Mark Zuckerberg's 6' stone wall around his $100 million Kauai property has blocked out the Pacific Ocean to neighbors ... some of whom are livid. The Facebook founder bought the 750-acre estate in 2014 and now wants to shore it up, but a 5'8"…
Tuesday, 28 June 2016
Young Illinois Roaster Helped Transform the Cottage Food Law to Allow for Coffee
Monday, 27 June 2016
Calvin Harris -- Damn Near Rips Door Off His SUV!! (VIDEO)
Calvin Harris is in the market for something new -- a door on his luxury SUV, after nearly destroying his ride ... all in front of cameras. Calvin was leaving his Bev Hills gym on Monday when he started backing up his Range Rover, but had no clue…
Passengers Cafe a Destination All Its Own in Cleveland
NFL's Dan Skuta -- I Didn't Hit That Woman ... But She Hit Me
Jacksonville Jaguars linebacker Dan Skuta is adamant he never laid a finger on a woman outside of an Orlando bar last weekend ... but says SHE struck HIM ... and he can prove it. As we previously reported, Skuta was arrested for battery on…
Sunday, 26 June 2016
Beyonce, Kendrick Lamar -- We Made a Big Splash at BET Awards (VIDEO)
Beyonce and Kendrick Lamar just destroyed the big opening at the BET Awards -- mixing fire and water in spectacular fashion. Bey led the charge at the Microsoft Theater in downtown LA, singing "Freedom," before bringing out Kendrick…
Tyga -- Drops 45 Racks on New Grill (VIDEO)
Tyga's just got a new jewelry store ... in his mouth. Celeb jeweler Ben Baller just hooked Tyga up with the chompers ... dripping in 1400 diamonds. At $45,000 and 18 carats ... it's the most expensive grill Baller's ever made. On the other hand ...…
Saturday, 25 June 2016
Kanye West -- Mum on Nude Celebs (VIDEO)
Kanye West is the Harry Houdini of the rap world ... refusing to reveal cast secrets in his new music video. Yeezy strolled out of a movie theatre with Kim and North in Calabasas Saturday, and predictably deflected questions about who was under the…
Michael Jackson -- Brothers Perform ... On Eve of Death Anniversary
Michael Jackson died 7 years ago today ... and last night his brothers tapped into his spirit to bring down the house at the San Diego County Fair. Jermaine, Tito, Jackie, and Marlon headlined Friday night at the Del Mar Fairgrounds -- paying…
Friday, 24 June 2016
Kanye West -- OK, He Will Break the Internet ... Claims Nude Celebs in Music Video are Real
Kanye West just blew the minds of thousands of people at The Forum in Inglewood, and he's about to blow yours with these images of naked people in the same bed ... and he insists it's the real deal. Right out of the gate, we should say a rep for…
Justin Bieber -- Busts His Ankle Hours Before Concert (PHOTOS)
Justin Bieber's basketball diary entry for today -- OUCH!!!!!! Biebs went down hard during a pick-up game Friday in Cincinnati ... and came out of it with a severely swollen ankle. He says it's sprained, which means 18,000 or so Beliebers are…
Dalla Corte Takes Prosumer Grinding to the Max
Wednesday, 22 June 2016
Ben Affleck -- Slurring, Ranting ... On HBO Talk Show
Ben Affleck appeared on the series premiere of Bill Simmons' "Any Given Wednesday" tonight and it was extremely bizarre ... to say the least. A red-faced Affleck ranted about "Deflategate" on the HBO show and even though we can't say for sure what…
Disney Attack -- Law Enforcement 'Confident' Killer Gator Euthanized
The alligator that killed a 2-year-old boy vacationing at Disney's Grand Floridian Resort has been trapped and killed ... so far as law enforcement can tell. A rep for the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission tells TMZ they captured 6…
World Coffee Research Launches First-of-Its-Kind Coffee Variety Catalog
Tuesday, 21 June 2016
Tim Tebow -- Visits High School Football Teammate ... Injured In Orlando Shooting
One of the survivors of the Orlando massacre is one of Tim Tebow's former high school football teammates -- who tells TMZ Sports he was "honored" that his old QB visited him in the hospital. We spoke with Rodney Sumter Jr. -- who was shot 3…
It's Time to Learn Up as the SCAA Unification Vote Approaches
Amber Rose, Steph Curry 'Moji' CEO -- Busted For Stealing Camera from YouTube Star's Crew (VIDEO)
The guy behind celeb emoji apps for Amber Rose, Steph Curry, Rick Ross and Future just got arrested for stealing, and thanks to a YouTube star ... the whole bust was recorded. Cops say they got a call for a stolen…
Monday, 20 June 2016
