Cafe Creme – Bath, ME

When someone puts a sign out on the door outside that says, “Hey, we have X!” you go in, you sit down, and you have your X. It is pretty standard quality X. The next day, the quality of the X is the same, but you can’t get it at certain times of the day, but that’s weird, because it’s not like the X would ever run out at an establishment like this one. So you inquire about the problems with the availability of X, and they say, “I’m sorry, but X is the least of my worries right now, they have X down the street.” At that point in time, how valued do you feel as a customer?

Probably not too valued.

So you analyze the problem with their X, give them the answer, and they tell you how it’s been such a problem with you complaining about the availability of the X all week, and we’ll gladly refund you the Y you just bought if you would politely get out of their hair and go down the street for some X.

Seriously?

And to top it all off, as you’re leaving, you start having a conversation with one of the other patrons about the availability of the X, how you pinpointed the problem with the X and found the solution. This patron gets literally gets out of her chair and gazes at you lovingly while she tells you how she loves the place, but she’s had so many problems with the X over the last two years. She’s been so frustrated and has complained herself.

You tell her that the owner of the place was kind of rude to you that day. From behind the counter, another worker tells you to take the conversation that you are having outside. You are appropriately flabbergasted.

How can people be so bad at customer service?

Three of the employees in this place, I love to death. They’re some of the nicest, most genuine people that have ever waited on me.

They must have received their training from a different cafe.