The 11th Hour – An Open Letter

Nov 112009

The 11th Hour – An Open Letter

Signs of the Times Add comments

An Open Letter to John Derkach, Managing Director of Costa Coffee (also sent to the company’s keep-the-customer-at-bay Contact Us page)

Dear Mr Derkach

I’m a fan of your product and a fan of your stores – so I was very disappointed this morning.

11:00 and no call from your staff in my local branch to observe the nation’s two minutes silence.

They are not to blame: low paid young women from Eastern Europe (indeed, low paid young people from the UK) probably don’t get the significance of the moment.

So I think the blame sits with a failure of leadership.

Your business has been quick enough off the mark distributing Xmas muzak (I think Stevie Wonder singing ‘Silver Bells’ in October is especially festive, don’t you?) but seems to have failed to provide the instruction manual for this key date and time in our culture.

And if you did, you failed to communicate its importance.

To give the local staff credit, they were happy to oblige when I requested the music to be turned off – although did look at me as though I had asked to wash my hair in a sinkful of latte – and so your customers did have the opportunity to pay their respects.

But as evidence of Costa’s brand values, I think you were found wanting today.

Yours sincerely

Paul

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Paul Arthur

Today I received a response from a Guest Relations Advisor at Whitbread:

* * * *

I write further to your email regarding your visit to the Woking, Peacocks Shopping Centre Costa Coffee Store.

Firstly, please accept my sincere apologies for the poor attitude displayed by staff at the above Costa Coffee Store. All the events you described are unacceptable. I can only apologise for these shortfalls. I fully appreciate how disappointing and annoying these events must have been for you.

As a result, I have made the Area Manager aware of all your comments in order that he can take these issues up with the store Manager.

I do understand your disappointment and I hope you will appreciate that your experiences were not typical of the usual high standards offered at Costa. I would therefore as a gesture of goodwill like to send you a Costa Card with £10.00 credit on for you to use at your convenience. If you would be so kind as to forward you full postal address I will send the card on to you. Alternatively if you have a Costa card please email me with the Costa Card number and I will credit the £10.00 onto your existing card.

Thank you for contacting us and once again, please accept my apologies.

* * * *

Graceful, as it goes. But given that the episode happened in Wokingham, I just hope that the Woking team isn't standing dazed and confused, wondering why the Wrath of Khan has descended upon them.

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