David Crosby -- Settles Horrific Jogger Accident for $3 Million (AUDIO)
The jogger who rock legend David Crosby hit with his car ... is getting $3 million to settle a lawsuit. Jose Luquin sued Crosby over last year's accident in California's wine country ... where the singer, doing 55 mph in a Tesla, hit…
French Montana & Drake -- We Made the Butler Do It ... Ballin' in Paradise (PHOTO GALLERY)
French Montana and Drake played like kings while they put in work on French's new music video ... and here's the oceanside palace to prove it. The rappers spent 3 nights at Casa de Campo in the Dominican Republic, shooting the "No Shopping"…
Sunday, 19 June 2016
Cleveland Police -- Fans Didn't Steal Fire Truck, But ...
See, the fire truck was not stolen. This, however, is not okay. đźš“ pic.twitter.com/wqoK6idMYD - Cleveland Police (@CLEpolice) June 20, 2016 There was a report that crazy fans in Cleveland stole a fire truck in the wake of the Cavs…
Anton Yelchin -- Death Scene Photos (PHOTO GALLERY)
Anton Yelchin's body was pinned with such force, it bent a metal security gate leading to his home ... and photos obtained by TMZ show the fury of impact. As we reported, Yelchin's driveway is on a steep incline from the house to the street. It…
Saturday, 18 June 2016
Orlando Shooting -- Car Barrels Into Victim Funeral Procession ... 2 Cops Hospitalized
Two Florida cops are in the hospital after a woman allegedly drove her car through the middle of a funeral procession for a victim of the Pulse Nightclub shooting. According to eye witnesses, there was a small break in the procession…
Friday, 17 June 2016
P.M. Dawn's Prince Be -- Dead at 46 (PHOTO GALLERY + VIDEO)
One half of P.M. Dawn ... singer Attrell Cordes, who was best known as Prince Be ... has died. Cordes passed away Friday at his NJ home from kidney disease. He was 46. PM Dawn, which also included Cordes'…
Tom Hiddleston -- Welcome to Life with Taylor Swift (VIDEO)
Dating Taylor Swift puts you squarely in the spotlight at all times ... as Tom Hiddleston found out after a workout in NYC. As soon as Tom stepped out of the gym Friday afternoon he was greeted by photogs peppering him with questions about his…
Get Real Sciency About Coffee Taste and Smell with These Videos
Thursday, 16 June 2016
UFC's Dan Henderson -- This 'Old Man' ... Is Gonna Beat Bisping's Ass! (VIDEO)
UFC superstar Dan Henderson says Michael Bisping can crack all the geriatric jokes he wants -- 'cause when the two face off in the Octagon, Bisping's gonna "end up getting his ass beat by an old man." 45-year-old Dan joined the guys on the "TMZ…
UFC's 'Cyborg' Justino -- Suffers Black Widow Bite ... 'A Lot of Pain'
Apparently, she's human after all ... 'cause UFC superstar Cris "Cyborg" Justino says she's in all sorts of pain after being bit by a BLACK WIDOW SPIDER!! Cyborg says she was working in her garden last week when the spider appeared and sunk its…
Pantechnicon Design Makes Great Espresso Machines Awesome
Wednesday, 15 June 2016
Calvin Harris -- Betrayed Over Taylor's New Hookup ... Suspected for Weeks Before Breakup (VIDEO)
Calvin Harris suspected something was up with Taylor Swift for weeks before their breakup ... and his suspicions were confirmed Wednesday when pics surfaced of Taylor making out with Tom Hiddleston ... this according to sources…
Quality and Community Hand in Hand at Georgia's Cup to Cup Coffee Roasters
Tuesday, 14 June 2016
Gator Attack Near Disney Resort -- Cops Searching for 2-Year-Old
A 2-year-old child was snatched by an alligator and dragged into a lagoon near Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa in Orlando, officials say ... and now cops are desperately searching the water. Officials say the attack occurred around…
Learn How to Make Iced Coffee With La Colombe
Learn How to Make Iced Coffee With La Colombe by Michael
It's no secret: we've shared some iced coffee tutorials before. We've even shared a Japanese iced coffee tutorial before. But summer is upon us and the need for fresh content has us once again sharing an iced coffee how-to video, this time from our friends at La Colombe Coffee, a Philadelphia-based coffee roaster with cafés in a growing number of American cities. Unlike other methods, this video uses everyone's favorite brewing device in the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art: the Chemex. Don't forget, if you want good iced coffee, you need some good ice. We're fans of these perfect cubes for an ideal temperature/dilution ratio.
