Comments on: Expectations

By: LAMILL « Man Seeking Coffee

LAMILL « Man Seeking Coffee — Sat, 06 Jun 2009 07:30:05 +0000

[...] explored. That said, while I found the coffee very good, it lacked a certain something I would have expected from a coffee purveyor of their stature. In tthe end, I can honestly say they are worth checking [...]

By: vce

vce — Tue, 12 May 2009 16:27:37 +0000

I think that the general public is becoming more educated on the differences in coffee. I am from Melbourne and find that there are discussions that occur in the coffee shops on the different types of beans, roasting, taste and presentation.

It is important to listen to customers and particularly their taste and provide quality coffee that meets their taste.

By: In the News « Brave Little Roaster

In the News « Brave Little Roaster — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 22:59:16 +0000

[...] James Hoffman’s excellent blog consistently surprises me with its relevancy to the very issues I’ve been contemplating. Two posts on education: how best to effectively reach customers, and the expectations of professional training attendees. [...]

By: The Onocoffee

The Onocoffee — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 22:47:24 +0000

I like the discussions that have been going on here. To my mind, expectations are a consideration but I’ve found the establishment of standards to be the definition of what you (or we) do.

As an espresso bar owner, the expectations of my customers are certainly a consideration. And while it is a goal to exceed those expectations, what about those times when the customer comes in and expects to order a Frappuccino? Our standards don’t allow us to accommodate that request but rather gently inform the customer of the Starbucks three blocks away that will.

Within our company, we’ve set a standard for our products and service approaches. When we started, the mere fact that we brewed proper coffee exceeded our customers’ expectations. As we’ve grown, so have our customers. No longer are they content with any brew and should the time come that we’ll switch our pressed coffee for drip (as it happened about six months after we opened), they’ll notice and comment.

As they’ve progressed in their recognition of quality, we’ve been compelled to push our standards to (hopefully) higher levels. What was once a bar serving four sizes have evolved into two (8z and 12z). Where we once served commercial milk, we evolved to use locally grown, pastured milk. Even our chocolate has changed over time from a gourmet brand to a thoughtfully sourced, single-origin Colombian.

I’ve been in this game now for about six years and I’m saddened by those places that purport thoughtful processes and quality but still maintain the same standards they held in 2004. Our game is about evolution. Develop and nurture the customer and grow with them. Ours is about constant refinement and finesse. It is what I hope our customers have come to expect from us.

By: Poul Mark

Poul Mark — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 17:39:56 +0000

James, this is a great post. We struggle constantly with this, as customers come into our shop and expect inferior quality, and are often a bit put out when we give them something better. While I have a hard time grasping this, it is all about expectations. And it is difficult as an owner, to convey the art and nuance of dealing with these customers to my staff. They come back and ask me what to do, as the customer didn’t like the capp precisely because it wasn’t “dry” enough. The goal is to educate the customer in a deliberate and respectful manner. We are the experts in this business, and we must accept this reality, as well as exercise our expertise in a manner which does not belittle or make our customers feel embarrassed. Keep writing my friend, it is always enjoyable.

By: David Craig

David Craig — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 12:57:56 +0000

Here Here James. Imagine what the world would be like if most coffee shops in the world ‘met customer expectations’ – not a great thought. We’ve come to expect a really average standard of food (especially in the UK) – and sometimes average is fine, but all to often ‘average’ in the world of coffee is just awful. Paying a premium price for awful coffee is even more annoying.

Cafe’s that push and educate their customers will undoubtedly be stars of the future. I have to credit Eileen from Rutual again who said “We don’t serve our customers what the want, we serve them what we’re good at doing”. Yes, that is arrogant. But every chef I have ever worked with is arrogant. The best chefs create food their way, in a way that reflects their style.

We’re not talking rocket science. The first most radical change has to be smaler cups sizes.

By: luca

luca — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 12:09:59 +0000

Happy birthday, James!

By: Star Espresso

Star Espresso — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 06:09:30 +0000

I agree with your thoughts regarding the destruction of self confidence of the products but sometimes mistakes happen related to quality of products. Whatever has been mentioned in the contents of the article is partially right, as after all I am a great fan of coffee. Ok.

By: Star Espresso

Star Espresso — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 04:55:49 +0000

Post creates much thinking about expectation. We cannot fulfill our expectations as it depends on so many constraints, such as our demands and expectations are unlimited. Welcome, enjoy well with espresso.

By: Josh

Josh — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 20:46:56 +0000

I have to agree that small cafes have a huge responsibility to serve amazing drinks. I manage a small cafe in L.A. that primarily serves a community of university students and some local businesses. If we don’t throw down a little art, a french press of the week and some stellar service, we do not stand out. I know the names of a large percent of the people I serve daily, and their expectations are at least a rosetta at minimum. When one of our baristas doesn’t make a stellar “looking” drink, they ask if they are new. Considering that Starbuck’s is two blocks down and the Peet’s is not much further from that, expectations are our lifeblood for repeat business. Especially with the student sugar-craving crowd. Latte art or some wild tasting dry-processed coffee are huge attention grabbers that no one else around us has to offer.