Maggots and Coffee: Internet for the Non-Confrontational

Two Sundays ago, my younger sister and I were studying at Starbucks BF Paranaque when a fat juicy MAGGOT fell from the ceiling and landed on her palm. She of course squealed in panic and disgust as the maggot comfortably rolled onto her pristine colored textbook. While she was making a scene, I calmly told her that I couldn't kill it and that she should call the guard. The guard called the barista, who just angrily stared at us for being maarte and walked away without doing anything. The guard took my sister's book to sweep the maggot off the table, but didn't kill it. At that point I knew I had to ask for the manager, but the non-confrontational me just opted to go home and ask for the barista's name from the guard. Two days after, I was still bothered by the experience since I am used to baristas being really nice. I knew it was part of their job to ensure customer satisfaction and that a huge chunk of that P150 coffee is the price of exemplary service. So I decided to send a message through the Starbucks international website. I thought my complaint would be ignored since I didn't know how they would relay the message to the Philippine management. But last Friday, I received a personal e-mail from Nina, District Manager of Rustan Coffee Corporation, apologizing and offering to send coupons. Without the Internet, complaints like this would not have been possible. For companies in which customer feedback is necessary for growth and for consumers who have the right to air out their grievances, a system for communication is essential and the Internet has been the perfect solution. So while I'm still practicing my confrontational skills, the Internet has proven to be a great alternative.