Learn How to Make Iced Coffee With La Colombe was first posted by Michael on The Coffee Compass, The Coffee Compass - Your Guide for Craft Coffee
ScHoolboy Q -- Crying Jordan's On My Album Cover
ScHoolboy Q just revealed he's using the famous Crying Jordan shot as cover art for his upcoming album ... but he could be playing with fire. The "Man of the Year" rapper just dropped the art on his Twitter page -- saying the album "Blank Face LP"…
Particle Consistency Best Achieved by Chilling Before Grinding, Research Suggests
Monday, 13 June 2016
Amber Heard to Johnny Depp -- Money's NO Factor ... Just Stay Away
Amber Heard doesn't want Johnny Depp or anyone else thinking her domestic violence allegation is a play for his money -- and she's making that clear in court docs. Amber's lawyer just filed a declaration saying she's withdrawing her request for…
Deontay Wilder -- Sues Disgraced Boxing Opponent ... Your Doping Test Cost Me Millions!
Heavyweight boxing champ Deontay Wilder is suing the man he was SUPPOSED to fight back in May -- claiming Alexander Povetkin's positive doping test cost him MILLIONS ... and he wants his money. In a lawsuit obtained by TMZ Sports, Wilder…
Tokyo Coffee Profiles: Kawano Yuma and Aihara Tamito of Light Up Coffee
Sunday, 12 June 2016
James Corden -- Orlando, You Are Not Alone ... (VIDEO)
James Corden opened the Tony Awards in NYC with a heartfelt dedication to the victims of the Orlando nightclub massacre and their families. It's a tough position for Corden -- hosting something as trivial as an entertainment award show ...…
Orlando Mass Murderer -- He Beat Me Over Dirty Laundry ... Says Ex-Wife
Omar Mateen married a woman he met online, but the relationship quickly fell apart because of his abusive behavior ... according to the now ex-wife. Omar and the woman were wed in 2009 -- he was living in Florida, and she moved there to be with him.…
Saturday, 11 June 2016
Christina Grimmie -- Murderer Identified (PHOTO)
2:49 PM PT -- Sources connected to the family tell TMZ so far police have not told them about any direct threat Loibl made either on social media or otherwise. It appears, however that police know that the murder was premeditated because they…
Friday, 10 June 2016
Steph Curry -- 'Warriors Girl' Scores Better Seat Than Ayesha!!
That smoke show of a Warriors fan who gave Steph Curry the sex face during game 2 of the NBA Finals is back -- and she's sitting IN FRONT of Steph's wife. Yes, Instagram model Roni Rose has found herself courtside in Cleveland for game 4, while…
Coffee Shrub Replanting In Larger Warehouse This Summer
Uptake of MPL training courses at Lockex tells a story
The uptake of training courses at Lockex provided by the MPL Locksmith Training Academy has delighted both the show organisers and MPL Managing Director Graham Jones.
