I really wanted to like this bakery. I'm a huge fan of small businesses.
My friend and I stopped in today after checking out The Purple Monkey art store just down the street. We wanted to get a cup of coffee and treat to celebrate her birthday.
While the space was cute and quaint, the coffee looked like it had been sitting for quite a while and they did not offer any lattes or espresso. So we decided to head to The Coffee Cup down the street but not before grabbing a tasty treat to-go.
I wan't that impressed with the selection but decided to get some cookies for my sons. They didn't look as 'good' as Freed's but I assumed they'd be bakery-delicious.
The problem came when my friend tried to buy 2 large cookies with her debit card. She was told there was a $5 minimum. Fine, so she added 2 more cookies to her order. We were then given a lecture by the clerk about how expensive it was for the bakery to take debit or credit cards, "it costs us hundreds of dollars a month in fees."
Yes, I'm aware of the fees. My husband and I own a business. We factor those fees into our prices. NEVER would be try to guilt a customer into paying with cash.
As we were leaving the same clerk answered a phone call and proceeded to GO OFF on the potential customer on the other end, telling them they were SWAMPED with Christmas orders and in no way could accommodate her request...
I can't even chalk this experience up to a long day of customer service (been there, done that) as it was 10:30am. And to top it off, the cookies were bland at best and definitely not worth $6.99 for a half a pound.
Sadly, I won't be back. I'll drive to Freed's where the goodies are delicious and the customer service is EXCELLENT.