Hierarchy and Grinder Adjustment

It was once a common idea that only the store’s manager, or a representative from the equipment suppliers, or the roasting company should be allowed to adjust the espresso grinder.  The reasoning could have been a fear of messingsomething up and not being able to repair it, or it could have simply been that retailer owners were left in ignorance by those who wished to keep them dependent.  Of course, when a business feels completely dependent on another for success, there results in a temporary cash-cow scenario.  A guarantee of future profits.

The caveat, however, being that the business intended to reap profits from may or may not be a long-term success.  The odds of failure actually increase with the taking of control away from them over their own product quality.

This is not directed to roasting companies or to equipment companies.  This is directed at retailers.  YOU are responsible for the quality of your own products.  Your customers don’t know and wouldn’t likely care if the extraction of their espresso is off because your roaster adjusted the grinder wrong, or because you didn’t know how, or if it even needed to be adjusted that morning.  All that your customers care about is whether the product and service that they receive is worth the money that it costs them and the time that it takes to go out of their way to make the purchase.

That’s it.  Removing responsibility is effectively surrendering control.  The idea of on-going grinder adjustment is fairly commonplace these days, but there are still pockets around the country where folks are afraid of their own equipment.  Don’t be.  Don’t let anyone tell you that it’s too complicated for you to understand, or that you might “mess something up”.  If you own your equipment, it is your responsibility to know how it works, how to repair it, and how to use it properly.  If you don’t know how, there are businesses like ours who are more than happy to teach you everything you need to know to run a successful retailer.  Our primary means of achieving success is to set our clients up with the tools necessary to serve the best coffee possible.

A pretty sign my draw them in.  The service may make them feel welcome.  In the end, the quality and value of the products you serve are what will determine if they come back.  It’s a simple hierarchy.  Product > Service > Ambiance.

“Knowledge and investing in yourself is power.”- Dravasanthy

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