Coffee Snob or Elitist A**hole, big difference!
First let me say I'm a bonafide card carrying Coffee Snob. Heck, I wrote the CSA 12 Steps years ago! You bet I've been chasing fresh roasted, fresh ground, fresh brewed coffee since I first started drinking coffee in 1984 and I'm a purist in my personal brewing and consumption.
That doesn't mean I don't recoginize the difference between an espresso based dessert beverage and a traditional espresso or macchiato or cappuccino. And that doesn't mean it's my place to push my consumption preference on others.
Case in point. A first time customer stopped in a few minutes ago and asked for a 16oz Hazelnut latte easy on the syrup. I simply asked if he'd like it a double or quad shot, went quad. While making his beverage for his trip home from work he mentioned his pastor had told him he had to try us. He mentioned usually going to a shop north of us that's serves Stumptown. I told him I had great respect for Stumptown coffees but I'd go head to head with Duane's coffees anyday. He then said he'd only gone to a Stumptown itself once and would never again, BECAUSE he ordered a Hazelnut latte and the barista belittled him in his tone of voice questioning him "are you sure you want to put a flavor in our coffee?" DAMN, if you're going to carry a syrup don't rag on a customer for ordering it! I told him yeah I'm a coffee snob myself but know the difference between an espresso dessert beverage and traditional espresso beverage. This new customer also noticed and commented when I dumped the first double shot (it ran a couple seconds fast, and hey it would have been "ok" in a sweetened bev' but I wasn't in a compromise mood, good thing!:). I asked him to take a sip before leaving to make sure the Hazelnut level was ok, his comment "perfect, your sign out front is right, I'm a believer". (The sign: The Best Espresso in Clark County, Agree or It's Free)
If someone orders a "dessert" espresso beverage don't belittle them, just pretend it's your "signature beverage" at the WBC and make it the best damned dessert espresso beverage you possibly can. You may not be making it for a "Title", it's more important than that, it's for your personal and business reputation and survival.
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Adam Wilson on
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Well said, Mike.
We argue a lot about the whole macchiato thing, but I mean come on people: if someone comes in and orders a Caramel Macchiato, make them a freaking Big Green-style macchiato. If you do it right, you'll blow starbucks out of the water and win a customer. THEN you can educate them on how to order an upside down vanilla latte with whip cream and caramel drizzle.
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Permalink Reply by Chris on
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Adam Wilson said:Well said, Mike.
We argue a lot about the whole macchiato thing,
If your customer orders a macchiato, you should really ask if they want a caffe macchiato or a latte macchiato before you start his drink.
I used to try to make the customer as happy as I could when I was a pro. I think I'd still follow that philosophy. Sure, I had a buncha charlatans that would drink any-damned-thing, but I'd get a ckick out of the two lil old ladies that would order tea, or white wine,depending on time of day. They were always suitably impressed that I knew the way to make 'proper tea' *and* the simple secrets of serving white wine. That was all fun, but I made friends with the guy that had Bud Light and drank his coffee with six or seven sweet and lows in it, too.
The art isn't in the cup, it's in the customer service. I can teach any jerk to pull decent shots.
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Chris said:If your customer orders a macchiato, you should really ask if they want a caffe macchiato or a latte macchiato before you start his drink.
Most of the time, it's pretty obvious which drink the customer is referring to when they order if all they say is "macchiato." We have half a dozen or so regulars who frequently order macchiatos (Have I ever mentioned how much I love my customers? Because I do.), and only rarely does someone come in asking for a big green style drink. After all, our menu is right next to the register and plainly states the definition of a macchiato, so there's usually not much confusion.
But when a customer walks in and, staring blankly at the (very simplistic) menu, says, "Uhhhhh.... can I have a caramel machhiato?" It's pretty obvious what they want.
