Café Coffee Day rips off its loyal customer

Sadly, last Sunday (15 Nov), my lunch at Café Coffee Day (CCD) at Mumbai Domestic Airport Terminal 1 lounge turned sour. It started off as a happy lunch with fish and chips – not offered in most CCDs but a rather substantial and tasty offering I might add – and a portion of toasted garlic bread (not mentioned on their menu but served on request) on the side.

I relished my meal and, although the air conditioning wasn’t working effectively at the CCD lounge, I decided on a cup of hot coffee to pass the time... before clearing ‘security’ on the way to board my flight. So, I placed my usual CCD order of a cup of strong cappuccino and a walnut brownie with the young lady in a short navy blue skirt and a white blouse with a navy blue scarf (not the usual CCD service attire).

The young lady asked if I wanted a sizzling brownie or a plain one. I replied, “No, not sizzling, a plain one will do.” She then asked if I wanted the brownie as it is, or did I want the brownie warmed up. I suggested that if the brownie was cold, then could she warm it up for me in a microwave. She accepted my order and, not too long after, my strong cappuccino and my plain warm brownie were served.

Needless to say, I enjoyed this part of the meal as well. But, when I asked for my bill, I noticed that it contained a charge for a sizzling brownie for Rs.167/-. I drew this to the attention of the young lady who had taken my order and suggested that there was an error in my bill. That, a plain brownie at CCD doesn’t cost that much. The young lady, however, said that there was no error at all and that I had been billed correctly.

Now, I’m a regular at CCD outlets and I know that a plain brownie costs Rs.45/-. And, this plain walnut brownie looked no different from the ones I normally have. In fact, I had my usual CCD order of a cup of strong cappuccino and a walnut brownie at the CCD outlet inside Crossword Bookstore at Nirmal Lifestyle in Mulund, Mumbai, just the day before (Saturday, 14 Nov evening) and my bill was within Rs.100/-.

To the young lady, I pointed out my loyalty to CCD and our earlier conversation when placing my order for a plain brownie, warmed up, and not a sizzling one. The young lady, nevertheless, said that a heated brownie, which was what I had ordered for, was the same as a sizzling brownie – and that I should now pay my bill.

I was aghast. This was CCD ripping off its loyal customer. Since I didn’t want any unpleasantness at the airport lounge, I cleared my bill in cash, suggesting that their brownie at the airport lounge was overpriced and should be noted. Of course, these words fell on deaf ears, and the entire experience left a sour taste in my mouth.

I wondered about the customer-client transparency levels and the service levels that I had just experienced at CCD at the Mumbai Domestic airport lounge. I wondered how, in this day and age of customer consciousness and customer delight, when customer service is a key driver of a brand’s reputation, a well-known brand like Café Coffee Day could treat its customers so shoddily. This was against all principles of marketing.

And then I wondered if Café Coffee Day even cared for such things.