Thursday, 9 June 2016
Jared Fogle -- Sharing Child Porn Just Once Is Enough to Lock You Up for 15 Years
Jared Fogle's ass will remain locked up in prison for his full sentence ... now that his appeal to get it shortened was shot down. Fogle had filed an appeal, claiming his 188 month sentence was too harsh because he says he didn't widely distribute…
Darryl Strawberry & Tommy Lasorda -- Major League B-Day Turn Up ... At Beyonce Concert (PHOTOS)
If you think Darryl Strawberry & Tommy Lasorda are too old to sip Beyonce's lemonade you're wrong ... 'cause the two men had a grand slammin' time at Mrs. Carter's concert in NYC Wednesday night. The guys joined ex-MLBers John Franco &…
Wednesday, 8 June 2016
Future Sued by Rocko ... You Cut Me Out of Millions
Future wouldn't even have one ... if not for rapper/producer Rocko, who says he discovered Future, put him on the path to fame and fortune, and then got stabbed in the back. Rocko, owner of A1 Recordings, just sued Future ... citing a 2011…
Key City Coffee Roasters Unlocks Quality in Abilene, Texas
Beyonce Sued -- You Squeezed 'Lemonade' from MY Movie!
Beyonce bitching about Jay Z's alleged affair wasn't even her idea ... according to a filmmaker who says Bey's visual album copies a movie he made more than a year before "Lemonade" dropped. Matthew Fulks is suing Beyonce and her record label,…
Joanna Lawson Leading Trader Caravela Coffee's First European Office, in London
Tuesday, 7 June 2016
Bobby Brown -- Nick Gordon Culprit in Deaths of Whitney, Bobbi Kristina (VIDEO)
Bobby Brown made it clear ... he believes Nick Gordon is responsible for the deaths of Whitney Houston and Bobbi Kristina. Brown appeared on "20/20" Tuesday night and told Robin Roberts only one person was present when both his ex-wife…
Three Important Takeaways SCAA 2016: Policy, Progress and Paul Katzeff
The International Coffee Organization Seeking Input On Its Future
Fort Worth's Avoca Coffee Roasters Goes Big with Second Location
Monday, 6 June 2016
Kimbo Slice -- Dead at 42
Kimbo Slice has died ... TMZ Sports has confirmed. He was 42. We broke the story, Slice was hospitalized early Monday near his home in Coral Springs, FL. He passed away a short time later. The CEO of Bellator MMA confirmed the news ...…
The Wrath of the One Star Review
The Wrath of the One Star Review by Guest
I had just walked in to the office and logged on to Yelp to check for any new reviews. At the top of one of our cafes was a three star review, not the greatest but not the worst. It got worse. The reviewer had some legitimate gripes about service points, decor, and order process…good things to always improve…But she aggressively peppered in all manner of rude personal attacks against our staff, and our customers. It was a very mean review that, because of some lewd language I had removed. Simultaneously, I was reaching out to get clarity from the reviewer and only received another long insulting tirade in reply. I figured it was over and I would move on to a solution for what I saw could be possible areas of improvement. The next day however she had put up another review up that was almost a mirror image of the last one only without the lewd language and this time it was a ONE star review as punishment for her post getting removed!
She eloquently ended it;
“Feel the wrath of my one star review!”
Ok, if ever there was a review that makes you want to laugh and disregard it this was it. Especially since we responded quite graciously with her over email in a sincere attempt to right any wrongs. Yes it made me upset, but in spite of this I still saw this reviewer's negative feedback as an opportunity that we could use for the good of our cafe and our customers. It was a big topic of conversation in our Monday manager meeting and we have started to make improvements in the areas that were the legitimate sources of irritation.
The “wrath” aimed at us was diffused and we are a better shop because of that review.
In the midst of the unfair, the bombastic, the mean, or the ignorant there are nuggets of truth that one can use to address issues that you just don't get to hear everyday.
Customers may notice negative things but generally they won't say anything to you directly or even on a public forum, which is exactly why I pay special attention to critical feedback.
If the customer took the time to communicate in any way, either a good or bad experience, they are probably really feeling it and it's more than likely that they represent many others who just never said anything.
