You order premium coffee beans, expecting a rich, aromatic brew. But what you get is a bag filled with more chaff than beans, and a taste that’s anything but delightful. That was my recent experience with Redber’s Guatemala Antigua, a bitter, woody concoction that left me questioning the quality of their roasting process.
I had high hopes for this direct purchase, having encountered stale coffee from other sellers on Amazon. I even emailed Redber ahead of time to ensure freshness. But what arrived was a bag full of beans mixed with an excessive amount of chaff. The coffee tasted extremely bitter, woody, and papery—completely undrinkable.
When I contacted their customer service with photos of the chaff-filled grounds, their response was unexpected and condescending. Instead of addressing the quality issue, they lectured me about the differences between them and Amazon, completely missing the point of my previous email. They admitted the defect: In writing, they acknowledged that the chaff adds a “papery or woody flavour” to the coffee.
The Insult: But their solution was downright insulting. Instead of offering a replacement or an apology, they advised me to “sift or shake the grounds” myself to remove the chaff! I paid for roasted coffee beans, not a DIY kit. Telling a customer to manually sift 1kg of coffee at home to get rid of your production mess is unprofessional, to say the least.
Customer service matters: A condescending response only worsens an already frustrating situation.
1. Quality control is crucial: Roasters should ensure their products meet high standards before shipping them out. 2. Customer service matters: A condescending response only worsens an already frustrating situation. 3. Don’t shift the blame: It’s the roaster’s responsibility to deliver a quality product, not the customer’s to fix production errors.
Have you ever experienced such an unprofessional interaction with a coffee supplier? Share your stories in the comments below and let’s discuss the importance of good customer service in the specialty coffee industry.
Questions & Answers
What does SIFT mean in a coffee shop context?
SIFT is an acronym used by some coffee shops, meaning Sort, Inspect, Feel, and Taste. It refers to the customer being expected to prepare their own coffee due to poor quality or inconsistent roasts.
Why do customers find it frustrating when they are asked to SIFT their own coffee?
Customers find it frustrating because they expect a professional service and believe that the coffee shop should ensure the quality of their coffee, not ask customers to perform roasting-related tasks.
Information sourced from industry reports and news outlets.
