This was my first and, unfortunately, last visit to Stoble Coffee Shop in Chico…read more
I was the only customer standing in line, and there were four employees behind the counter. I stood there for approximately 5-7 minutes without being acknowledged, greeted, or even told that someone would be with me shortly.
Finally, I said, "Excuse me, is this still the line to order?" The employee, whose name I believe was Emil (or Amil), very coldly responded, "Yeah, but as you can see, I'm busy," while he was working with one of the coffee machines.
I told him that he could have simply said, "Good morning," or acknowledged me. Instead, he shrugged his shoulders and showed no concern whatsoever about how I had been treated.
As a woman of color in an environment where everyone else appeared to be white, I found the experience extremely uncomfortable and felt unwelcome. I cannot speak to his intentions, but the way I was treated made me question whether I was being treated differently because of my race.
It would have taken two seconds to say, "Good morning, we'll be right with you." Instead, I was ignored for several minutes and then spoken to in a dismissive and unapologetic manner.
Customer service and basic courtesy should apply to everyone. Unfortunately, this was a very unpleasant first experience, and I will not be returning.
