Baristas and Satisfaction

Yesterday it was reported in the coffee media that J.D. Power and Associates had released a new survey on specialty coffee businesses which stated friendly and a knowledgeable staff are a key component to customer satisfaction. In fact, the great service the barista gives is a driving force to returning business.

http://dailycoffeenews.com/2013/04/08/quality-baristas-by-far-the-biggest-driver-of-customer-satisfaction/

This makes total sense. As I read the article, I thought about my coffee house experiences. A good coffee house will create not just a pleasant experience, but it will create a sense of community.  Of course Starbucks is famous for creating the experience where you want to stay, sort of a destination.
I take that a step further, you want the coffee house to not only be a destination, but you want to feel like you a part of something.

Over the years, I have always felt comfortable when I have formed relationships with the baristas or staff. Prime example - back in college, I became friends with the owner of a coffee house across the street from my apartment. I went in everyday. The coffee was great, but I enjoyed to people. The more I came in, the more they knew me.

The owner was a woman who was not only friendly, but she had the knack of making you feel like part of the family. When times were tough for me financially, there were mornings she gave me breakfast. She didn't have to do this, but she wanted to be sure the starving student wasn't too hungry. In short she looked out for her neighbor.

My first job out of college was working for Southwest Airlines. One of the perks was free air travel. I wanted to repay the owner for her kindness during the lean times. I took her to New Orleans for lunch. We flew down from Chicago, had lunch, and flew home. She was thrilled, and I was happy to do something nice for a person who was now a friend.

Granted, not everyone has a special relationship with the coffee house folks. The point is on various levels, we want to feel like we are part of something when we go in. Yes, we want good coffee. Trust me if the coffee is bad, no smile, or happy person is going to get me to come back. I will go back though if coffee and the people make me feel at ease.

I believe the lessons from this survey can be carried through to a good many specialty type businesses. In my life as a professional running guy, I tell my staff over and over again, that anyone can buy a shoe somewhere, but if we do our job and form a good bond with the customer, and provide excellent service, we have a pretty regular customer for life. Seems simple, and yet so many businesses don't get it.

Charlie

The Coffee Cup

Previously I have ranted about styrofoam cups. I think they make coffee taste horrible. In fact, the only thing I think they are good for is gas station coffee. Might as well put bad coffee into a bad cup....right?

I know it seems a bit odd to think about what you are drinking your coffee out of, but I think the cup is a pretty important choice. For instance, let's look at the coffee cups our parents and grandparents typically had(or at least they did in my family).

The cup on the right is fairly typical of what we used when I was growing up. I call this type of cup the "Dainty Cup." In reality, this is a cup of a coffee. This is the cup the coffee maker people figure you will use, and that determines how many cups of coffee you make.

Now, there is really nothing wrong with the "Dainty Cup," but I don't like drinking from this type of cup, unless this is the serving of coffee I want after dinner. In my opinion, it doesn't hold much coffee. Also because of the shallowness of the cup, and the thinness of the cup, it really doesn't keep your coffee warm. In fact, I think coffee gets colder quicker in a cup like this.

Because we are a mobile. in a rush society, we travel with our coffee. So usually we have coffee in a cup, similar to this one...

Of course there is usually a top with a spout of some formation on the cup. These are designed to sometimes fit in the cup holders the car manufacturers make for us. Of course your cup and cup holder may vary depending on cup, holder, and MPG(just kidding).

Our travel cups are usually well insulated so coffee stays warm longer. If we go through the drive through at a place like Starbucks, or if we journey to a local coffee house, sometimes there are discounts for using our own cup. We save a few pennies and the environment at the same time.

Call me picky, but coffee in a cup like this, just doesn't taste like I want it to. I haven't figured it out yet. Maybe it's the paper in to go cups? Maybe it's the plastic or the metal. I just feel those properties change the flavor of coffee.

My preferred cup is more like a mug...

Now THIS is a cup of coffee. This one in particular happens to be my favorite coffee cup. These days coffee is sipped out of mugs like the one above. To me this is a cup. In reality, it's about two of the "Dainty Cups."

Cups like these have depth and thickness, which keep the coffee warmer longer. I also think the porcelain doesn't alter the flavor of coffee. Plus they make really cool looking mugs. I have a vast collection of mugs, and they range from amusing to just fun. The Caribou Coffee Mug above though is my favorite...just don't tell my other mugs.

