Cheap ass customers.
Hey there people,
Just wondering if any of you have some cheap customers that come into your shop.
Over the past couple months I have seen people a few...
1- One person asked for an espresso shot and hot water on the side, they then mixed them and used the milk on the tables to make a little flat white.
2- Another comes in almost daily with her own tea bag and asks for hot water but refuses to pay, she just sits there and drinks her own tea.
3- And finally the last one is people sharing tea, I've had people order tea then their friend comes up a couple mins later and asks for a mug of hot water and is less than happy when we charge them for it but when she returns to her table she takes her friends tea bags and sticks it in her water.
All of these people sit at tables and wont move for well over an hour while they chat away to their friends.
Have any of you had customers like this?
Just wondering if any of you have some cheap customers that come into your shop.
Over the past couple months I have seen people a few...
1- One person asked for an espresso shot and hot water on the side, they then mixed them and used the milk on the tables to make a little flat white.
2- Another comes in almost daily with her own tea bag and asks for hot water but refuses to pay, she just sits there and drinks her own tea.
3- And finally the last one is people sharing tea, I've had people order tea then their friend comes up a couple mins later and asks for a mug of hot water and is less than happy when we charge them for it but when she returns to her table she takes her friends tea bags and sticks it in her water.
All of these people sit at tables and wont move for well over an hour while they chat away to their friends.
Have any of you had customers like this?
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Joseph Robertson on
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Not to mention I pay for the hot water too. Soooo, all costs need to be covered somehow....yes? No?
Joe
Bernette Pomeroy said:That is exactly why I have a drive thru. I don't have to sweep under anyones chair because they have set up camp for 4 hours.
Sorry. I think the hot water for the tea cheater should cost. You have to wash that cup.
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Permalink Reply by Kathy Fadorsen on
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I have several customers who want a small coffee but in a large cup than proceed to fill with half and half from the condiment bar. When you tell them it is a large they say it is only large when filled with coffee they just like alot of cream in their coffee. Huh
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Permalink Reply by Richard Penney on
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A thought that my local "good" coffee house has the cream in a pitcher refrigerated behind the counter. A person gets a cup of pourover and has to ask for cream. Another place has a sign above the counter "There is a charge for all cups and liquids"
Kathy Fadorsen said:I have several customers who want a small coffee but in a large cup than proceed to fill with half and half from the condiment bar. When you tell them it is a large they say it is only large when filled with coffee they just like alot of cream in their coffee. Huh
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In a busy coffee house setting it is hard to monitor the condiment side of the action. I have such low volume that I keep all condiments on my side of the counter like Richard points out. I would like to hear solutions from other shops large and small on this subject.
Joe
Richard Penney said:A thought that my local "good" coffee house has the cream in a pitcher refrigerated behind the counter. A person gets a cup of pourover and has to ask for cream. Another place has a sign above the counter "There is a charge for all cups and liquids"
Kathy Fadorsen said:I have several customers who want a small coffee but in a large cup than proceed to fill with half and half from the condiment bar. When you tell them it is a large they say it is only large when filled with coffee they just like alot of cream in their coffee. Huh
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Permalink Reply by Shellie Adams on
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I have several customers who like to come in and ask for a double shot of espresso and a glass of ice. They then walk to the island and make their own iced lattes with the milk from the bar. I have to wonder if they really think that we don't know what they're going to do with that ice and the espresso.
We've now implemented a policy where we can only give out glasses of water instead of a cup with ice. People aren't happy about it but they should think twice about trying to pull one over for the sake of their own benefit.
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I forgot that the only way to brew coffee that was any good was pour over!!! I on the other hand enjoy reg drip, pourover,french press, espresso to name a few. We make money by catering to our customers not requireing them to cater to us. When your customers arrive do you tell them what they are getting?
Joseph Robertson said:In a busy coffee house setting it is hard to monitor the condiment side of the action. I have such low volume that I keep all condiments on my side of the counter like Richard points out. I would like to hear solutions from other shops large and small on this subject.
Joe
Richard Penney said:A thought that my local "good" coffee house has the cream in a pitcher refrigerated behind the counter. A person gets a cup of pourover and has to ask for cream. Another place has a sign above the counter "There is a charge for all cups and liquids"
Kathy Fadorsen said:I have several customers who want a small coffee but in a large cup than proceed to fill with half and half from the condiment bar. When you tell them it is a large they say it is only large when filled with coffee they just like alot of cream in their coffee. Huh
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Kathy,
I'm not sure if your last post / question was directed at me and my last post so I will assume it was and reply such.
