Friday dilemma: A double shot of love or freebie froth?

Scotchfinger says:

12:03pm | 23/03/12

Not sure, Inky; perhaps we could meet for a drink later tonight to discuss it? *sleazy wink + smirk*

Nick says:

12:07pm | 23/03/12

Yup…it isn’t turtles all the way down, it’s sex.

Inky says:

12:18pm | 23/03/12

@scotchfinger

Oh you~

I am getting increasingly frustrated in a world that attributes any act of kindness to some sort of alterior motive though.

HappyCynic says:

12:44pm | 23/03/12

@Inky

It’s the evolutionary directive, is it not?  Eat, drink, fvck.  What else is there?

Oh and there are only ulterior motives, no one ever does anything without first asking “what do I get out of it?” that’s the way all animals on Earth behave, even the sentient ones.

About the dilemma, 1 of 2 things is happening here; 1, he wants to get in your pants or 2, he’s buttering you up so you’ll keep spending money.  The real dilemma is how do you take advantage of it without giving hiim what he wants

Inky says:

12:55pm | 23/03/12

Well, in your example of the two likely reasons for it, only one of them is what would be considered an ulterior motive.

A business rewarding customer loyalty in efforts to retain customers doesn’t sound particularly beyond/below what is evident. There is actually a difference between a “motive” and an “ulterior motive”

Scotchfinger says:

01:51pm | 23/03/12

Your last very true Inky. Ulterior suggests a hidden or deceptive act; nothing deceptive about wanting to make a profit!

Happy Cynic, what species of animal is not sentient?

marley says:

02:52pm | 23/03/12

@Scotchfinger - what species isn’t sentient?  I have my doubts about Jason Akermanis, Sam Newman and Melinda Tankard-Reist.

Danny B says:

12:09pm | 23/03/12

Exactly.  Not just cafes.

I’m into model railroading, and I usually shopped at one particular hobby store.  After a while, the owner began telling me what I might be interested in when I walked in, and gave me a small discount on purchases.

Comes from being a regular customer at a smaller store/restaurant - loyalty is rewarded - real loyalty and real rewards, unlike some larger organisations.

Kheiron says:

03:25pm | 23/03/12

I run a workshop and steel yard and give regular customers discounts. I also knock off 10% to anyone if I find them polite and considerate.
It’s nice having a customer show up who understands fixing a bull dozer can take more than five minutes.

I don’t know how giving free stuff would go, though.
“Here’s your hydraulic hose and a free length of flat mild steel.”
Reckon that would just end up being awkward.

AdamC says:

12:02pm | 23/03/12

I agree. Even if the barista is hitting on you, what is the downside? Unless he asks you out, in which case I guess you should politely decline.

sha says:

08:16pm | 23/03/12

Agree. Totally.Bunch of barista wankers. I was listening to a radio news broadcast and the young reader read “Barrister” as “barista”...still makes me chuckle

Inky says:

01:27pm | 23/03/12

What’s the point of having a coffee shop if you’re not allowed to actually order what you want?

Sounds like uppity barristas to me. Might as well go to a nescaf vending machine if you’re not allowed to customise.

Redeker Plan says:

01:41pm | 23/03/12

“I’ll have a half double decaffeinated half-caf, with a twist of lemon.”

Or a weak de-caf, non-fat latte with half a teaspoon of artificial sweetner, and make sure it’s not too hot!
Otherwise known as a why-bother.

I’m not even a barista and those people make me sick.  Buy a frackin latte and be done with it!

Al says:

01:43pm | 23/03/12

Or you could just order mine:
“Flat White”

Then for some reason they always ask, “any sugar, skim, soy or full cream milk etc.”

My response, “just the coffee with normal milk”.

marley says:

01:56pm | 23/03/12

Or you could get yourself a decent machine and make your own.  Then you get exactly what you want and don’t have to deal with cheesy smiles first thing in the morning.

Inky says:

02:10pm | 23/03/12

@marley

Not to mention the prices.

Arnold Layne says:

02:37pm | 23/03/12

Inky it’s their business.  If they don’t want to make and sell you that order they don’t have to.  It’s then your choice to have something else or go elsewhere.

Inky says:

02:54pm | 23/03/12

@Arnold

Yeah, that’s certainly within their rights if they want to turn down business to their (likely nearby) competitors, simply because an order is “too fussy” or “too complicated”. I wouldn’t say it’s a brilliant business model though.

Of course, it’s not really the business owners complaining, is it? It’s the barristas. Heaven forbifd you have to do your job while you’re at work.

Kheiron says:

03:37pm | 23/03/12

I don’t think the baristas are simply put off by having something odd to concoct. It’s probably more to do with the ‘head up bum’ customer who tends to order it.
There does seem to be a lot of ‘hipsterism’ surrounding the coffee cup. Find some personalised combination you can stomach so you can mention it to your friend who’s wearing that fabulous vintage scarf while you boot up your Mac and continue writing your novel in public.
Serving those sneering little cesspools of self-obsession would get old rather fast, I reckon.

Robert Smissen of country SA says:

11:10pm | 23/03/12

Coffee should be black & strong, no affectatins like sugar milk

Inky says:

02:29pm | 23/03/12

Not really the impression I got.

Sounds a lot like someone going “wait, what if all these freebies are his way of hitting on me” than “exploiting herself for freebies”.

So y’know, way to go off half-cocked.

Scotchfinger says:

02:44pm | 23/03/12

Harmless mutual flirting does not equate to some sort of Eastern European sexploitation scenario, Erick…oops, Sniper, sorry! You sounded like a famous Puncher from yesteryear.

Sniper says:

02:50pm | 23/03/12

Yes women have an ‘excuse’ for everything.  It’s how they justify it in their head.

Sniper says:

02:58pm | 23/03/12

She’s using her sexuality to obtain goods = exploitation

Where’s Tankard-Reist with her feminist rant?

marley says:

03:23pm | 23/03/12

@Sniper - gosh, a pal of mine bought about $150 worth of fishing gear recently and the shop owner threw in some extra lures.  I had no idea my (male) pal was batting his eyelashes and exploiting his sexuality in order to get a freeby from the (male) owner. I thought he was just being treated as a good (and potentially long term) customer.  But now that you’ve sorted that out for me, I have a whole new insight into my pal’s personality.  Not to mention the shop owner’s.

Scotchfinger says:

03:24pm | 23/03/12

! Rubbish. That’s like saying, women use their uterus to have children, therefore their bodies are being exploited for the purpose of reproduction.

I realise your comments are tongue-in-cheek (not in a pashing, exploitative sense), but still a bit over the top. The feminist you refer to would object only if the customer felt she had to actually bare her breasts in order to have a free cuppacino.