Hi guys, do you have any uncomfortable experience or unsatisfied experience with Bo's Coffe shop at Jones in front of Cebu doc?
I don't know if the service crews or Baristas are just under trained or is Starbuck's does really provide better service?
Me and my fiancee thought that to complete a sunday afternoon relaxation, it would be good to stay at any good coffee shop here in Cebu. After several duscussions where to go, we trimmed it down to 3 coffee shops near our area (we are living in Banawa area). The three are: Gloria Jean's at Boulevard, Jones (newest of the 3); Bo's coffee just across Gloria Jean's (also along Jones) and Starbucks in Banawa infront of a call center.
Since we where cruising along Jone and seeing there was one parking left, we decided to go for Bo's.. Although both of us have hesitations because we had really several bad service from the other branches including this one (which we somehow ALWAYS forgive because we know we are only human afterall), we thought that the odds of receiving a bad service would not happened like ightning striking on the same spot twice.
So off I went to the direction of the Capitol building, making a left turn and another 2 left to turns back to Bo's. Approaching the area, I thought that they had a better faelift and widening of their coffeshop area compared to before, so I guess a better facelift of service is also included.
My Fiancee ordered for me a Mocha Froccino, tall size and she ordered a Choco Freeze. She also indicated tall size. So the female cashier punched some buttons. Funny she was not asking to much like any coffeeshop cashiers would normally do. I was expecting that she will ask my fiancee if we would like to order some other items, but she just punched it in. So I just brushed it off my mind and then took my turn to order myself another item just to make a point. I ordered the only Blueberry cake left on display. She was a bit surprise and I don't know why. I then I realized that she was surprised because she aborted the first inputs she did (cash register monitor facing me indicated "aborted"). Then again another flaw, after totalling all the items I ordered, she replied 325.00 pesos sir"... Huh? 325 pesos? I was mathematically computing the orders in my mind and I think a tall mocha froccino would only cost 90 and a tall size choco freeze is only 85 pesos, pluse a blueberry cake will only cost 65 pesos, so it should only cost a total of 240 pesos..... so I said to myself, I'll check it out in the receipt anyway and make a complain. Then while handling my 500 peso bill to her, the cash register appeared to be correct, my total was only 260 pesos.... hmmm looks correct buy I think there was an additional 20 pesos..... hmm... The cashier also asked who should they call if the order is ready? So i mentioned: "Paul." Finally, I got my receipt and it turned out that she punched grande size for both.... hmm... I was a little bit furious, but I kept it to myself. I asked my fiancee if she ordered grande, she indicated she repeated "tall" size. I remember myself mentioning the size to the cashier since she never asked the size anyway (is this a scheme so we will pay more? for what we ordered less?) Ok... so being calm but with my fiancee already literally smoke steaming out her nostrils, I just said that its Ok, anyway what is 20 pesos for an upgrade. But just to make sure we got the correct size, I asked her if she punched in Grande size, she replied "Yes." Thinking that we will receive the correct size for our upgrade, and did not want to start an argument, I accepted her answer. A littlw while our order was ready, one of her co-barista called out, "mocha froccino, choco freeze, blue berry cake for ... for... Pao... " then confirming from her what was the customer's name. While they where discussing. I stood up with a smirk thinking that we are the only customer who ordered the last blueberry cake, so I approached her co-barista before she was about to repeat a name in an attempt to call me again. Then the humor does not stop here. To my surprise I saw a different Blueberry cake. We never requested to slice the blueberry cake in four pieces. In their attempt to probably present us a multitude of cakes, the process of slicing it into four pieces crumbled the cake to cake crumbs...
That did it....
My fiancee jumped to the cashier and repremanded that, number 1: They are a bunch of deaf baristas, and number 2: They are a bunch or unprofessional baristas for preparing our blueberry cake that look like it exploded to pieces in a plate. Hehehe.. I guess I let her continue after where I left it. She demanded a refund for the cake. The male supervisor appeared looking at the cash register, this time with another female cashier/barista. The barista who took our order was out of site after my fiancee demanded the refund. So I stood up to put more coal to the fire, I asked the manager why that barista did that to us and if we did something wrong to her. To make the matter worse, as my fiancee returned our receipt, and while I was already holding and sipping my Mocha Froccino, I just found out that I'm holding a Tall size froccino. I actually got what I ordered.. but paying more than what I got.... Sensing that the manager has already knew it, he was just quiet, I exclaimed that I was supposed to receive a Grande size because their barista/cashier forced me to order the grande size. The manager finally apologized and is willing to provide a refund for my mocha as well. But I said: "No, need to do that.." but he proceeded to return all the total refund just to save face....
What turned out to be a relaxing afternoon sipping cold coffee was a ridiculous attempt for Bo's to mimic an ala starbuck's service that was never at par in the first place.
We immediately took off from the parking lot and continued sipping our cold coffees inside my car until we arrived at our house.
I don't know if these baristas are giving service base on our looks. If that is the case then they are creating a double standard and are practicing discrimination. If you guys would wonder how we look when we entered the coffeeshop (just to check if we dont look presentable.. hehehe...
![tongue](images/smilies/tongue.gif)
), I don't think we even look close to a college student craving for a cup of coffee, we are both professionals who dressed and presented ourselves well enough to be respected as we pay for the service we are attempting to purchase.
On the otherhand, I think they are just undertrained of what the business should be focusing on: "Customer Satisfaction."
I guess we did justice to ourselves by returning back our complains to the manager/supervisor. And I think the manager/supervisor got our exclamation point. I saw him rounding up the baristas for a meeting inside their area while I was backing my vehicle to leave their parking premises.
I'm not sure if I will be back to any Bo's coffee once again just a more cheaper coffee. But then again, I think the extra that Starbucks Coffee will charge compared to Bo's might probably be the price to pay if you like to be treated well and I think we can afford that.
Its unfortunate that it will have to be me, because I believe in the freedom of speech and the internet as a source of spreading that freedom.
I do hope they will make improve their service. More worse things could happened to another customer.