Ernie1 Very happy that you have a resolution to this situation.
The possibility that the web customer service is contracted out is very real, as is the possibility that the web CS isn’t authorized to provide a replacement for a faulty product.
Coffee arrived open, would you expect a replacement?
Just a note since the quality of customer service has come up in this thread, in another thread I asked a question about seasoning burrs on a new grinder, and Jake from @CrownandCanvas offered to send me stale coffee beans for the price of shipping. Turns out that isn’t practical, as I’m in the US and shipping costs are silly high for something like this. But the fact that Jake and his operation were willing to take the time to do something like this that nets zero profit (arguably, it’s a cost item for them in that someone would have to take the time to package and send it out to me) is an indication of excellent customer service.
My thanks to Jake and his staff for taking the time and effort to look into this for me.
wilburpan Very kind of you for the mention!
Always happy to help where I can, I’m just sorry that the 3.5k miles between us made this more difficult than I originally expected! 😂 Thanks again!
- Edited
Ernie1 I just called them and they were full of apologies and are sending out a replacement.
I guess the moral of that is that direct contact is worth the effort.
I’ve long believed, and acted on, the notion that customer service is a very good indicator of the quality of a company, and that I can read FAR more into how they handle a problem than often is implied by the problem itself. More than a few times over the years I’ve blacklisted a company over customer service, even if the product itself is usually fine. Or conversely, stuck with a company that have provided good customer service, even if I paid a price premium for doing so.
Which leads to the lesson for businesses - it’s fairly hard to gain a good reputation, and it takes time and effort. It’s pretty easy, especially in these web-connected days to lose a good reputation, and very difficult indeed to lose a bad reputation once you’ve ‘earned’ it. In fact, it can be impossible to shift a bad reputation, not least because many customers will simply move on, and never give you another thought. Or chance. I operate on the “fool me once, shame on you, but fool me twice, shame on me” principle.
As a side note, I do have some sympathy for those operating small or medium businesses. However much the owners care (and some don’t), and however much they sweated blood and tears building a business, some employees just won’t give a …. fig. It’s probably the biggest single challenge facing a business that’s grown beyond “work from a spare bedroom” scale - employing people. Not only are the administration and legal aspects a collossal pain in the butt, and they truly are, but they can do oh so much damage, very fast indeed, if they don’t care.
Kudos to CrownandCanvas for the “stale beans” offer. That is the kind f thing that leads me to feel like trying them, next time I order coffee.
Ernie1 I’ve always thought this about Onyx coffee too, their packaging is always gorgeous but by the time you get it here its just so damn expensive.
It’s hard enough to get coffee to our UK customers at the moment nevermind getting anything from the USA 😂
15 days later
Went to the Origin roastery a couple of times this week and doesn’t look like I needed to worry about air-tightness after all 😅
They can’t be filling orders from containers and shipping…Jesus I thought that practice stopped almost 2 decades ago!
That looks like it is for customers who come to the roastery shop, customers do want a way to use less packaging so they can bring their own containers and fill them or reuse bags. It has reduced in popularity after the pandemic but I do see it occasionally
Coffee Roaster. Home: Sage Dual Boiler, Niche Zero, Ode v2 (SSP), 1zpresso ZP6 Work: Eagle One Prima EXP, mahlkonig e80s, Mazzer Philos and lots more
- Edited
Yeah to be fair it’s efficient for in-store customers and the warehouse handles all the outgoing beans I’d imagine.
It’s an impressive space and a huge operation.
I also had one of the best made coffees I’ve ever had while I was there, really really well made.
They’ll probably be fine.
I got the replacement Los Altos which was really good and the kilo of Resolute we’ve been enjoying in the V60/Moccamaster.
We had the Shakiso in store as a flat white and it was very enjoyable.
- Edited
I’ve been to the roastery a number of times and the coffee has been hit or miss. Very good when they first opened but then I know they struggled with staffing so fairly understandable that the quality suffered.
This weeks was exceptionally made. Their Ethiopian Shakiso Christmas roast with tasting notes of apricot, clementine and sticky pudding.
Not at all what I’d enjoy as espresso so I ordered a flat white and it was delicious. The milk cut any of the acidity so the result was a cake-like stone fruit flavour. Perfect temperature and milk was expertly frothed.
Ground on an E65 and prepared on a KB90.
- Edited
Ernie1 always great to get that kind of experience, something to compare to your own coffee making too. Back on topic, I too received a kilo bag which was torn just behind the top seal of the bag. This was the start of December and I only noticed it after opening the bag so I wasn’t sure if I had done it or not! Very difficult to actually notice and I thought it was a faulty batch of bags perhaps because I ordered the same again on a Christmas discount this time checked it straight away and it also had the same tear. I contacted the roaster and they apologised and sent a replacement straight away, which was of course perfect. Strangely enough the replacement had the same roast date as the torn one so not sure if the previous ones had been damaged while sealing it or something 🤔🤷♂️
JahLaza which was of course perfect. Strangely enough the replacement had the same roast date as the torn one so not sure if the previous ones had been damaged while sealing it or something
I’m surprised faulty sealing doesn’t happen more often, it’s really a credit to the care the roasters take in packaging.