From hyper-aware to hyper-critical at brunch
My sister was visiting last week, so I got to take a staycation!
We went out for breakfast twice and my mind went through a compare and contrast exercise as I waited for my coffee during that second breakfast. I thought about what determines which restaurants I go to over and over again, which ones my guests remember from their last visit and have to go to again.
Brunch with a view and variety
For me, a view and some variety top my list of selection criteria. I don't want to go to the same place every time, but a view is important unless I happen upon a place that is so incredible, I can skip a scenic view.
After the view and variety criteria:
Quality coffee. I rarely make coffee at home. It's a treat that I get OVERLY excited about when I go out. There's one place I go because I love their cafe de olla and another where they bring a French press to the table!
Well-rounded menu. I'll want something with eggs, while many that visit seem to want fun-flavored pancakes/French toast, or a sweet and savory combo.
Available parking. There are places I avoid during the summer unless they open early enough to skip the crowds.
Noise-level. I want to be able to have a conversation and too much background noise is not for me.
Consistency. Food, service, prices, noise-level, etc.
No, cleanliness isn’t on my list because I don’t notice is unless it’s not there. For me, it’s table stakes.
Sister brunch #1
For our first breakfast out, we went to a favorite place of mine with the French press. There is no view, but I enjoy the people who work there, know the owner, love the menu, and generally feel like it's my hometown breakfast go-to spot.
Sister brunch #2
Several days later we went to another place that I only get to a couple times a year if that. It's a bit further away but has a nice view. Great menu and we lucked out with parking. But our server forgot to bring our drinks. Drip coffee for me. Hot tea for my sister. We didn't see our server again until he brought our food 20+ minutes later. I then asked about my coffee/her tea, and our server said he'd see if they were ready yet. I won’t get into the fact that we had a front row view of the drink station and baristas. Our server checked on a few other tables, then went and got our drinks.
Sipping my coffee before the food arrives and again after the plates are cleared is my favorite part of going out for breakfast. So, I noticed the missing coffee. Oftentimes, once I start noticing things, I start noticing more things. Once my awareness is on alert, I subconsciously begin critiquing experiences more than I usually would.
Hyper-awareness
I don’t enjoy being in hyper-aware (critique) mode. Some of the hyper awareness is because of my chosen profession but much of it is a natural human phenomenon. Not convinced? Have you ever found yourself annoyed by everything that a particular person does? As a friendly means of calling attention to these instances, I refer to this as the person who gets no slack. It could be someone who always avoids contributing to the shared restaurant bill, when you aren’t someone who usually pays close attention to who has contributed or whose turn it is to pick up the bill. Once you notice their tendency, you start noticing more things. Sometimes we start to notice everything (and then some).
Hyper-critical
This little coffee delay is just that. A little coffee delay. I’ll go back to that restaurant for brunch. I will probably be hyper-aware how long it takes to get my coffee next time. When it comes out as expected, I’ll settle back into just enjoying breakfast with a view. If there was another noticeable mishap, I’d likely move closer to hyper critical mode.
You can call it death by 1,000 cuts or lack of ‘customer forgiveness’ akin to lack of accrued goodwill. Sometimes beloved customers seem to flip their opinion on a dime. They surprise us with their lack of loyalty. But how many times did they give you an indicator that things weren’t great, that you dropped the ball? They were friendly about it, making it easy to assume it was no big deal. It was no big deal as an isolated incident. Don’t discount their friendly mentions of a small issue or minor misstep. Listen. Understand. Take Action.
If you frequently listen with ears that minimize the issue, that minimize the experience disruption, you may be headed for a surprise when loyal customers leave.
