Tall Hot Cocoa, 200 degrees, No Whip

Good morning... What can I get for you?

Well, it's the first installment of "Customer Day" and I think I've picked a good one. There are so many you know. This first one is a gentleman we had to grow to love. His name was Bill. I use the word "was" because he passed away a few years ago. Bill was about 6' 4"... had gray hair (usually never very combed)... was missing a few teeth... usually came in looking like a logger. Bill had a very distinctive entrance... You see, he had this sort of clearing of his throat (from years of excessive smoking) and then he would say, "Hot cocoa for Bill" I don't do it justice when I type it. Some of you reading have met Bill. The phrase will ring in your head. "Hot cocoa for Bill" means... a tall, hot cocoa, 200 degrees, no whip... leave the lid off. This drove all of us crazy at first because as many of you know, milk starts to scald starting at 170 or so. The lesson from Bill was that the customer knows what they want... just give it to them for God's sake.

So that isn't all... He had a test for the temperature that I'll never forget. It drove everyone crazy... especially when you didn't get it right. He would stick is finger directly in the drink to test it... then lick the finger and give his approval or hand it back. It became a ritual. Some of the best of us had earned his trust. He would just put the lid on and take a drink and say "see ya' tomorrow"

Never a pastry with that, or a cup, or beans... don't even think of asking such things... just a "Hot cocoa for Bill"

Thanks for e-mailing some of your stories. See you tomorrow for your usual.

Pat Nerr...

Hey, before you go... I hope you heard that Starbucks will sell an SNL dvd in the stores now. Someday I'll tell you about "4 coffee drinks, 3 syrups, some mugs and coffee beans"... an operationally sound idea to defining who you are and what you do.