Day 83 Over attentive staff

Dear Coffee Company – Eden SHopping Centre

I am writing to you to congratulate you on your attentive and polite staff in your coffee shop in the Eden shopping centre in Prague. It is just a shame that they only show their skills once it is too late.

I am a patient man, that might surprise some people who’ve known me a while, but I find as I get old I get more patient. I’ve had nearly 23 million minutes on this earth so a five minute wait here or a few minutes there is nothing really in the general scheme of things. However, I get less patient when people are not doing their job properly and so the delay is wilful rather than accidental. Let me explain.

Today I decided a nice 20 minute break to would be perfect before doing my weekly shop in Tesco. I’d use the time to watch the world go by, drink a coffee and maybe write a story.  So I sat in your establishment and waited to be served. The café was empty apart from one other customer and three members of staff. That’s right the staff outnumbered us 3-2. The staff said hello to me on arrival but then proceeded to do nothing. So I sat, I waited, I started writing a story,  I looked up, waited, tried to catch someone’s eye, waited a bit more. 

Then having had the rest that I wanted and having formed some ideas for a story I decided I didn’t really need a coffee and left. 2 out of 3 aims had been achieved, not bad. 

It was as I was putting my jacket on that your staff leapt into action. Suddenly I had the full and undivided attention of two baristas. I was like a barista magnet so strong was the pull. It was like I was their best friend, a customer with a gold loyalty card.

As they had greeted me when I walked in I am not sure they can use the excuse they didn’t notice me and as there was only one other customer I am not sure they can claim they were rushed off their feet and as they were so nice to me as I was leaving I don’t think they can claim incompetence either. This means their behaviour can only be put down to wilful laziness. 

So, well done for employing staff who really can make a customer feel special, but please remind them they should do this when the customer arrives not when the customer leaves in a fit of pique.

Thank you

Gareth

P.S. After storming out I realised I left my jumper there. Please as a gesture of good will can you return it to the following address.