When a customer arrives in my shop I ask them what they would like. Then they tell me. At this point I inform them as to their options. Short answer, yes I tell them what they are getting sometimes I tell them even more, like I roasted there coffee myself yesterday or would you like some cream or half and half with your Americano? I'm really not sure what the point of your question is. As I pointed out in my last post, I and my staff control what goes in my customers cup after the fresh ground and brewed coffee goes in. I do not provide drip and only have at this time French Press as a option to the espresso drinks.
Joe
Kathy Fadorsen said:I forgot that the only way to brew coffee that was any good was pour over!!! I on the other hand enjoy reg drip, pourover,french press, espresso to name a few. We make money by catering to our customers not requireing them to cater to us. When your customers arrive do you tell them what they are getting?
Joseph Robertson said:In a busy coffee house setting it is hard to monitor the condiment side of the action. I have such low volume that I keep all condiments on my side of the counter like Richard points out. I would like to hear solutions from other shops large and small on this subject.
Joe
Richard Penney said:A thought that my local "good" coffee house has the cream in a pitcher refrigerated behind the counter. A person gets a cup of pourover and has to ask for cream. Another place has a sign above the counter "There is a charge for all cups and liquids"
Kathy Fadorsen said:I have several customers who want a small coffee but in a large cup than proceed to fill with half and half from the condiment bar. When you tell them it is a large they say it is only large when filled with coffee they just like alot of cream in their coffee. Huh
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My reply was to Richard Penney not you I have a geat coffee shop and I resented the fact that because my cream is on the condiment bar it is not great. I dont roast my own coffe but I get only the finest from a local roaster and care about all my customers.
Joseph Robertson said:Kathy,
I'm not sure if your last post / question was directed at me and my last post so I will assume it was and reply such.
When a customer arrives in my shop I ask them what they would like. Then they tell me. At this point I inform them as to their options. Short answer, yes I tell them what they are getting sometimes I tell them even more, like I roasted there coffee myself yesterday or would you like some cream or half and half with your Americano? I'm really not sure what the point of your question is. As I pointed out in my last post, I and my staff control what goes in my customers cup after the fresh ground and brewed coffee goes in. I do not provide drip and only have at this time French Press as a option to the espresso drinks.
Joe
Kathy Fadorsen said:I forgot that the only way to brew coffee that was any good was pour over!!! I on the other hand enjoy reg drip, pourover,french press, espresso to name a few. We make money by catering to our customers not requireing them to cater to us. When your customers arrive do you tell them what they are getting?
Joseph Robertson said:In a busy coffee house setting it is hard to monitor the condiment side of the action. I have such low volume that I keep all condiments on my side of the counter like Richard points out. I would like to hear solutions from other shops large and small on this subject.
Joe
Richard Penney said:A thought that my local "good" coffee house has the cream in a pitcher refrigerated behind the counter. A person gets a cup of pourover and has to ask for cream. Another place has a sign above the counter "There is a charge for all cups and liquids"
Kathy Fadorsen said:I have several customers who want a small coffee but in a large cup than proceed to fill with half and half from the condiment bar. When you tell them it is a large they say it is only large when filled with coffee they just like alot of cream in their coffee. Huh
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Permalink Reply by John P on
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The Question is: Are you trying to appeal to the masses? OR Are you structuring your business to attract the customers you want?
Cream and the like in the fridge, we will provide ~1.5 oz cream in a nifty little pitcher if a customer wants cream in their Americano. We don't do drip coffee, and outside of the occasional person who puts it in their black tea, it's not used for anything else.
Espresso should only be served in a demitasse. There is not any rational reason for doing otherwise.
You can always serve the customer a "baby" iced American sans ice if they want something small, cold, and espresso. Straight espresso and ice don't mix. Leads to metallic awful flavors. It shows the customer you don't care about what you serve, therefore you don't care about the customer.
What you serve should be more important than whether or not the sale is made. In otherwords, don't compromise just to get their money. Be POLITE and informative, most everyone will be happy you actually care. Be PROUD of being "above the fray". Loyal customers will always gravitate toward excellence.
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Permalink Reply by Khalid on
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I think action is needed on both sides:
1) Customers need to be considerate of the business and ensure it makes a reasonable profit via their purchase. If people are just getting hot water and nothing else, go ahead and explain to the customer that you need to make a reasonable profit. I say that as a customer, not a coffee shop owner. Explain it gently at first, save the rudeness for people who really deserve it.
