We have had numerous customers stroll into the Shop looking for something other than coffee. Now, for me, The Dutchess, there’s really nothing else to look for than a real good cup of coffee. But… some people feel that way about a good cup of tea.
While we do have an assortment of English teas, it wasn’t until a customer asked for a “London Fog” for his wife that changed what we offer at Duke & Dutchess Coffee Shoppe. I gotta tell you, I’ve had people walk into the shop asking for a certain drink, and for the most part, they’re ok with me searching on Pinterest for the recipe. But this gentleman said since they’ve been staying down in this area, they haven’t been able to find a good London Fog and have been disappointed. “I hope we can get one from here”! 😳
Pressure was on, and really I felt my heart to start racing. After referring to my “guru” (Pinterest), there was no definitive recipe, just a jumble of ideas and different ways. 😲 So what do you do? Fake it til you make it.
I splashed in the vanilla flavor, steeped 2 bags of Earl Greys, a little honey, and frothed the milk, and with a wing & a prayer, handed it over. I gotta tell you, the pressure was real! I didn’t even know if you were supposed to take the tea bags out! I have no clue on tea etiquette. The man & his wife sat in their car for what seemed forever, then left. My mind entertained thoughts of them asking for their $$ back, they were writing a Yelp review, Google complaint, Facebook thumbs down…. 😮
I forgot about it, slept and the next day I opened the shop.
I heard car doors slam, a footsteps…. in walked the London Fog couple. The lady said she needed another one. That it was a delicious cuppa tea!! 😳😱 Wow! So now it’s on our Hot Drinks menu and you can grab your own London Fog tea.
Business/Life Lesson: Don’t ever doubt yourself, and be honest. I could have just pretended I knew what I was doing, made it wrong, and that couple probably would have written a bad review. As a business who takes pride in not only making things good, we want to make it THE best we can. And remember, the customer is always right! It’s them that you are trying to please, not yourself.
And have a great day!