Coffee Forum
frame

Howdy, Stranger!

It looks like you're new here. If you want to get involved, click one of these buttons!

Sign In Register

Howdy, Stranger!

It looks like you're new here. If you want to get involved, click one of these buttons!

Sign In Register

Quick Links

Categories

In this Discussion

› ›
After the old forum software breaking in a way that we were unable to fix, we've migrated the site to a new platform.

Some elements aren't working as we'd hoped - some avatars didn't survive the transition, and we're still having issues with attachments that weren't added as inline images, but we're hoping to have that all sorted out soon.

Coffee Loyalty Card Etiquette

RichardMRichardM
edited January 1970 in Coffee Industry related subjects
I have a question from all of you. My missus has started going to a cafe for her coffee on mornings when she's running late. Coffees are normal price ($3.70, but 50c extra for so) so her daily coffee is $4.20 if she doesn't have it at home.

Now here is where it gets weird. Every 8th coffee is free, and she went to obtain her free coffee, and the person behind the counter says "that'll be 50c".

....

They wanted to charge her the 50c extra for soy. She queried it, and they made a big point of it.

Does anyone else find this strange, or am I just totally out of touch???
Share on Facebook

Comments

  • beanflyingbeanflying
    I would just call that mean spirited on their part. Unless they clearly mentioned on the card entitles you to one free standard coffee etc having a grumble is quite OK. Apart from the fact that soy cost increase is circa $0.30 retail over standard (non home brand) milk for an 8oz t/away so $0.50 is just making soy drinkers pay more.
    Share on Facebook
  • FreshCoffee2FreshCoffee2
    If its not noted on the card then the coffee is as per the card...free. Its not the clients fault if the cafe management havent thought of all the little exceptions that they should have put in the fine print. And what cafe management need to think on, is are they prepared to lose face / look bad / look mean spirited and lose a client's continuing business for the sake of that one 50 cent surcharge? I had the same thing on Friday night when I went to the pictures with a free pass, then had to pay a $2.50 surcharge because it was a 3D film. But in the fine print on the back of the card, it tells you that............! Rgdz, Attilio
    Share on Facebook
  • hiphiphararhiphipharar
    If your missus only buys soy lattes then it is fair that her 8th coffee is a free soy latte. I would have pointed that out Attilio: the $2.50 surcharge is the price of the 3D glasses which you can keep or return at the end. But if you bring your own, they still charge for it.
    Share on Facebook
  • RichardMRichardM
    on 1306717788:
    If your missus only buys soy lattes then it is fair that her 8th coffee is a free soy latte. I would have pointed that out
    She did point that out, and the person grabbed 50c from the tip jar and threw it in the register.
    on 1306717788:
    Attilio: the $2.50 surcharge is the price of the 3D glasses which you can keep or return at the end. But if you bring your own, they still charge for it.
    Not sure about the cinema that you go to, but the one I go to charges a surcharge for 3D ON TOP of the price of the glasses.
    Share on Facebook
  • FreshCoffee2FreshCoffee2
    Yes indeed fellas, I then paid an extra couple of dollars (or whatever) above the $2.50 3D surcharge....for the glasses!  :o Richard, the act of grabbing the 50 cents from the tip jar and throwing in the register is an unbelievable no no......dont they realise how many other people an unhappy client tells about their bad experience????? Rgdz, A.
    Share on Facebook
  • hiphiphararhiphipharar
    on 1306728262:
    Yes indeed fellas, I then paid an extra couple of dollars (or whatever) above the $2.50 3D surcharge....for the glasses!  :o
    Ah well, there you go. Something new learned today - tick!
    on 1306728262:
    dont they realise how many other people an unhappy client tells about their bad experience
    Too true. So will you name and shame Richard? I couldn't help wondering if that is the first time someone complained and the person at the till was simply following the owner's demand (but not agreeing with it). I can't imagine the owner pinching from the tip jar to balance their own ledger unless the owner is the barista and it was his/her tip.
    Share on Facebook
  • RichardMRichardM
    on 1306739889:
    Ah well, there you go. Something new learned today - tick! Too true. So will you name and shame Richard? I couldn't help wondering if that is the first time someone complained and the person at the till was simply following the owner's demand (but not agreeing with it). I can't imagine the owner pinching from the tip jar to balance their own ledger unless the owner is the barista and it was his/her tip.
    Heh, I won't name and shame. Astoundingly, they are the only local place that does syphon coffee so wouldn't want to burn that bridge. ... Or maybe I should just buy a syphon :P
    Share on Facebook
  • VinitasseVinitasse
    on 1306739889:
    I can't imagine the owner pinching from the tip jar to balance their own ledger unless the owner is the barista and it was his/her tip.
    Hmmm... how many F&B positions have you held? In my experience at least 50% of the owners I have worked for would readily dip into the tip jar to balance out the till, or cover breakage or cover staff meals or drinks, etc..., etc..., etc...
    Share on Facebook
  • hiphiphararhiphipharar
    on 1306762476:
    Hmmm... how many F&B positions have you held? In my experience at least 50% of the owners I have worked for would readily dip into the tip jar to balance out the till, or cover breakage or cover staff meals or drinks, etc..., etc..., etc...
    How many? Exactly 0. I said I couldn't imagine it, not that it doesn't happen. The subtext is "what kind of owner would pinch from his/her own staff" I've heard of owners claiming a % of the tip which is fair enough if they are also serving customers and earning tips I guess.
    on 1306740549:
    they are the only local place that does syphon coffee so wouldn't want to burn that bridge. ... Or maybe I should just buy a syphon :P
    Buy a syphon!  :) But they aren't meant for the quick brew before rushing out the door. I can understand why not many cafes would not have them: they are a bit of a specialty service that requires skilled staff dedicated to syphon duties. The cafes I've seen have them are usually medium to large to accommodate a syphon bar. Anyway, back on topic. If the cafe wants to apply a surcharge for a 'freebie' special order, they should apply the fine print, or use a special stamp or whatever so that a customer will receive a freebie soy latte if they always buy soy lattes.
    Share on Facebook
  • askthecoffeeguyaskthecoffeeguy
    on 1306662734:
    I have a question from all of you. My missus has started going to a cafe for her coffee on mornings when she's running late. Coffees are normal price ($3.70, but 50c extra for so) so her daily coffee is $4.20 if she doesn't have it at home. Now here is where it gets weird. Every 8th coffee is free, and she went to obtain her free coffee, and the person behind the counter says "that'll be 50c". .... They wanted to charge her the 50c extra for soy. She queried it, and they made a big point of it. Does anyone else find this strange, or am I just totally out of touch???
    I decided against a loyalty card for my current cafe as we're using triple sized baskets, speciality coffee, and biodynamic unhomogenised milk as standard - which means that our production costs are already high, and I would rather value-add than discount my product BUT at my last cafe at Melbourne Uni loyalty cards were very much a part of the business, and if you usually drink a large soy mocha, then a large soy mocha is what you got - likewise 16oz coffees were on the menu there as well, and if this is what you drank day in and day out then this is what you got for your freebie anything less is short-sighted penny pinching and just not good for business, and, IMHO at least represents FALSE advertising - I for one would be taking my custom elsewhere! P
    Share on Facebook
  • RichardMRichardM
    Just an update guys, I double checked the card and there was no fine print at all. I'm hoping it's just a staff member not knowing what they are doing.  Will see if it happens again before deciding if it's the business blatantly deceiving customers.
    Share on Facebook
  • hazchemhazchem
    on 1306812963:
    BUT at my last cafe at Melbourne Uni loyalty cards were very much a part of the business, and if you usually drink a large soy mocha, then a large soy mocha is what you got - likewise 16oz coffees were on the menu there as well, and if this is what you drank day in and day out then this is what you got for your freebie anything less is short-sighted penny pinching and just not good for business, and, IMHO at least represents FALSE advertising - I for one would be taking my custom elsewhere! P
    my thoughts exactly
    Share on Facebook
  • ThundergodThundergod
    I don't have any coffee loyalty cards. They take up too much valuable space in my wallet. The places that get my custom do so because the coffee is good. My loyalty is expressed by my returning for that good coffee not for a free one.
    Share on Facebook
  • beanflyingbeanflying
    On a slightly different tack I was offered as I left Monk Bodhi Dharma a card with which listed on the back and were pointed out to me some other places they liked to drink coffee at. Even armed with this info I would be back to MBD anyway and their list I have been to most already. Local Bakery here has a loyalty card system which gets you a free standard loaf after 12 buts it's spelt out on the card.
    Share on Facebook
  • adelaidecoffeeadelaidecoffee
    I've got about 5 or 6 cards in my wallet, enough already. There are a couple of cafes only that i visit regularly (well, as much as i can) over and above the new ones i visit on a weekly basis. I've been to 19 different places over the last 19 weeks and i'd say about half? have loyalty cards. I saw recently at one place where you buy a bundle of coffees (like pre-paid) on a card and i guess it can save time not having to pay each time, you also get 1 for free. I liked the different approach to that of a normal loyalty card, whether or not it works, i dunno.
    Share on Facebook
  • Koffee_KosmoKoffee_Kosmo
    on 1310435241:
    I saw recently at one place where you buy a bundle of coffees (like pre-paid) on a card and i guess it can save time not having to pay each time, you also get 1 for free. I liked the different approach to that of a normal loyalty card, whether or not it works, i dunno.
    I suppose that is another form of a gift card I dont have any loyalty cards My wife has one from the local bread shop and that about it KK
    Share on Facebook
  • MusclesMuscles
    Seems a bit rough to me. I can't see that $0.50isworth the trouble of an argument and potentially losing a proven regular customer.
    Share on Facebook
Sign In or Register to comment.

Coffee Forum

@ 2026 The Coffee Forum, All rights reserved.

Policies

Privacy Policy

Social