The Village Coffee & Cream — Restaurant in Shrewsbury

I experienced the most awkward customer service interaction of my life here. For context, my girlfriend and I visit this business on average 2 times per month, for 2-3 hours per visit to hang out and work on our laptops. We buy coffee/granola bars/muffins/avogados. We have brought our friends and family here as a place we think is cool that makes a good product, in addition to recommending it to others.

This evening, an employee approached us and told us that they have noticed we come in often, use the internet, and leave without buying anything. My girlfriend proceeded to pull out her punch card that has been fully punched. I looked back on our credit card transactions, and we have spent $150.47 at the business across 26 transactions in the past 2 years (not including cash transactions). Yes, there have been a few times we have come in without buying something. However, it is safe to say we have paid for the internet bill (what, $2.50/day?) for all the days we have visited.

We now feel totally unwelcome and uncomfortable ever visiting this business again. We will not bring another friend or family member here, and we will not recommend it to anyone.

Edit in response to the manager's reply:

To be clear: I have never confused this coffee shop with a public institution such as a library, where there is internet with no expectation of purchase. I have also not confused this coffee shop with a full-service restaurant, where you wouldn't sit down to use their internet without buying a meal. A coffee shop is not in the 'food industry', it is in the cafe industry. Just like Giant is not in the 'food industry', it is in the grocery industry, and restaurants are in the restaurant industry. Over the past 2 years of visitation, it has been pretty obvious to us that this is a privately owned coffee shop seeking a profit, which is a great feature of free market economies. Regardless of what we perceived this coffee shop as, we have probably spent more money here than 90% of other customers. Why the manger deliberately targeted us as free loaders on some fabricated basis of misinformation is beyond me.

Thousands of other small private cafes exist with public wi-fi, regardless of purchase. Trying to individually target regular paying customers probably hasn't panned out well as a growth strategy. If they so choose, they can put a sign on the door stating 'no purchase, no wi-fi'. Hopefully the loss of this regular customer is a good lesson in managing a small business, practicing thoughtful customer service, and not jumping to...

The Village Creamery has the most delightful and unique atmosphere; one would think, well worth going a bit “out of the way” to experience. The coffees are very good and the ice cream delicious. However, having visited there quite a few times, I have found that all its fine qualities are pretty much negated by the (seemingly ever changing) staff. There seems to be a perpetual attitude lacking in any authentic friendliness or desire to be helpful and welcoming. This is so disappointing because we otherwise love the place. Each time we have returned, it is with optimistic feeling that this time will be “different”. But, honestly, by the time we have received our order, I have, once again, decided not to come back or recommend the place, even with all it’s attributes. The curious consistency of this is puzzling, and I can only guess that it is due to existing management and training. This shop has far-reaching potential, PLEASE don’t...

READ BEFORE YOU GO. U WILL GET HURT HERE AND THEY WILL NOT CARE THEN TELL YOU ITS YOUR FAULT Walked in to a soaking wet floor and my 67 year old mother fell over. Do u think they cared? No. Do u think they would say sorry for having a very wet wood floor no. I explained there was a wet floor and they didn't care that it was wet or that their customer just got hurt. The only thing they said was hey there is a wet floor sign 10 feet away where the floor wasn't wet. The wet floor sign wasn't where it was wet. It was 10 feet away.. U think u would put a wet floor sign where it was wet and not in a dry area. 2 employees working there were rude and would NOT take our order after their customer just got hurt. Guess im going back to Starbucks and I hate Starbucks. If u own this place get your stuff together before you get someone hurt. Used to love this place. Your employees ruined that because of...