2) Coffeeshop owners need to ensure that their products represent reasonable value-for-dollar from the customer's point of view, not their own. Yes, you consider it a work of art worth $6 a cup, and it's great if many customers are willing to pay for that. But it is not unreasonable for regular people to consider that overpriced (and unjustifiably decadent, in a world where billions of people don't have regular access to plain drinking water, period). For them, have lower-priced drinks at more reasonable prices and/or diversify your product offerings so there's something for everyone. (And make the expensive drinks more elaborate -- expensive drinks should be expensive because of either expensive ingredients or an expensive process; if a drink can be converted into something much more expensive just by adding a bit of milk, then something's wrong.) Adjust the specifics of this strategy according to your seating capacity/traffic flow -- maximize profit by keeping your offerings cheap enough to keep the place full, and expensive enough to cover the cost of a person staying around for a bit (unilke a fast food joint).
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Kathy,
Now I understand. I'm sure you have a great coffee shop. I think you may have mis-read or mis-understood Richard's post. I know he did not mean to imply your shop is poor or sub standard because of a very common pratice of condiments in the open. Sometimes or very often on lists like this one a comment is taken out of context by the very nature of the fact your not looking in someone's eyes when they say something. That said, I'm sure you serve some fine coffee that I would love to try if I get the chance. It's often hard to read but we here on BX are all on the same side of the game.
Cheers,
Joseph
Kathy Fadorsen said:My reply was to Richard Penney not you I have a geat coffee shop and I resented the fact that because my cream is on the condiment bar it is not great. I dont roast my own coffe but I get only the finest from a local roaster and care about all my customers.
Joseph Robertson said:Kathy,
I'm not sure if your last post / question was directed at me and my last post so I will assume it was and reply such.
When a customer arrives in my shop I ask them what they would like. Then they tell me. At this point I inform them as to their options. Short answer, yes I tell them what they are getting sometimes I tell them even more, like I roasted there coffee myself yesterday or would you like some cream or half and half with your Americano? I'm really not sure what the point of your question is. As I pointed out in my last post, I and my staff control what goes in my customers cup after the fresh ground and brewed coffee goes in. I do not provide drip and only have at this time French Press as a option to the espresso drinks.
Joe
Kathy Fadorsen said:I forgot that the only way to brew coffee that was any good was pour over!!! I on the other hand enjoy reg drip, pourover,french press, espresso to name a few. We make money by catering to our customers not requireing them to cater to us. When your customers arrive do you tell them what they are getting?
Joseph Robertson said:In a busy coffee house setting it is hard to monitor the condiment side of the action. I have such low volume that I keep all condiments on my side of the counter like Richard points out. I would like to hear solutions from other shops large and small on this subject.
Joe
Richard Penney said:A thought that my local "good" coffee house has the cream in a pitcher refrigerated behind the counter. A person gets a cup of pourover and has to ask for cream. Another place has a sign above the counter "There is a charge for all cups and liquids"
Kathy Fadorsen said:I have several customers who want a small coffee but in a large cup than proceed to fill with half and half from the condiment bar. When you tell them it is a large they say it is only large when filled with coffee they just like alot of cream in their coffee. Huh
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John,
I like most of what you just said. Especially the last part "Loyal customers will always gravitate towards excellence." Can't not go with your opening question though. "Are you trying to appeal to the masses? OR Are you structuring your business to attract the customers you want?" It imply's the question is black or white. Not the way it is in the real world of business. At least not in my experience as a Coffee shop owner. Great discussion.
Cheers,
Joseph
John P said:The Question is: Are you trying to appeal to the masses? OR Are you structuring your business to attract the customers you want?
Cream and the like in the fridge, we will provide ~1.5 oz cream in a nifty little pitcher if a customer wants cream in their Americano. We don't do drip coffee, and outside of the occasional person who puts it in their black tea, it's not used for anything else.
Espresso should only be served in a demitasse. There is not any rational reason for doing otherwise.
You can always serve the customer a "baby" iced American sans ice if they want something small, cold, and espresso. Straight espresso and ice don't mix. Leads to metallic awful flavors. It shows the customer you don't care about what you serve, therefore you don't care about the customer.
What you serve should be more important than whether or not the sale is made. In otherwords, don't compromise just to get their money. Be POLITE and informative, most everyone will be happy you actually care. Be PROUD of being "above the fray". Loyal customers will always gravitate toward excellence.
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