Why This Coffee Shop's 'Clever' Sign Isn't So Clever At All. A coffee shop in Roanoke, Virginia put a "clever" sign outside that said: "Small coffee" - $5 "Small coffee, please" - $3 "Hello, one small coffee please" - $1.75 The sign went viral. An employee wrote the sign because he felt he needed "to solve all the injustices of the world (and) to start charging more for people who didn't take the time to say hello and connect and realize we're all people behind the counter." "The customer is sometimes right." It’s very, very “small” business. But, hey, go ahead and hang that sign if it makes you feel better. I’ll bet that 98 percent of the people that a barista serves every day are polite. The stupidest thing any business owner can do is to treat their customers with disrespect. Hanging stupid signs making fun of them is basically saying you hate your customers. By the way - the owner of the Virginia coffee shop quickly told one news station that the higher pricing was "a joke" and that "no one has paid $5 for a cup of coffee."
A coffee shop in Roanoke, Virginia put a “clever” sign outside that said:
“Small coffee” – $5
“Small coffee, please” – $3
“Hello, one small coffee please” – $1.75
The sign went viral. News stations reported on it. Redditors rejoiced. Bloggers and tweeters gushed.
“It might be a small gesture, but is it really that hard to remember your manners and the fact that there are actual people behind the counter?” one writer admonished her readers. “You’ll always be rewarded for good behavior, and now in some places, you might even save a little bit of cash.”
An employee wrote the sign because he felt he needed “to solve all the injustices of the world (and) to start charging more for people who didn’t take the time to say hello and connect and realize we’re all people behind the counter.”
Oh, brother.
This is not clever. It’s stupid. It’s insulting. And, regardless of all the viral attention, it’s bad for business. Are you one of those foolish businesses that think it’s funny to criticize, make fun of, lecture or patronize your customers? Do you hang signs like…
“Don’t worry. Our staff is accustomed to dumb questions.”
“Notice: Prices subject to change according to customer’s attitude.”
“The customer is sometimes right.”
“Sarcasm is just one more service we offer!”
“Yesterday was the deadline for all complaints”
“Complaints will be heard on the second Tuesday of next week.”
These signs drive me nuts. Whenever I walk into a small…
COMMENTS