Using Negative Critique for Positive Change
When it comes to reviews and critique many seem to have defaulted to a mentality of “The customer is always wrong” perhaps to push back against the equally misinformed notion that “The customer is always right”. I was actually told by Yelp to not worry about the 3 star review because we had so many good reviews and that is true. We encourage our staff to read the Yelp reviews to get an idea for what our customers love about the shops. So why worry about a low scoring review? Because they are the customer. They may not be always right or wrong but the customer and their experience should always be valued.
We must start from a place of accepting that we can make mistakes. Any organization of people will fail. The best among us can, and do, fail. When that happens there is a small window of opportunity that the wise take advantage of to take the feedback, embrace it, and use it as momentum instead of taking offense.
Over the 16 years of my coffee career I have given and received a lot of feedback. Through trial and error I have adopted 5 steps that I put into play with both positive and negative feedback.
1. Decide Your Response Ahead of yourself
Noted author and entrepreneur, Seth Godin talks a lot about “Lizard Brain” or the amygdala. It is responsible for our fight or flight response in the face of a perceived threat. This part of our brain he says, fires evaluations of the circumstances to us a whole 2 seconds faster than our more rational and measured Limbic system does. This has huge implications for customer service. Since the Amygdala wins the speed point, what happens when we receive critique and feedback we often operate on a “First thought first react” basis. Our initial response will either be defensive (fight) or dismissive (flight) and we tend to just go along with it rather than waiting and letting our better judgment catch up and balance the more hasty and rash reactions.
The only way to get a jump on our initial response is to decide ahead of time that we will respond only after considering the bigger picture and giving equal weight to the logical and rational parts of our brain. The next steps will give a framework to do that effectively.
2. Receive with humility / Self-awareness
The best way to receive feedback is first to know that you need it. Humility is honest self-assessment, it's a state of being self aware. Dismissing feedback and negative reviews while only accepting positive ones is a sure sign of self delusion and leads to many more future issues. Feedback received with grace and self-knowledge is often eagerly welcomed as opportunity! If you are practiced in the art of self awareness almost nobody can tell you something about yourself or your business that you have not already thought of yourself. In the absence of self awareness we act shocked, defensive, hurt. “How could they say that?” “I don't know what they are talking about!”, and my favorite delusion “They don't get what we're doing.”
Familiar things we tell ourselves when we are caught by critique unprepared.Practice self-awareness and humility well and you can be totally secure letting the feedback settle into you mind for thoughtful consideration.
Now the next step…
3. Refine and Reflect
People are imperfect. Feedback is communication. People communicate feedback imperfectly. This means is that rather that trying to find fault with critique or complaints, we should just assume that this is raw and in need of refinement. Take “The Wrath of the One Star Review” for example. I assumed from the outset that the reviewer was injecting her own imperfection into it and my job is to take out what is useful and throw away the rest. After refining the feedback to its essence I was able to reflect on the points made and how we can find real solutions for them.
4. Fill in the blanks
It's never good to act without full knowledge of the situation. If certain people were involved in a complaint I may ask about it directly or ask that persons manager. I will get time of day, names, items ordered etc.I want to get as many facts as I can to make a cohesive whole out of what is effectively only part of the story. It's only fair to the staff and the customer that all sides are represented well.
5. Respond and Resolve with generosity
You've received the feedback humbly, refined it to it's core message, and got as many facts as were able. Now for grace and generosity.
Danny Myer in his classic book Setting the Table has a list of attributes that he looks for in amanager. Two of the 9 attributes that are key here are, charitable assumption and a sense of abundance. Responding to customers complaints and communicating solutions or affirmations to staff necessarily must be rooted in these two attributes.
Assume the best about the customer and your staff. It's most likely that your customer only wants to enjoy themselves and help with feedback. Your staff want to do well and serve the needs of the customer. Assuming anything less will automatically put you on the path of blame and defensiveness where you are blind to opportunities to improve and only want to prove your rightness and reprove others wrongs. Give your customer and your staff your charitablea ssumption.
