Another dud coffee shop

In a previous post I reflected on organisational culture after a less than positive experience in an airport cafe. Well, it’s happened again. It was just on opening time last Friday and I spotted a cafe in a major regional city, less than an hour’s drive south of Perth. No names mentioned.

There was a woman out the front trying to hang some advertising boards shingles along the front of the shop. I walked into the shop but there was noone behind the counter so I stood and waited, watching with interest the woman still trying to hang her advertising signs on the hooks on the wall. I’m sure she could see me through the window, but she didn’t attempt to serve me and nobody else appeared to serve me. After some time waiting I slowly walked out of the shop, past the woman hanging the signs and went into another cafe a few doors down the road.

This was an example of what can happen in much larger organisations in a much more professional manner. Glossy advertising and an attractive public front can often hide a bad service culture inside.

The purpose of my blog is not to be critical but to recognise that this happens, and to find ways of solving the problem. The answer is not to dumb down the advertising, but to work hard at improving the service culture.

In the same way that I would expect to go into a coffee shop and be served in a friendly and efficient way, we would expect the same of any other organisation. But like the woman who was engrossed with her regular morning activity of hanging signs at the front of the shop, we need to recognise there are some regular and important activities that can easily take priority over the people we are called to serve.

I’d love to hear your thoughts about how we can give priority to people and not neglect the other important jobs that need to be done.