OMG, where are the coffee police ?

Brett H · March 2012

on 1331693274:

When you move down here, come in and have a chat as there is little likelihood of me returning to QLD. ;D

Could it be possible that a Cosmorex van is to be fitted out A-Team style?? Let me grab my portafilter key-ring, dosing tools and a flame-thrower! We'll be right down! Daa di da daaaaa, dun daa daaa.....

derrilex · March 2012

I was born in Canberra FC and moved to gods own in 1980. There aint no going back :laugh:

FreshCoffee2 · March 2012

Geez-us we might have been neighbours for all we know, both in Canberra as well as in QLD as we also moved there in 1980 but moved back some years later. For the record I am a citizen of NSW and go intestate often ;D

mycuppa · March 2012

The whole concept of cancelling clients is highly amusing. I always fall off my chair when I read this. I've seen first hand 3 Melbourne roasters roll this excuse out........only to learn later it was another reason that was customer initiated. As I've said on a few posts last year, the reason coffee companies may *lose* a customer is almost guaranteed to be a payment issue. Here is the way I see it VERY SIMPLY according to what I learn from talking to both competitors and customers. 1. Unpaid bills (90%+), or 2. Customer becoming too difficult to deal with - refusing to order adequate quantity to cover a week duration then calling up late at night and early in the morning on weekends and literally screaming down the phone demanding an instant delivery of a small item to cover for a stock-out situation that could have been easily averted (9%). We have all had our fair share of customers who can't order properly and ring up on Public Holidays demanding a kilo of Chocolate powder be run to them immediately. 3. Unable to manage a consistent quality cup (<1%) Sorry folks, I'm firmly in the camp of non-believers when I hear stories of roaster cancelling supply due to bad customer performance in the cup. I think it does happen, but there are bound to be other more compelling factors involved that all contribute to a parting of companies. However, as what FC states we all posses and practice opportunity qualification techniques - that is.......I have certain criteria I need to have met before I proceed. All roasters will have a similar variation on this and it's called Sales 101.

derrilex · March 2012

Its great come state of origin time - claim QLD when we win and claim neutral ACT status if we loose. I used to live in Torrens

Ronin · March 2012

on 1331704697:

Sorry folks, I'm firmly in the camp of non-believers when I hear stories of roaster cancelling supply due to bad customer performance in the cup. I think it does happen, but there are bound to be other more compelling factors involved that all contribute to a parting of companies.

Couldn't agree more MC The thing that bothers me is when it's pitched by the coffee roasting company as their quality control. Feels like false advertising, and I've heard it from the big man himself

derrilex · March 2012

Ok, so I got a reply via email from the roaster and here it is. Hi Alex, Thanks for passing on your feedback from your experience at Cabarita through to us. We at ##### have a policy to forward all feedback, good and bad, through to customers. To that end, we have passed on your comments through to the Blue Rose for their consideration, and of course we have offered them free ##### barista training for their new staff, and a refresher for the older ones. Our rep Glenn has already visited the shop and adjusted their grinder and checked on the machine to eliminate any possible machinery explanation. I am sure that your next coffee will be a much better one and thanks again for your passion for beautiful ##### fresh espresso. cheers The name of the company has been changed to ##### but you don't have to be a wizard to work it out. Anyway, it was good to get a response, even a light weight one is better than none at all. The fact that their rep has to adjust the grinder speaks volumes and says it all really.

Brett H · March 2012

on 1331813704:

Ok, so I got a reply via email from the roaster and here it is. Hi Alex, Thanks for passing on your feedback from your experience at Cabarita through to us. We at ##### have a policy to forward all feedback, good and bad, through to customers. To that end, we have passed on your comments through to the Blue Rose for their consideration, and of course we have offered them free ##### barista training for their new staff, and a refresher for the older ones. Our rep Glenn has already visited the shop and adjusted their grinder and checked on the machine to eliminate any possible machinery explanation. I am sure that your next coffee will be a much better one and thanks again for your passion for beautiful ##### fresh espresso. cheers The name of the company has been changed to ##### but you don't have to be a wizard to work it out. Anyway, it was good to get a response, even a light weight one is better than none at all. The fact that their rep has to adjust the grinder speaks volumes and says it all really.

