It's Your Company's Rep on the Line

We had a few comments from yesterday's post about when to cross the line in business and with our customers that I wanted to talk about. I think there are some great points being made and, really, I want to give some real time examples and explanations. Coffee is bigger than we are. There are so many things that go into making this product and - more importantly than the passion, skill and concentration on the baristas part - there are people and families in producing countries that quite literally live and die with coffee. It is their way of life. That is how we feel about coffee at Evoke. It is our job to provide the best coffee and espresso that we can but also to portray that passion we have for coffee in a light that is contagious. There are many things we have done as a response to this that some may feel is crazy. I will explain. At Evoke, we do not use blenders for drinks. We only serve Fair Trade and Organic Certified coffee, espresso and tea. We use only compostable paper and plastic products. We only offer 12 oz drinks or smaller. We strongly push our clients to rent our ceramic cups and saucers to not only avoid using paper but to really gain the benefit to the character of the espresso and espresso drinks we are serving. All of that said, why did we do this? We are a specialty coffee company and we won't do things that will hinder our ability to provide the best possible drinks for people. I think the main thing that people get a bit hot about when talking to us about catering their next event is that we do not offer blended frozen beverages. Period. We also will not ice cappuccinos or espresso macchiato - just like Murky and just like our local friends at Coffee Slingers. Why? Those drinks are not designed to be over ice. As for espresso over ice? I would probably still serve it for them but would explain why it is best not to. There were some great points brought up in the comment section I wanted to be sure everyone had a chance to see. http://blog.cafeevoke.com/2008/07/when-do-we-cross-line.html The responsibility of the restaurant is NOT to sell you what you want, but rather to offer you some quality options. You are paying not only for the service to prepare the food, but also the opinion, judgment and expertise of the chef. When you want it "your way", you insult the chef because you are explicitly devaluing his expertise. At Burger King you get your hamburger your way because it is a purely service restaurant - there is no chef to insult. At the French restaurant, you get it the French way. It is still up to you decide afterward if you like it or not, and whether you will return again. Murky coffee doesn't want to be the Burger King of Coffee Shops. Good for them! There will always be more than enough BK Coffee Shops for when you want it your way. But Murky Coffee Shops, where quality is foremost, are rare gems. Shift your perspective. When you eat out, you may not get it the way you want it, but from time to time you will find new things that you like, but have never tried. demanding what you want when you eat out will just get you stuck in a rut. Great points. I could not agree more! This is exactly why I love doing what I am doing. I have the chance to go to an event and introduce new drinks and it happens quite often! People get excited about what they are drinking, the story behind it and why it is created the way it is. It is great. In fact, I have used many of these examples (about trying something different) to many of our clients. I win some over, some I lose. There is another coffee catering company in Oklahoma City that does a great business. They specialize in frozen smoothies and blended drinks and many of our clients have seen or used them in the past. They ask us to do the same thing as the other company and we just say "No - that is not what we do." I get calls all the time asking if I have begun to offer this type of service and I always say no. Why? We are a coffee company serving the finest in coffee and espresso. We take it seriously and we are not going to do anything that takes us away from that. This is why the question is so much in my mind - when is it ok to steer away from your policy in order to serve your customers? Maybe it never is - it never should be. I think I will be revisiting this for a lifetime. When people hire Cafe Evoke Catering, they are getting the best. We do not just say we are "Oklahoma's premier specialty coffee catering company" for the looks. We say it because we are. People see a difference and can taste a difference. OKPete - I will take your challenge. We will "be bold" in our approach to business and the craft that we specialize in. I will also mention here, as I said in my last post, that it is our job to explain why we do the things we do - not get into hot disagreement with our customers. There is no reason we have to be assholes over policy as we stand firm with what our business believes in. I think that was really my problem with the Murky story in the first place. ...be bold Tagged: cafe evoke catering, Oklahoma City, coffee catering, customer service Our friends at Ideal Bite have free, fun eco-living tips! Delivered daily via email!