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| - Tough call here; great location by a lake, good coffee and tea but a poor customer service experience can kill the deal for me. Here is my story:
I have actually been here several times and had good experiences but this week caught my off guard. I had ordered a couple drinks for myself and a friend; I always like to get out of the way of the people behind me so I already had a bill out and set it on the counter while the barista was ringing it up and I was stuffing the rest back in my wallet (mine is the slim type where I have to take ALL the bills out each time and put back what I don't use; this requires two hands).
As I did this, I looked up and saw that the barista had finished ringing up the order and had his hand out just above the money I placed on the counter. Both my hands were full trying to jam the other money back in my wallet so I said "Oh, it's right there" like maybe he didn't see it; he looked at the money, then looked back and me and made no motion to pick it up. I eventually got my wallet put away, picked up the bill and raised it two inches to lay it in his hand, at which point he took it and then gave me my change.
I was surprised and said "I didn't realize there was a protocol" and he just gave me a bad look. (sigh)
I can understand not liking people THROWING money down on the counter and making the cashier chase it all over the place; I find that completely disrespectful as well. In this case, however, I PLACED it there and it was before he was even done ringing it up. I was a bartender in college and so I get it, but the attitude is really unnecessary considering my point was just to get out of the way of the person behind me more quickly.
I live in downtown Phoenix (home of Lola, Cartel, Lux, Fair Trade, Royal, Toast, Copper Star etc) and have never had this kind of attitude from anyone at any of those places. Part of what makes a coffeehouse a place to go is the sense of community, and acting that way toward customers is not the way to foster it.
I guess I'll stay out of the 'burbs.
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