The rep adjusts the grinder??? That's it??? The lazy son of a guns, they evidently don't give a damn... That is pathetic from both sides of the fence. "The rep has trained the staff on how to adjust the grinder and the importance of grind, dose and consistency therein!" That's an answer. Fire up the van Hannibal... we've got to save some townsfolk from some very bad people!!

derrilex · March 2012

So, I know this little seaside town in northern NSW thats ripe for the plucking. Zero competition, cheap rent, heaps of traffic. Anyone interested ? Theres a guy that can come out and adjust the grinder so we should make a killing :rofl: :rofl:

mycuppa · March 2012

on 1331815448:

The rep adjusts the grinder??? That's it??? The lazy son of a guns, they evidently don't give a damn... That is pathetic from both sides of the fence. "The rep has trained the staff on how to adjust the grinder and the importance of grind, dose and consistency therein!" That's an answer. Fire up the van Hannibal... we've got to save some townsfolk from some very bad people!!

Guys, don't laugh. This is par for the course in about 70+% of cafes. They leave it up to the rep to setup the equipment at the start and then some of the more caring reps will check it occasionally. I've had customers abuse me for changing the grind setting and others abuse their staff for touching the grinder. When I do the odd delivery I enjoy talking to the new staff at a cafe as you hear some cracker stories - mostly they tell you the rules that were in place at the previous places they worked. The most common of course is never touch the grinder and tell the rep if the customers are complaining so he can set the equipment up correctly. Yep - there you have it..........who needs reality TV

FreshCoffee2 · March 2012

Yes quite right Jeff.....abuse for helping someone get a better coffee out of the set up and beans. Because they know better than we do. There...I said it. As I stated earlier, the market is evolving and needs to go a little further yet...... One of the better messages left on my answering machine one day by a cafe client: "Need service urgently....the machine's cracked a fat". This speaks volumes for the technical understanding of many, and as you can see is extremely helpful for the service tech to go out well prepared for the possible problem...... Another good one is.....the machine went bang; also, the compressor is making a funny noise....although, these two actually give more clues than the other :laugh:

mycuppa · March 2012

on 1331858399:

One of the better messages left on my answering machine one day by a cafe client: "Need service urgently....the machine's cracked a fat". This is dead true and speaks volumes for the technical understanding of many.

:rofl: That beats any Friday Funnies ever published in the past or the future !

Koffee_Kosmo · March 2012

on 1331858399:

One of the better messages left on my answering machine one day by a cafe client: "Need service urgently....the machine's cracked a fat". This speaks volumes for the technical understanding of many, and as you can see is extremely helpful for the service tech to go out well prepared for the possible problem...... Another good one is.....the machine went bang; also, the compressor is making a funny noise....although, these two actually give more clues than the other :laugh:

So what was the actual problem ? KK

derrilex · March 2012

Thats gold FC. The best one I ever got when I was a mechanic was " It sounds like theres a motor bike in my wheel " ??? On the rep adjusting the grinder bit, up the road from me is a cafe and on the mazzer is a big sign taped to it that says DO NOT TOUCH THE GRINDER. Of course, the hopper is maxed out at closing, ready for the next day and given the highly variable Brissy weather and humidity at the moment it all points towards shite

Ronin · March 2012

on 1331864544:

Some one put a Blue pill in the PF as part of their chemical back-flush procedure :rofl:

Talk about hard water :rofl: Seriously tho, there could be a market for blue pill coffee, I can see it now. "keeping you up all night with the energy to keep going" "Up and GO [size=14pt]GO[/size] [size=18pt]GO[/size],[size=8pt] went[/size]" I'd better stop now.

Brett H · March 2012

The machine's cracked a fat... ??? Differential diagnosis: the groups steam, burp and fart their way through a flush due to lack of standard maintenance. Or perhaps the machine is tired of the barista f___ing the coffee and is ready to show how it's done...???