Next, Give generously to the staff and the customer. To your staff give your time, your energy, your ear, and tools to fix anything that needs fixing. To the customer give the same and more if needed. Beyond refunds, gift cards, and other gracious forms of reparations you must start with empathy, time, good communication, assurance of solutions and your own sincerity along the process.
In our case, and in all cases of critical feedback, we communicate the 5 steps throughout our response to the customer so they understand our position as a company is one of working in their best interest. If you take these 5 steps and make them a part of your personal practice and company culture you will start to see new opportunities for growth almost immediately. Critique and feedback can be the best things to happen to you and your business if you can harness their power for positive change.
About Chris Deferio
The Wrath of the One Star Review was first posted by Guest on The Coffee Compass, The Coffee Compass - Your Guide for Craft Coffee
Sunday, 5 June 2016
Meek Mill - I'm Outta The House And Bringing it Down ... With Beyonce
Meek Mill got out of the house Saturday ... which is a big deal since he's been on house arrest, and his destination was Philly where he took the stage at a Beyonce concert. Meek -- who went to the show with his GF Nicki Minaj -- performed a…
Dan Aykroyd -- 911 Emergency
Dan Aykroyd was rushed to the ER on Saturday after complaints of stomach pain ... TMZ has learned. LA City Fire tells TMZ paramedics responded to a call at his house around 10am Saturday morning and transported him to a Santa Monica hospital. …
Saturday, 4 June 2016
Big Sean -- Igniting Romance Rumors ... Onstage (VIDEO)
Big Sean and his rumored GF Jhene Aiko added fuel to the fire on Friday night. The duo -- who make up the group TWENTY88 -- performed their new song "On The Way" at Powerhouse in Anaheim and put on quite the show. At the end of their performance,…
Richard Simmons -- Hospitalized For 'Bizarre Behavior'
Richard Simmons was taken to a Los Angeles hospital late Friday night after exhibiting bizarre conduct ... TMZ has learned. Sources tell us, Simmons was acting in an unusually strange manner just before midnight when someone at his…
Friday, 3 June 2016
'Biggest Loser' -- Show Doctor Sues Contestant ... You're a Big Fat Liar
Dr. Robert Huizenga has filed a lawsuit against a former contestant on "The Biggest Loser" who claimed the good doc was pumping her and the other weight-loss wannabes with drugs. Joelle Gwynn has waged war on the doctor and the show, claiming…
Seattle's Royal Drummer Ups the Tempo in Ballard
Amber Heard -- Sues Comic Doug Stanhope -- How Dare You Say I Blackmailed Johnny
Amber Heard has gone after a comic who claimed she was blackmailing Johnny Depp with false spousal abuse allegations, and in her new lawsuit she makes even more allegations against her estranged husband. Amber claims Doug Stanhope defamed her when…
Thursday, 2 June 2016
Gigi Hadid & Zayn Malik -- We're Done Too!
It's officially a Squad-wide epidemic ... Gigi Hadid and Zayn Malik are breaking up. They've only been together for about 6 months ... and she's 21, while he's 23 -- so breaking up is kinda what you do. However their split comes right on the…
Pascal Press Hopes to Take Immersion Plus Pressure on the Go
Luke Rockhold -- Disappointed In Penis Prank ... Coulda Been Better (VIDEO)
Luke Rockhold is a perfectionist ... especially when it comes to sculpting male genitalia. The UFC superstar says he's mad at himself for the makeshift dong he created for a prank he pulled on his friend during training camp. And if you…
Wednesday, 1 June 2016
Taylor Swift & Calvin Harris -- It's Over! Get Ready for New Music
Taylor Swift and Calvin Harris have pulled the plug on their relationship ... TMZ has confirmed. The couple ended things after 15 months of blissful dating. They made their public debut at the 2015 Billboard Music Awards. No specific reason for the…
UCLA Shooting -- Trigger Pulled in Professor's Office
The murder-suicide at UCLA went down in a professor's office, and the shooter appears to be a student ... TMZ has learned. Our law enforcement sources say both male victims were found in an office on the 4th floor of Boelter Hall. Based on the…
Need a Hand With Your Pourover? Lulu's Hopes to Reach the US
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