Your tastes will vary, but I have yet heard anyone tell me they really love their coffee in a to go cup, nor have I been served coffee at a dinner in a paper cup. And if I am served coffee in a styrofoam cup, well then, I assume you just don't like me. :-)

Charlie

Today's Cup of Coffee 4/6/2013

I have long been a fan of Metropolis Coffee. The first time I encountered Metropolis was while on a date. Seems the coffee house was a regular hang out for the guy I was meeting there. The best part about that date was the coffee. While I didn't see the guy again, I formed a great relationship with the coffee. Any time I am in Chicago, I try to pick up at least a bag of Metropolis. This time I got two bags, and today I am reviewing the first of the coffees I got - Falstaff Winter Blend.

As usual, here is how the company describes their coffee:

The flavor is  - fig, wild berries, maple and other earthy flavors.

The body is - full, dense, robust

The acidity is - floral, balanced, succulent


I don't eat figs. I do eat Fig Newtons, but I don't know if that's good enough for me to agree with the fig portion of the taste. I do get a sense of the berries and the maple. In fact, maple was one of the first things I sensed as I sipped this cup. The berry taste isn't a light taste, I think this adds to the denseness they allude to.

This is a very satisfying cup of coffee. I 100% agree with the description of the body of it. Floral? I don't really detect floral.

On the face slap scale, where does this coffee fall? To be honest, this is a coffee, I would like to serve after a fine meal. It is robust, but there is a mellowness to it. If the coffee were to slap me awake in the morning, it would be a 5 out of 10. In other words, I could hit the snooze button and go back to bed for a few moments. If I had a dinner party though, this would be a coffee I would proudly serve.

This is a regular seasonal coffee for Metropolis. They bring it out every Winter. To be honest, it makes me sad Spring is here, because it means I will have to wait until next Winter to have more of this very fine coffee.

Charlie

Coffee Commercials

In looking at a history of coffee commercials, it's interesting to see various themes advertisers used to lure us into buying their coffees. In the 1950s and 1960s when women were mostly housewives, the success of your coffee was a reflection on how good a wife you were.

The 1970s transitioned from the sexist feelings of the earlier days, to using more iconic figures. Usually there was a kindly old woman dispensing advice....and a cup of coffee.

Folgers had Mrs. Olsen.

Maxwell House had Cora(who used to scare children when she wore green makeup).

Of course men were also key to selling good coffee. The most famous icon was/is Juan Valdez, the man who was the face of Colombian coffee for decades.

Still, if there is one thing about advertising sex sells, and sex does sell coffee. Who knew Giles from Buffy the Vampire Slayer could be so sexy!

Coffee ads are not as visible these days, but they are still sexy.....Maybe the cheesy porn music helps.

Charlie

CoffeeCon 2013 Price Increase Coming

$10 is a great deal to spend a day with all things coffee. Next Monday admission ticket prices will increase. There are two things you can do: buy tickets now before the increase, or....

You can enter my contest to win tickets to CoffeeCON. In 25 words or less, tell me about your favorite coffee moment. Email you entry to - javarunner1962@gmail.com by April 15.

To register for CoffeeCON - http://www.coffee-con.com

Charlie

Road Trip Coffee

No doubt I love good coffee, but there is a time I will drink bad coffee - on a road trip. You know what I'm talking about. You're on the road, you stop at a truck stop or a convenience store, and you pour coffee that has been sitting in that pot since 1979. Yes, yes, they laughingly call it "gourmet" or "fresh." They were probably both of those at one point, like when the farmer picked the coffee cherry. The coffee on the road is not to be confused with good coffee.

So why do I drink it? When we are on the road, I am the only one who can drive, so I need something to keep me awake. There is nothing like the taste of bad coffee to smack you awake. I really don't care how much caffeine there is, I am going for the rude taste of the coffee.

Of course I know there are drive thru Starbucks on the road, and I do stop there. It's just there are times you need to jolt to keep me awake while I drive.

So yes, there are times I will drink bad coffee on purpose.

Charlie

CoffeeCON Contest Reminder

Prices for CoffeeCON are about to go up, but CoffeeCON has provided me with 10 complimentary tickets to give away. 

In 25 words or less, tell me about your favorite coffee moment. This can be as fun as you like, or as serious as you like. Heck you can even throw in a picture of you with your coffee if you like.  Be creative with this!

Email entries to me by Midnight, April 15. The 5 best entries will each get a pair of tickets to this year’s event, courtesy of CoffeeCON. Winners will be notified between April 16th and April 20th. Email your entries to:

javarunner1962@gmail.com

Charlie