MY WORST EXPERIENCE AT A CAFE

[1ef6c1fc]

Describe your worst customer service experience at a cafe. I'll go first.

I was at this cafe once and I had the worst barista ever, serve me. I ordered a coffee and when I was done, she asked me if I wanted anything else and I said I didn't. She then told to me that because I didn't want anything else, I had to leave. 

The first thing I did was look at her and asked her why. She said that I had been there for 3 hours and the only thing I ordered was coffee and apparently if I wanted to stay longer, I'd have to order something else. I told her I didnt want anything.

Okay I get it, and I understood her points clearly. It's the way she expressed herself that put me off. I wasn't refusing to leave, but then she continued to threaten me by pointing out that there was a CCTV camera watching me and that it was timing how long I'd been there. 

What I didn't understand was this: Why was she chasing me away when the place was barely occupied?. Please feel free to debate but, was this bad customer service on her part or is it just me? What was your worst customer service experience at a restaurant/cafe?

[ashrafkhan81]

It's a privately owned business, most probably airconditioned and you were using the Wi-Fi, even if you were not using the Wi-Fi, had she not chased you out you'd make it a habit to frequent this place and occupy a seat for several hours for the price of a coffee! And soon others would and there will be no place for other customers! I think it was fair! 

Many years back I did not have an internet connection at my place it was in 2005 in Riyadh Saudi Arabia, so I'd visit the local Dunkin donuts and sit there for several hours working on projects but I'd make sure I order something every 30-45 min... no one asked me to but I felt I needed to so I did! 

And I also recall a similar incident in Mumbai, not so harsh but a lot more subtle, around the early 2000s I went to a restaurant with my then GF it was late afternoon just to have a chat ..we had had our lunch so not hungry. But we ordered a local snack and shared it...so when we were done after 5 mins the waiter asks if we wanted something more when I said no, so he turned off the ceiling fan after 5 mins, I got the hint I ordered a tea fan was on we shared the tea...another 5 mins passed and he was there for another order for approx every 15 mins we sat there we had to order a tea and by the time we were done, we had 4 untouched teas on the table! 

So, you see if he had allowed us to sit without ordering we would have made it a habbit...

[25005175 · Accepted solution]

It's a privately owned business, most probably airconditioned and you were using the Wi-Fi, even if you were not using the Wi-Fi, had she not chased you out you'd make it a habit to frequent this place and occupy a seat for several hours for the price of a coffee! And soon others would and there will be no place for other customers! I think it was fair! 

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That really depends on local customs and costs. In the USA, in major cities and college towns, it is perfectly normal to order a single coffee and hang out, using the WiFi, for multiple hours.

[prestonhunter]

Sumaya: It sounds like the employee was being quite lenient, but finally had to follow the instructions from the employer and ask you to leave if you weren't going to order anything.

[8467c28e]

I'm sorry to hear about your bad experience at the cafe. It sounds like the barista was very rude and confrontational in the way she asked you to leave. While it's understandable that the cafe may have policies in place to ensure customers continue to make purchases if they want to stay, the way the barista handled the situation was unprofessional and could have been handled in a more courteous manner. Threatening a customer with surveillance is never a good way to handle a situation.

I understand that bad customer service can be frustrating and discouraging. It's important for businesses to treat their customers with respect and provide a positive experience. If you encounter bad customer service, you may want to consider speaking with a manager or leaving a review to provide feedback to the business.