In Via Lactea — Restaurant in Bristol

Usually when I come here I have a wonderful experience and the waitress is so lovely . But the manager of this cafe is quite rude and makes offensive comments. I would typically sit down and get my laptop open and study for a little bit and order a dirty chai. The manager came up to me and assumed I wasn’t going to buy anything and said that this café isn’t a place to wait for your next bus. I found that comment quite racist to be honest as he assumed I was taking advantage and he didn’t do this to any other customer. I explained that I am a regular customer as I have been here 4 times in the last month. It’s just quite rude to assume something negative about any guest at your cafe.

Response:

Despite attempts to invalidate my experience, it remains valid and deserving of consideration. Firstly, just because you did not recognise me as a customer before doesn’t not mean that I am not. It is plausible that our routines just didn’t cross, but that doesn't negate my experience. In fact, I have a card that was stamped multiple times (shown in the picture attached) within a few weeks, indicating my visits. I did visit a two more times after that picture was taken. Secondly, the act of settling in before ordering is a completely normal and not something to use against a customer, especially for someone like myself who typically spends hours studying with a laptop - I just needed a moment to organise myself. I did not want to order too soon as my latte would’ve been cold before I delved into my readings/studies. So, any insinuation that I lacked intent to order is baseless. I do not know if you helped me pack my bag but I did in fact have my laptop with me so I do not know how you are so sure that I didn’t. This just shows how presumptive and opinion based your argument is. Also, the judgmental and unwelcoming tone you created during the interaction, highlighted by your comment "this is not a pit stop for you to wait for your next bus," felt targeted and racially micro-aggressive. To me, you just made this assumption without me mentioning anything of that sort and it felt like you singled me. Making micro aggressive comments is racial profiling as your tone was very hostile and offensive. While I understand the need to enforce policies, assuming I was freeloading was unwarranted. I was made unaware that there was a timer on for how long a customer should order after arriving. I did not look at the menu in the table because I knew what I was going to order. You did not give me the benefit of the doubt only judge and assume.

Attempting to discredit my experience by implying that I was being overly dramatic only reflects on how poor your customer service skills are. A lack of accountability does not help to repair anything. Rather than dismissing valid customer experiences, acknowledgment and accountability would be more respectful and reputable form of response. Also what do I have to be embarrassed about? I did not feel embarrassed for forgetting my water bottle nor for leaving. I stood up for myself and writing a review about the poor quality of customer service is not something I should be embarrassed about rather yourself as someone that manages a coffee shop. I felt so uncomfortable due to the atmosphere you created, I wanted to leave as soon as possible. Maybe next time you make an assumption about a customer based off the way you perceived them, being more mindful and considerate of the way they might feel would go a long way. To add on, you are still making inaccurate claims about me. I have attached evidence to show that I have paid for my coffee. -Finally, standing up against poor treatment and voicing dissatisfaction through a review is justified and indicative of a need for improvement in the way you speak to customers. This only highlights the importance of fostering a welcoming environment in a coffee shop setting for all customers regardless of any baseless presumption you may have. It is unfortunate because the waitresses that have previously taken my order were polite...

Tl;dr: good food and service, but wouldn't recommend studying there.

I visited the cafe the other day and was impressed with the service and food. However, the attitude of the manager towards a couple of students created an uncomfortable atmosphere; I was in the cafe at the same time as the students (who later left a review), and agree with them that the handling of the situation was poor.

My understanding of the situation was that the girls sat down and ordered a drink, then began studying. Not 30 minutes later, they were approached by service staff and asked to buy more. One immediately went to the counter to buy food. They went back to studying, and an hour or so later ordered another drink. BEFORE THE DRINK WAS FINISHED, the manager came over and they exchanged words, after which the students left. The students left a review saying the manager had told them they were 'pushing it', and felt compelled to leave.

To me, this seemed completely out of proportion, and made me feel quite uncomfortable. The students had bought more than I had; was I going to be asked to leave as well? The biggest issue however was the reply the manager left on the students' review.

The manager left a reply to reviewer claiming the girls were 'free-loaders', attempting to use the 'cafe's facilities without making a purchase', and that his behavior was necessary to keep a 'small business in operation'. This reply is completely nonsensical, and, looking back at previous reviews and their replies, seems to show an utter inability to accept constructive criticism and feedback. THEY BOUGHT A DRINK ON ARRIVAL, how could they possibly be trying to use the facilities for free!!!

The students stayed at the cafe for a few hours (as people that are studying tend to). Pressuring them to buy food 20 minutes after arrival is surely the worst way to keep a 'small business in operation'; if I had been the students, I would have left there and then, not having purchased anything. Surely when you have customers who arrive 40 minutes before lunch, and clearly plan on staying for a few hours, you don't do the one thing that makes them the mostly likely to leave. Now that probably falls under the category of 'feedback', and as such I have no doubt it will be completely ignored by the management, as explained below.

This example of using comments to belittle and chastise reviewers is not a one off. It falls into a pattern of similar replies that is symptomatic of a management team who is unable and unwilling to accept criticism. Another student left a comment detailing a similar experience, with the manager telling them this wasn't 'a place to wait for your next bus', just because they didn't immediately purchase a drink. Other similar replies label comments as 'clickbait', and dismiss customers opinions as 'slights' and 'laughable'. These people are trying to make your business better by telling you where to improve. I'm not Lord Sugar, but surely in any healthy business, this should be welcomed and encouraged, not disdainfully scorned or mocked. I should point out there are some older negative reviews which have good and positive replies - when was this style of response traded for one of contempt?

All in all, decent cafe, with good food and service. If you're not in the cafe at the same time as some chancer who dares to pull out their laptop before buying 5 paninis, 7 coffees and croissant, the atmosphere might be fine too. The manager could do with being more receptive to feedback, but that being a piece of feedback itself, is a difficult...

Food and drinks are excellent but unfortunately we found the owner to be quite rude.

We bought 4 items in 3.5 hours, not sure how that equates to "studying for free"

At around 11am, me and 2 other friends arrived in the cafe to study. I immediately bought a hot chocolate, and we got a table. At around 11:30, a waitress came up to us and pointed out that only 1 of us had bought something (fair enough) My friends then went to buy a panini each (one bought at around 11:35, whilst the other friend bought it at around 11:55). One of us then left, so there were only 2 of us left in the cafe. At 12:45, my friend ordered a mocha but since the cafe was rather busy they only managed to bring it out at around 1:10. (No worries, this is understandable).

At 2:30, the owner came up to us, pointed at us, and said "you girls are pushing it again" in quite a rude and condescending tone. He then proceeded to explain the house rules where it asks customers to make sure to buy something every 2 hours.

Please keep in mind, this was the first time he had spoken to us, and neither of us had studied in this cafe for well over 6 months. Also, the cafe was half-empty with at least 3 unoccupied tables around us.

Our problem wasn't necessarily the fact that he wanted us to buy more food (even though we bought 4 items in the span of 3.5 hours), but rather the tone and the word choice.

Also, my friend hadn't even finished drinking her mocha...

("You girls are pushing it again" is such a strange thing to say to people who the owner hadn't spoken to yet that day, and the tone was so rude and jarring that we decided we would rather leave than engage in conversation.)

Rather than arguing, we just left.

Overall, great food and drinks but definitely not suitable for studying as a student. Also, it was quite cold (not a dealbreaker just something to keep in mind), and rather smoky in the store.

I understand that this cafe might not be intended as a study spot (even though, again, we bought 4 things in 3.5 hours), but for people looking for cafes to study in, don't bother trying In Via Lactea.

Great service from all the...