Recently, I read an article about Seattle’s Top 10 Food Trucks and found myself overwhelmed with jealousy. Hawaiian-Korean-Vietnamese-Mexican fusion and “sci-fi/fantasy” grilled cheese? Seriously, count me in.
We're thrilled to welcome The Bear Coffeehouse & Wine Bar as our newest Change Test Pilot! Recently opened in Spencer, Iowa, The Bear is an eclectic community gathering place serving artisan beverages and food and hosting live music weekly.
We'd like to give a warm welcome to Fresh Cafe & Market, our newest Change Test Pilot. Fresh Cafe, located in West Des Moines, is all about local, organic, feel-good food. From wraps to smoothies to wheatgrass shots, Fresh Cafe has something healthy for everyone.
Oh, yes we did!
Debut Change, that is. After months of caffeine-fueled debates, trial designs and late nights, we joined 75 of our closest friends and family last Thursday to celebrate Change’s first day on the job.
Oh hey! That's me, sipping on a Cafe Mocha. I'm not big on coffee, but on an increasingly cold November day in Des Moines, one of these really hits the spot.
I got it from Freidrich's, a small chain of quick-service coffee stands in our area. My Freidrich's mocha made for a nice morning. The staff was friendly as ever, my drink was made quickly, and I was off to the office with hardly a bump in my schedule. Also, it was delicious.
There was one weird thing about my experience, however: I couldn't tip! As someone who rarely carries cash, I had to pay by credit card. As the purchase was under $25, they didn't ask me to sign. Since they didn't ask me to sign for it, and I had no cash, I had no opportunity to tip the kind folks who made my drink.
So somebody didn't get tipped, and I don't get to deduct a $4 coffee that is now totally a business expense. Big whoop, right? Maybe not, if you consider that this probably happens a few dozen times a day at just that stand. I've seen the line a good 15 people deep during the early morning hours and over lunch.
Let's breakdown a hypothetical scenario:
- On a given Tuesday, Between 7am and 8am, 40 people buy an espresso-based drink at an average price of $3.50.
- Based on our current survey results, I can safely estimate that 75%, or 30, of those people will pay with a credit card.
- My barista housemate estimates half of the customers at her shop tip something. The tips vary from rounding up to a whole dollar amount (like $3.50 to $4.00) to a dollar or two or three if they're having a good day. For simplicity's sake, we'll pick an average tip of one dollar per customer.
Are you already doing the same math I am? In a single hour, a server could be missing out on up to $30 in tips. Thirty! I don't know about you, but I'd hate to miss out on an extra 30 bones.
I can understand not wanting to slow down a busy line and have 40 people sign for their morning coffee, but its a pretty unfortunate compromise. Strange checkout experiences like this one fuel our imagination and keep the team motivated while working on Change.
How could you fix this? What if I could hop on a website right now, pull up my order, see the names of the folks who served me, and throw a buck or two their way? What if I could go further and compliment the gentleman who made my drink on the flavor, texture, and temperature? What if I could by my drink without cash or credit and still tip?
What about you? I can't be the only socially awkward penguin out there agonizing over wanting to have tipped and not being given the opportunity. Servers, owners, customers: we want to hear from you. Drop a note in the comments and let's talk about tips!