We all want good food on our campus. The Dining Meeting this past Monday reflects how staff and students alike are committed to the Hopkins dining experience. But other than give feedback at the Dining Meeting, what else can students do to improve their Dining encounters? Attention must be paid to how our interactions to obtain food are not just transactional but relational. Is it really the case that staff members are “mean” and “rude” as some believe? Are the bagels really worth “killing with fire” as suggested by a previous review by this newspaper? Here are a few thoughts from my observations at Crepe Studio (located in CharMar):
Imagine the start to a typical week. My Monday mornings aren’t great, and I doubt yours are either. I trudge to Crepe Studio to order a breakfast sandwich and a cup of coffee. I’m half-awake, as tired as the typical college student and grumpy at having to be at Bloomberg (the campus, not the building) by 9 a.m. There is little cognitive space in my mind for social pleasantries. I may or may not have grunted my order on more than one occasion, and I bet you have too.
Yet the person behind the counter remains smiling. “T” takes my order efficiently and asks me how my day is as she fixes up my white chocolate latte in double-quick time. My breakfast croissant is fresh and flaky. Unlike the alleged “grey yolks” of the past, my eggs are fluffy. As caffeine enters my system, my day takes a turn for the better, and I find myself mirroring T’s smile. My steps are lightened by T’s friendly “have a nice day” as I leave.
This might not have been your experience so let’s imagine a different hypothetical. I grunt my order, and I think I see the person behind the counter scowling. She asks me to repeat myself. Frustrated, I repeat myself in an annoyed tone. I stand sullenly waiting for my order, wondering why it’s taking so long. I worry about missing the JHMI and consider complaining about the slow service. I check my watch — again. I grab my order and leave without exchanging a single word. As caffeine enters my system, my day does not seem to take a turn for the better. I find myself frustrated, unable to focus. My cognitive space is filled with thoughts about my unpleasant encounter.
None of this is true. In my experience the Crepe Studio staff is accommodating, friendly and willing to make things right. What this does show is how we can all play a role in preventing the human spiral into negativity.
In fact, the two scenarios assume that “the customer is always right” and that our interactions are contingent solely on the server. Let’s pause and suspend that belief for a moment. The coffee transaction, like any other human interaction, is a relational one. Our service staff are not merely machines that accept J-Cash and Dining Dollars in exchange for coffee and crepes, they are humans with thoughts and emotions.
By perceiving those we interact with as equals, we take the first step toward empowering ourselves to determine the tone and outcome of these interactions. We can choose our emotional and cognitive states to “approach” others positively. Similar to how others can make our day, our smiles can similarly make theirs. This reciprocity then provides the foundation for long-lasting and positive interactions.
Positivity promotes agreeableness and provides recognition for the service we are receiving. An op-ed in this newspaper previously condemned Crepe Studio bagels for being an “abomination” (“Bagel bites: a review of your best breakfast bets,” Oct. 15, 2015). Apart from attributing the incident to teething issues that have since been overcome, I wonder how different the experience might have been if the customer had simply expressed concern and asked for a new bagel to be made (with fresh eggs and more cheese).
At Crepe Studio I once ordered a breakfast croissant which wasn’t available. When I offered to pay the difference to get a flatbread instead, one was prepared for me without charge. Business theory would point to this as “service recovery.” While this reflects front-line workers being empowered to meet customers’ needs, I’d like to think that human interactions, the smiles, gestures and compliments that we can choose to give, play a similarly important part.
Service is not an entitlement and while I’ve found that Dining, Bon Appetit and their partners at Crepe Studio and Bamboo Café are extremely supportive and responsive (open snow or shine!), surely we also have some responsibility in our interactions. If you have not had the chance to interact with our partners who are similarly interested in improving food on campus, Dining Meetings hosted by the Residential Advisory Board (RAB) are one way to start such conversations and give feedback about your experience.
Even small nudges are helpful. Since we all benefit from positive human interactions, try this out the next time you order your morning coffee: Pause before stepping up to the counter, smile widely, and start your order with a cheery “Good Morning!” I believe that regardless of who is behind the counter, your coffee will be served with a smile and your day will be a positive one.
Tommy Koh is a sophomore psychology and political science double major from Singapore.
