I love to support local businesses; goodness knows I blog about them enough. Like many people I’m worried about the future of the high street and want to do my bit to keep our local stores alive and thriving. Figures just released show the number of shops lying empty soared by more than 7,500 last year, with one in ten shops in UK town centres now unoccupied.
Retailers, especially small retailers, have to be at their best to attract and retain customers; service has to be tip-top. So, for all kinds of reasons, it really grates when it isn’t.
We usually buy our coffee from a small coffee roaster in York. The quality is excellent but in our continued efforts to buy local Mrs Preen suggested I pop into the Cable Café on Brixton Road and buy some of their coffee. They roast their own and we’d heard good things about it.
I went in at around 2pm when the place was just opening up. There were three staff putting out tables, sweeping the floor and generally getting the place in order. I called out and asked if I could buy some coffee.
A man at the sink said: “Sorry we’re closed, but you can buy it from our other café down Camberwell Road.”
Now here’s the thing, I was looking at the bag of coffee I wanted to buy which was sat just the other side of the bar. So, I persisted and said look it’s right there, it’ll take a second for me to pay and go.
One massive sigh and eyeroll later the bag of coffee and cash machine are banged down in front of me. I tap the card on the reader and receive not a word of thanks.
I was so surprised and irritated by their behaviour that I actually said: “What’s going on here?” But answer came there none, just glum silence.
Perhaps they hate their jobs, perhaps they just hated me, but where is the incentive for me to return? I paid £12 for a bag of coffee and the transaction took perhaps thirty seconds. What was so hard about that?
Anyway, I went home fuming and made myself a cup of their coffee. It was delicious. But do I love it enough to overlook the utter contempt with which I was treated?
A Little London Life 
Normally they are open in the morning. I wonder if something had happened to make them so grumpy. I would say it isn’t the fastest service, but I‘ve never had rude service there.
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£12! For 500gm. I get my coffee from Drury Lane Coffee. They are really friendly. And charge me a lot less.
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They have been closed for the last few days with everything being ripped out so they are either refurbishing or closing. If they are closing maybe they’d just found out they were losing their jobs? Just trying to give them an excuse for very poor service really!
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Hmmm how much did you enjoy your coffee from York ?? Is the coffee cheaper to buy local or from York?? With or without postage??
2pm seems a bit of a strange time of day, for a café to be closed though.
I personally would try the other shop and enquire as to who the owner would be, the same person or of each shop had its own owner.
I’d then make a complaint or maybe a strong suggestion ??
Eitherway bad manners shouldn’t be tolerated, as good manners cost nothing, how hard is it to say yes/no & please/thank you.
I know these days good manners can be hard to find especially within the younger generations.
I’m not sure if its due to their upbringing or their lack of discipline??
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Get a life. If you’ve ever worked in hospitality, you’d know how annoying it is when customers try and come in before you open. They were obviously trying to set up by a certain time, and if they let everyone in who asked to (multiple people do, it wouldn’t have just been you) they wouldn’t be able to open in time. Simply wait patiently until opening time, like you would have to anywhere else, or go to the cafe around the corner.
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