Nerve Endings Firing Away

I must be spending too much on MNC caffeine when Trisha sympathizes with me and regularly doles out free or subsidized coffee at the local Starbucks. I never thought corporate brands had a personal feel when it comes to customer service and the virtual stereotypical ambience makes the visits unmemorable. Cast in a typical mold, every franchisee outlet seems the same and the Starbucks in downtown Chicago would have the same interior color scheme as the Starbucks of the northern suburb of Atlanta.

But, jumping to conclusions and branding such places as boring might be presumptuous because each place has its charm. The difference might not be in the staid furniture or the maghony colored bar or even the familiar white and green symbol but upon close examination lies in the spirit of the people who work there. Upon repeated visits, you definitely get friendly vibes and acquiescent nods. With a smile, they will voice out the choice of your regular drink sometimes varying according to the weather outside. On occasions, they will even make fleeting enquiries about your personal life and are satisfied with clichéd and brief answers.

They will let you linger on while you spend hours studying, reading or simply chatting with friends without ordering a drink because you are watching either your calorie count or your wallet. Samatha, Trisha, Meg, Linda, Kevin and the girl with the nice eyes and a cute smile (damn! I don’t know her name even after several months) always welcome you with a quick wink or the typical over-the-top greeting in protracted southern drawl.

I guess, these people make the experience of the run-of-the-mill corporate-managed services enjoyable. Otherwise I would always opt for the neighborhood coffee shop, Java Monkey, which unfortunately, is no longer easily accessible. And nope, I am not singing praises because of the free coffee.