I have to say, good old fashioned customer service is hard to find these days - thats the reason, that wherever I can, i give my business to small business. In that way, I can feel more confident that if an issue arises, I will be able to speak with the owner of the business without too much trouble, and that person can see the bigger picture of how valued a loyal customer is. 

When thinking about multi-nationals, you wont have a direct line to the owner of the business, and you have to rely on well thought out policies to mimic the value that the CEO would no doubt want to convey. Thats rarely the case with large companies, you often get lost in the system, if you can navigate the complex customer care line, and provide the relevant paperwork etc - it can be a nightmare!

I was unfortunate recently to have dropped my iPad, and break the screen. It was no ones fault other than my own clumsy self. Off I went to my Apple store, bracing myself for the shock of the repair bill... I was shocked... the repair is more than 50% of the replacement cost! I was shocked for a second time when my Apple customer service consultant offered to replace my iPad for a new unit Free Of Charge. I am sure that Steve Jobs, the CEO of Apple ensured that a policy was set in place that accommodated a customer with a faulty unit, even in the even of misfortune. That gives me the feeling of dealing directly with the owner of the business, an owner they would prefer to have a happy customer, that an unhappy customer. I am grateful for the treatment I have received and its service like this that Bay Beans strives for. 

When you buy coffee beans online at Bay Beans, you have made the decision to use fresh roasted coffee beans delivered to your door. Buying coffee beans online is a vast improvement over supermarket coffee beans - your coffee beans online are roasted and delivered within 72hours, where as supermarket coffee is six or twelve months old before you add it to your shopping trolley. 

Carbon Pricing Fair Trade coffee beans.
 
Even if you wanted to contribute to the Carbon Tax, as a business, you would need to front up the the Federal Government seeking a big green elephant stamp, having being audited on your credentials right down to if you stock fair trade sourced coffee beans in your cafeteria. The introduction of a carbon price in Australia is not about saving the planet - it is about introducing a carbon price. I can agree that we *may* need a mechanism that the Government of the day can ramp up, should the rest of the world want to get serious on taxing (some) polluters, but the tax alone wont do anything to save our planet. If you want to learn about a solution that just might work, for only a few billion dollars, read 'Super Freakonomics', by Steven Levit, a Universitiy of Chicago economist.

Free Delivery

If you have the unpleasurable experience of hearing my incesant whining about the cost of delivery in Australia, either in person, or through my Twitter stream, you will know how passionate a topic it is to me. I frequently purchase goods online, usually from overseas and find myself laughing nervously at two points in the transaction. The first is when I track my item from the East Cost of USA, taking three days to, having traveled 7000kms to arrive at Alexandria for distribution domestically - only to then wait a further 7 days for the item to travel the final 200kms. The second laugh is when I purchase something from Asia, the total cost of the item, INCLUDING international delivery costs less than sending that same parcel to my next door neighbour. Its a fact - delivery efficiency and cost in Australia is out of whack. I beleive the future of online retail includes Free Delivery. Its a tough call, and I am happy to be proven wrong again, but for the simplicity and benefit of Bay Beans customers, I am going to give it my best shot. 

Bulk Discounts

If you are lucky enough to be enjoying Bay Beans coffee at office or cafe, you will be pleased to see the introduction of bulk discounts for the entire product range. Now you can purchase 10kg or more of coffee beans and recieve a generous 40% discount, plus of course, no charge for delivery. There is no messy application process.

Baristas spill the beans on making the perfect cup

Nothing goes better with a good book than a freshly brewed cup of coffee. For starters, coffee — as with wine — varies greatly in flavors, acidity and even texture. Roasting plays a role in the final flavor of the coffee, but so does the region in which the coffee was grown. One of the most significant factors on flavor involves the area in which coffee beans are grown. Latin American coffees are “familiar", with a clean finish and flavors of nuts and cocoa. Beans grown in African and Arabian regions are crisp and citrusy. Often coffees grown in this region contain floral aromas and hints of berries. Asia/Pacific coffees tend to be most robust in flavor and contain..... (Click through to the Bay Beans blog to read the full story)

Bay Beans congratulates the Sydney Morning Herald Good Cafe Guide winners

Congratulations to the winners named in the 2011 Good Cafe Guide. Best cafe is awarded to Mecca Espresso in Ultimo with best coffee being awarded to Coffee Alchemy in Marrickville. The Sydney Morning Herald Good Cafe Guide 2011 costs $14.95. On Saturday, it will be sold for $5 at selected newsagents with The Sydney Morning Herald. For a list of participating newsagents, see smhshop.com.au/cafeguide. (For the full story, click through to the Bay Beans Blog)

I received this email this week from Graham, a Bay Beans customer who holidayed in Rome recently. What he had to say about this particular cafe makes me want to jump on a plane to Rome and enjoy a Grand Cafee!  

Hi James
 
My Bay Beans coffee beans arrived today.. fantastic service thank you so much. Looking forward to it. For your info when I was in Rome last month I had the best .. I mean the best coffee here..

I have some great footage inside this cafe but only one photo! See attached. The Coffee I had was thick and delicious, no milk, choose the "Grand Cafee", they serve it in a small 3/4 size cup with a spoon and comes with sugar.

Sant’Eustachio Il Caffè
(Piazza Sant’Eustachio)

Raimondo Ricci, co-owner of Sant’Eustachio, swears that the secret ingredient to Sant’Eustachio’s success is unparalled passion. This is an understatement. Commited to coffee from start to finish, the Sant’Eustachio buys the majority of its coffee from COOPFAM, a Brazilian Fair Trade Cooperative. They also donate extra proceeds from the sale of the Sant’Eustachio blend to the co-op and foster direct relationships with farmers , getting to know them personally.  Founded in 1938 in the centro storico district, Sant’Eustachio is a Roman institution. 

Top quality arabica coffee, tradition and the frenetic atmosphere are just a few of the reasons that a dedicated local clientele and tourists keep flocking to this local.

Sant’Eustachio’s legendary blend of one-hundred percent arabica beans is full-bodied and unique thanks to a traditional artisan approach and on-premise small batch wood roasting. An intoxicating woody aroma of coffee beans roasting wafts into the buzzing Piazza Sant’Eustachio, enveloping passersby. Cross over the threshold of this coffee mecca and discover where past meets present in a nostalgic atmosphere with original mosaic pavement and décor. Regulars order the renowned Gran Caffè, a larger version of a standard espresso with a mysteriously dense and perfectly executed crema. This evenly coloured caramel layer of goodness clings to the side of the cup all the way to your last precious sip. If you don’t take sugar, be sure to order senza zucchero as the coffee is presweetened
 
Caffe' Sant' Eustachio is a Roman legend, the coffee bar where Romans in the know stop for their daily dose of cappuccino and espresso. Located just steps away from the Pantheon and Piazza Navona, in the heart of Rome, Sant' Eustachio has been producing its signature coffee since 1938. If the quintessential coffee aroma will hit you first upon entering the beautiful coffee shop, you will be impressed as well by the Café's original furniture and mosaic floors. Sant' Eustachio coffee is roasted on the premises, in the back of the coffee bar, without any chemical processing.