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 Cody Gordon on
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Heres my take on the debate inside of this. The shop i work at, steeltown coffee and tea, is a premium coffee shop. People come in and are hit with quality, whether it be from our 3 group synesso machine or our pastries that we have delivered daily by a local legend.
there is culinary school next door and in the next weeks we are teaching them a class on fine coffees. we are surrounded by quality if we are on the level of teaching a culinary class we are definitely on the level to demand much more respect than youre giving. though, to you, we may be a step above fast food but i will tell you right now that you will experience coffee in a way you havent before.
you dont go to a wine vineyard and tell them their fine wines are a step above boonsfarm, you dont tell me our single origin, fair trade coffees that are grown on cooperative farms, are a step above fast food. we baby our machines, our equipment and our customers. we pride ourselves in our practice. our teas are some of the best you can get (mighty leaf) and our cups are made from corn instead of plastic. you talk of intangibles but what you are doing is buying into something literally taught at starbucks, the third place atmosphere.
we have wifi, our chairs are reasonably comfy, but honestly, the customers say the main reason they return is because our coffee is damn good.
there is nothing like having a barista, not a button pusher, tell you about the farm that the coffee they are serving you comes from and how it had major floods a year and a half ago and how the coffee community got together and sent them $10,000 to make sure that the 600 some odd families who are a apart of the co-op had access to food when the roads washed out. this is not merely a commodity sphere, but a relationship.
sure we're playing to a niche, who isnt?
thats whats marketing is, is playing to demographics.
if you like your stale foam lattes, great, but the machine im pulling your espresso from is custom made to order and is the ferrari of espresso machines, and i'll make sure you understand how much work and finesses goes into your cup and im completely sure you'll come back.
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Permalink Reply by Joseph Robertson on
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Rude? Did I miss something here? Sounds like theft.
Bryan Wray said:Julian Gan said:Ugh. I have stories:
Situation one: two Asian women come in, order, and pay for two medium-sized Americano's to stay. They sit down at a table, and are shortly joined by two friends who have just walked through the door. One woman (usually the one who paid) comes up to the bar and asks for two extra mugs, half-filled with hot water. I oblige. She returns to her table, where I witness her POURING PART OF THE AMERICANOS INTO THE MUGS WITH HOT WATER FOR HER FRIENDS! This is often repeated with different people. And I don't want to stereotype (because I'm one myself), but Asians are sometimes really, really, cheap!
Situation two: not really just cheap, but damn rude. Group of (pre)teen skater boys come in, use the milk and chocolate powder at our condiment stands to make chocolate milk for themselves. Sucked for them when they got caught by the manager. :)
Wow... re: #2 I wish I would have been that smart when I was their age. As horribly rude as it is, that's freakin brilliant.
-bry
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Permalink Reply by Eric Hammond on
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99% of all the customers I have or had were great. Tipped, were nice, and stole nothing. I had a couple of homeless guys stop by for a cup on cold days and they got a free coffee out of me. I'd even let them sit in the shop and warm up before heading out. We should all be respectful of those people who don't have all the gifts we have.
But it does burn me up when someone steals from anyone.
That said. I totally encourage the sharing of tea, chemix, or french press. If you want to share a latte, feel free. Heck, use a ton of sugar. But if you want one tea bag and 2 cups, I have to charge you for the cup. No smalls in a large cup. Choose one, not the other. And if you need room for cream, tell me how much room if you want more than my standard. Ask me and you can usually get it. I won't even charge. Just don't pour coffee in my trash. First off it leaks. Ask for extra room, and I will oblige. And second, you just poured out something the I think in great. If it's bad, I'll fix it or get your money for you.
We offer free refills on in house coffee. The mayor thing is great. I might not vote for him next time. . . But. As far as bringing in your own food. If I don't offer it, go for it. We don't offer donuts. Bring in a whole box. We don't offer fries. Head to and get some. We don't offer ham sandwiches made by your wife. But if you came in a get a coffee or something and want to eat those while here, feel free. Just don't bring in your own muffins. Unless you share with the staff and others. I had a customer who baked a cake for all the baristas on their birthday. When ever she brought in something, they would buy her drink.
In short: be nice. Ask and I'll likely give it to you. Steal and you get noting from me. And I have a long memory. If you order something like a cup of hot water and a tea, expect to be charged for the hot water. I don't sell hot water but you will be charged for it.