FreshCoffee2 · March 2012

yeah well, its the great description that sticks in the mind, and I cant remember whatever the problem was, other than it wasnt anything out of the ordinary. I think it will be the title of my future book.... Re the sigh saying "Do not touch the grinder". As I said way easrlier in this thread, it would take a month a sundays to get through all this stuff but i can tell you, there is good reason in many instances for that. This is a direct, repetitive, and very tiresome scenario that costs money which remains unrecoverable from the client: Client telephones: Your coffees bitter and clients are complaining and leaving unfinished cups on the tables. Get out here and fix yer bloody coffee. You send out your service vehicle. Cost of tech and vehicle, $100.00 an hour plus plus plus. Tech gets there and find the grinder is wound out coarse. He adjusts the grinder and checks all functions, coffee is nice. Demonstrates to the client what the "problem" was with"the coffee". The tech asks who MAL-adjusted the grinder....no one owns up. No one in the shop knows how to adjust the grinder properly, only how to move it out of adjustment, but not put it back when the result speaks for itself. This is standard fare. A client beckons....back to finish this later

Jonty · March 2012

You seriously have to wonder why the hell you would own a coffee shop if not even the manager or owner of the business could not adjust a grinder. If that is the case then I have had a reality check, thanks FC.

Kelsey · March 2012

It definitely comes down to interest, investment, exposure and practice. It took me many months of dedicated practice before I started to get a feel for grinder adjustment - and really, it's likely that with my limited experience I couldn't necessarily translate that instinct immediately to another grinder. I'm interested and invested in the process. For many cafe workers, it's just a job - so even with the experience, the lack of investment and interest means they're not really practicing - they're just repeating, which isn't the same thing. And let's face it, most cafes aren't really in the coffee-selling business. They're the social/relaxation business. To many, perhaps even most, of their customers the quality of the coffee is irrelevant. We're the edge-cases, people.

derrilex · March 2012

I guess thats the crux of the whole industry. To most, its just a job.

derrilex · March 2012

Be interesting to know how or who helped them develop their strategy - on their own / consultant / insider knowledge / common sense ? At least they have a plan and massive back slaps for been proactive in the name of quality and consistency

Kelsey · March 2012

on 1331946316:

A true snob and anal espresso drinker might be appalled... But coffee is a added product and not their focus. Mind you since the new process was implemented, their coffee sales have jumped and much feedback; as to a better cup.... I had before and after. All I can say is that it is more balanced across the 3 sizes and much better than I have had at other places.... The med shot on it's own can be OK, depending on when it is done....

And that's what I'm talking about. To 95% of people, that's a good cup of coffee. To us, it's better than average (which is almost high praise considering the average!) But it's not the reason they have customers. Ambience, yes. A chance to socialise over a cup of whatever the zeitgeist says is appropriate. What would net them MORE sales? Fighting the law of diminishing returns by chasing the godshot? Hardly. Not unless they have the vision and marketing nouse to really go after the demographic that appreciates it and the publicity required to make it a hit. Customer service. Attempt to give everyone a great experience every time and a consistently slightly-above-average brew and you'll never want for customers.

Kelsey · March 2012

on 1331948385:

Be interesting to know how or who helped them develop their strategy - on their own / consultant / insider knowledge / common sense ? At least they have a plan and massive back slaps for been proactive in the name of quality and consistency

Yes, I'd find it interesting too. Particularly if it's a cafe-focused business advisor, because I'd say they're on to a good wicket.

Kelsey · March 2012

Fit for purpose - spot on AM. Perhaps that 'person' should get into the cafe business advisory market anyway....

Brett H · March 2012

Kelsey, it may have taken you months to be comfortable dialing in a grinder but that is because you don't do 100 coffees/day. Someone who has a professional responsibility and a large opportunity to develop a craft AND DOESN'T doesn't give a damn obviously. There is a reason successful people are: seek clarity, persever and resilience and success are more likely. Like musicians who play music loosley professionally but can't read manuscript or charts: DON'T EMPLOY, DON'T PATRONISE. In this day and age where information is so readily and inexpensively available 'other priorities...' good... then go do something else.

Kelsey · March 2012

Oh sure - in fact, a mate who owns a coffee place has asked me to jump behind the counter - and I've refused because my skills set is narrow and limited. I wouldn't even know where to begin with their equipment or the efficiency demands of the job. My point is simply that coffee shops aren't actually in the business of selling coffee, so for at least 95% of customers the coffee only needs to be better than instant for them to consider it adequate - if it's even a consideration at all. The typical cafe isn't setup for people like us - it's setup for the vastly larger (and more profitable) part of the population. So for the most part, they don't need to care and it's a rare cafe that accommodates us because we don't contribute significantly to their bottom line. So in some ways it works out better for all concerned - we few, we band of brothers, are better off only helping the bottom line of those who appreciate us. It won't make a damn of difference to the bottom line if those who don't - less aggravation for us AND the hapless business owners!

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