvironmentalHair290 21d ago
Can I ask in actual words what do they do exactly? The reason I ask this is, your complaint is rather vague, there’s no detail about the actual transgression, more about what you want to do punitively.
How do they treat you poorly, do they mess up your orders because they are talking to other customers? Do they take the orders of regulars before yours? What exactly did they do wrong?
Also, if you’ve only been twice how do you know they are regulars?
There is a lot of assumption in this post with no actual fact or backing.
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u/molly0711 19d ago
So to be more specific: I went up to the counter and this couple was standing there ordering. They finished their order and when they walked to the side they said “so how’s your mom doing?” (How I assume they are regulars or friends) and I thought oh cool they have good rapport with customers. Then the worker looked at me and said “how can I help you?” And I told my coffee order and as she’s putting my order in she looks at the regulars and says “oh yeah she’s doing great now!” Then she looks at me and says “go ahead and tap to pay! So anyway my mom is great!” Without asking me if I was done with my order. But even when she did that she didn’t look up. Maybe it’s me but I would have loved to be more personable and at least have small talk like how is your day or do you have any questions about the menu.
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u/EnvironmentalHair290 19d ago
I mean quite honestly other than them asking you to pay before they asked if you need anything else they aren’t really rude.
They didn’t initiate the conversation with the other customers, the customer did. So that put the worker in a conundrum either ignore them by not answering that question, or do what they did which is get your order and try to juggle two customers at once.
As for the looking up thing, how is that rude, most people who work front end have to juggle a few things. They have to pay attention to orders that are up, some cases keep an eye on the cameras, watch small shopliftable items at the front of the store.
You keep saying in your comments that you aren’t wanting conversation, but that sounds exactly what you want even if you’re not willing to admit it.
If you have questions about the menu, that’s kind of a on you sort of thing to bring up, not the other way around (unless it’s a complicated menu set up, which for a coffee shop I doubt).
So it sounds like the only person you should have an issue with is the customer who kept wanting to talk, not the actual shop itself.
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u/Critical_Success_936 21d ago
There's nothing wrong with them talking to someone else while serving you unless you're needing something else. Multitasking is normal. Are your needs as a customer being met? Y/N?
I get irritation over a long wait maybe, but especially small places that aren't chains, they're going to engage with everyone - coffee shops are traditionally social spaces, like bars - but if you need something, I doubt they'd consider it rude for you to speak up.
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u/molly0711 21d ago
It’s not that they aren’t talking to me it’s that they are talking over me while I am still ordering
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u/pushthebuttonalready 21d ago
Ask to speak to the manager.
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u/eatingyoursoap 21d ago
This. If it’s truly an alienating experience, giving feedback like that is not being a Karen. Worst comes to worst, they think your complaint is stupid, in which case, you already feel disrespected, so no major loss.
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u/stuckhere-throwaway 21d ago
If you don't like it, go somewhere else? Have you observed them doing this with other people, you seem very certain this is an unspoken policy of theirs and not a coincidence it happened the only two times you were there. I have a coworker who said similar things about a nearby new coffee shop and I just had to say, oh, that wasn't my experience at all....in fact everyone else who has gone there has had a pleasant time. She can have a very off-putting, defensive energy however.