But a story or two: I had one guy who would order a small coffee half full. (BTW, he paid full price). He then filled the rest of the cup with half and half and honey. He would drink half and fill it with honey and half and half again. drink half and do it again. (This would empty out a container of half and half). Finally we started charging him for a quart of half and half to go with his coffee.
Another guy would pour half his coffee in the trash and fill it up with cream. One day I informed him that it made the trash bag leak and if he needed extra room, just ask. He never came back.
One of the local firemen would drive up to the back door and use our internet all night. It never cost us anything, but it bothered us a whole lot. (There were some people who lived above the shop that used our internet too. They told us and we told then it was OK.) What ever he was looking at, he didn't want his wife to know about. So one day he brought his wife in. Another barista said, "hey, I'm sorry about the internet being down the last few days. I dropped a coffee in the router. It should be up and ready to use tonight after your wife goes to bed."
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Permalink Reply by Jeremy Perrine on
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That's the best one of heard in years. :)
Fraser Jamieson said:For the past couple of weeks, or thereabouts, a regular customer has been coming in our back door and sitting down at a table, with her laptop. From out of her computer case she also pulls one of our paper cups and props it on the table, lid and all.
The only trouble is: we changed the colour of our cup jacket, and she's still got the old one.
Oh well, God bless her for trying to look like she bought something.
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Permalink Reply by Brady on
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Korynne Van Riper said:I had a customer ask me how much a 16oz latte was and then ordered a half cup of drip topped with steamed milk. Ghetto latte?
Cafe' au lait.
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Permalink Reply by Marek on
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This is now my favorite thread, laughed my ass off reading each and every post. This made my day, absolutely hands down made my day... I think it's the same ten people and they're going to all our shops...
What I always find is that it's the NON customer who always makes the most noise. The ones who bring their own food, group three tables together to study, take off their shoes... and then when you finally need to say something to them ... they go all postal on you...
What I tell the staff is, look... within reason tolerate it but when they've gone too far you need to put your foot down and since for the most part they are not a customer anyway... you don't have any downside.
On the cheap side, we had a local guy well know and wealthy... really... wealthy... every day he would come in and order a coffee... always paid cash, the change always went back in the pocket... very nice, very polite... the staff would see him coming and start making his order... this went on for months and months...
One day he walks in... gets his coffee and says to the staff... who is working tonight? They reply and he says OK... well make sure they get this and here this is for you guys... thanks... 'two one hundred dollar bills'...
He does it pretty often, no tip for 4-5-6 months... then hits em with hundred bucks...
I love all these stories, I am pasting several of them into an email and forwarding to our staff... they are going to love these stories.
Oh ... as for teabag lady... I have perfect solution... warm water... next time she comes in, just give her a mug of tap water... the teabag goes in... trashed... can't drink it... if she asks you to warm it up... microwave it... for five seconds...
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Permalink Reply by Robert Bedwell on
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How do you react to a customer that asks you to pull the shot over several times until it is right?
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You taste one with them. YOU know when it is right. If the one you taste with them is where you know it belongs let them know politely that this shot is on tarket for this blend.
Robert Bedwell said:How do you react to a customer that asks you to pull the shot over several times until it is right?
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Permalink Reply by harm on
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I was tired of people seeing one woman get a free cup of hot water, and a togo cup, sleeve, and lid... then go over and pull out a SWISS MISS PACKET and doctor it up with extra sugar packets, and cream! There was also one or two older ladies who would bring their own tea bags. We now charge $1 for a cup of hot water, but have gotten bad reviews on travel sites for it. I think people are getting mad they have to pay for hot water, so their whole experience is negative. (?)
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Permalink Reply by John P on
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Consider it a positive for the occasional whiner to complain. These people are not customers and it will keep more of them from coming. ... Don't cater to idiots, save your energy for your actual customers; they are the ones who deserve your best.
harm said:I was tired of people seeing one woman get a free cup of hot water, and a togo cup, sleeve, and lid... then go over and pull out a SWISS MISS PACKET and doctor it up with extra sugar packets, and cream! There was also one or two older ladies who would bring their own tea bags. We now charge $1 for a cup of hot water, but have gotten bad reviews on travel sites for it. I think people are getting mad they have to pay for hot water, so their whole experience is negative. (?)
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John P said:Consider it a positive for the occasional whiner to complain. These people are not customers and it will keep more of them from coming. ... Don't cater to idiots, save your energy for your actual customers; they are the ones who deserve your best.
You are absolutely right. Thanks
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Permalink Reply by Bernette Pomeroy on
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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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