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.
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