On the other hand, a proper Latté Macchiato (~2oz. steamed milk, 2-3oz. dry foam spooned on top, then marked with a ~1oz. ristretto shot), while one of my absolute favorite drinks, hasn't quite caught on here in the southeast. In three years as a barista, I've only had ONE customer order it who didn't learn about the drink directly from me. One day, people will wake up... one day... ;)
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Permalink Reply by Christina Chi on
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I completely agree. My first cafe was starbucks. I grew up in a rural town, and independent coffee shops were non-existent. I keep that in mind when someone comes in asking for a starbucks drink. I remember what it was like to be talked down to, and I'll be damned if the lack of customer service ruins the drink.
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Permalink Reply by Mike McGinness on
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The art isn't in the cup, it's in the customer service. I can teach any jerk to pull decent shots.
I agree and I disagree. The art is both in the cup and in the customer service. There's a difference between simply pulling a decent shot versus combining customer service and then knowing HOW to tweak shot for a particular customer's preference. I have some customer's with very refined palates. One customer in particular some days prefers to accentuate sweetness and body other times brightness other times barista choice or the usual pull of the same coffee. Somtimes a different coffee. (We run espresso grinders not counting decaf) Oft times it'll be multiple back to back macchiatos with the shots pulled differently.
But as far as the main topic of this thread goes, I agree with your sentiment.
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Oops, that should have read we run "4" espresso grinders...
miKe mcKoffee aka Mike McGinness said:The art isn't in the cup, it's in the customer service. I can teach any jerk to pull decent shots.
I agree and I disagree. The art is both in the cup and in the customer service. There's a difference between simply pulling a decent shot versus combining customer service and then knowing HOW to tweak shot for a particular customer's preference. I have some customer's with very refined palates. One customer in particular some days prefers to accentuate sweetness and body other times brightness other times barista choice or the usual pull of the same coffee. Somtimes a different coffee. (We run espresso grinders not counting decaf) Oft times it'll be multiple back to back macchiatos with the shots pulled differently.
But as far as the main topic of this thread goes, I agree with your sentiment.
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Permalink Reply by christopher myers on
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I'm probably preaching to the choir, but I think the majority of Americans first cafe experience is starbucks, and when people inevitably try out an indie coffee shop, it's either a careless, skill-ess barista, or some snob that sneers at them for not knowing how to order a drink that drive them back into the safe, ubiquitous arms of the green monster. It's up to us to recognize these customers and welcome them with open arms, saying "shhh it's ok, you never have to drink espresso from a superautomatic again, you're safe now. Show us where they hurt you..."
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Permalink Reply by Kathy Fadorsen on
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I agree 110%
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Permalink Reply by Greg Aliff on
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love this line -
"f someone orders a "dessert" espresso beverage don't belittle them, just pretend it's your "signature beverage" at the WBC and make it the best damned dessert espresso beverage you possibly can. You may not be making it for a "Title", it's more important than that, it's for your personal and business reputation and survival."
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Permalink Reply by thea smith on
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I get off watching a customer order a candy coffee, love it, become a regular because they feel welcomed, and then.......branch out and order a macchiato. Bam! Converted!
Thanks for this discussion, by the way.
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Permalink Reply by Shellie Adams on
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I find it rewarding when I have a customer that is obviously ignorant to the coffee scene. It breaks me free from the chains of the machine (...I mean this lovingly) so that I can think of creative ways to handle the customer's drink choice. Admittedly I do cringe when I hear the words Caramel Macchiato but I take that opportunity to explain that the Macchiato we serve is a Traditional Macchiato. I then explain the difference between the two, vouch for our delicious traditional and than offer their options for a sweet(er) beverage. I like to let the customer know that a latte is supposed to have a mild sweetness and a great creaminess and that a 12oz. latte is fantastic. If that fails I'll move to a latte with a flavor ( and not just caramel...options are a great thing)
I am a coffee lover and I feel it is my responsibility to promote a POSITIVE image for the coffee-loving community.
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