Coffee Hell - Diary October 19th 2009

Oh Lord! Out of all the coffee shops within 15 minutes walk, why can’t I find one in Birmingham that has both good coffee and service?In New York, I am spoilt for choice within 10 minutes, I only go the 15 minutes for daily exercise.On Sunday, I have bad service and below average coffee at Café Bebo, my regular second choice; I see a member of staff say goodbye to an exiting patron I wonder why I don’t ever get that recognition as a regular. On leaving, I catch the eye of one of the girls so I smile a goodbye and she decides to sweep her eyeballs to the floor instead! How rude!I most certainly don’t feel like going back there today, even though I have now earned a free coffee on the loyalty card so I come to Brindley Place’s Costa, which by rights should be my regular coffee place due to the perfect 10 minute walk but the coffee is the worst. It loses points for lack of loyalty card scheme too.The service and therefore ambience, however is good.Until today.Today I walk in and accidently leave the door open, thinking I’d pulled it hard enough for it to close after me. The barista, or the guy or makes coffee, nearly knocks me down as he leaps past me to close it. He comes back past me as I apologetically explain but this falls on deaf ears. I figure he doesn’t speak English.The other coffee maker then returns to the till. I guess she’s ready to take my order although she hasn’t asked for it yet. The non-speaking male then proceeds to make my drink. Oh, I note he understands what I’m saying now, must have had a temporary hearing loss.I unload at a table whilst I wait for the drink and notice a stray mobile. There’s only one other person being served and it doesn’t look like it’s hers so I point it out to a third member of staff. She takes it and proceeds to ask the staff if one of them has left their phone out. I would have thought the chances of a customer leaving it behind were higher but what do I know.She thanks me profusely for my kindness and cheery attitude on handing it on. Did she heck. Not a word uttered to me.Number one, how can this all happen in three minutes and two, why me? What have I done wrong except frequent this bad coffee, non-loyalty card place one too many times. I wish I hadn’t ordered the large cup now.I’m either going to have to move or Urban Coffee are going to have to come nearer to me. That’s the only place I feel like a customer and not a nuisance. And the coffee is the best in the city.