A bit of courtesy goes a long way
– Random Writings: Column by Rebecca Lindquist –
A few weeks ago, I traveled to Hayward, to spend the day with family. The plan was to meet at the Stone Lake Wesleyan Church, where my brother, Tim, is the pastor.
My sister-in-law, Marilyn, was shocked I was the first of our family to arrive. (I have good intentions, but always tend to arrive at the last possible second… for EVERYTHING.) My sister, Bethie, and cousin, Randa, rounded out our group.
After church, we visited and took the customary photos, always taken when we all get together, before Randa, Bethie and I headed to a coffee house, to meet up with Randa’s husband, Ed, who had dropped Randa off at the beginning of the weekend, before continuing on to his son’s, in Minnesota. Our rendezvous spot was The Whistle Punk Craft Beer & Coffee Bar, in Stone Lake.
Whistle punk is an obsolete term from the early days of North American logging, where a green horn (beginner) or an old-timer operated a steam donkey, which was the term used for a steam-powered winch, used for loading or unloading cargo. The coffee house was a very cozy place, with great ambiance. That being said, the one drawback was the personnel. When we walked in the door, we were greeted with dour stares.
One individual was residing behind the counter, insolently slouched against the wall; one person was sullenly standing with her arms folded defiantly in front of her, staring balefully at us; and the third one, making up the trio, was casually draped over the bar and turned to give us a bored, disinterested glance.
There was a group of motorcycle riders, who occupied the overstuffed chairs and sofa, arranged around a coffee table, in the casual lounge area, while others were sitting at high tables. A young couple with a toddler was seated outside in a picturesque café area, which sported a bench, along with several tables, ensconced in a fenced courtyard under a charming trellis sunroof.
We decided to just order drinks, since we were meeting Tim and Mar later, for lunch. Bethie, Randa and Ed went up to the bar to procure beverages. Randa chose an iced tea specialty blend, Ed ordered coffee and Bethie asked for water with lemon slices. The bartender told her they didn’t have lemons.
Next, she asked for a Diet Coke and was told they didn’t have Diet Coke, so she asked for two glasses of ice water. Yep, you guessed it…she was told they didn’t have ice. What eating establishment doesn’t have ice? To be perfectly blunt, the bartender totally lied. Randa’s ICED tea clearly had ice in it. Bethie and I settled for two glasses of tepid tap water, reluctantly served by a belligerent individual with a surly attitude.
We laughed all day over that. I’m willing to give them the benefit of the doubt. It’s not easy dealing with customers every day, and, perhaps, they were just having a bad day, plus it’s nearing the end of their busy season. This quaint little establishment has much to offer: hoodies, t-shirts, travel mugs, glassware, coffee mugs, hats (all emblazoned with the logo) and more.
They have homemade bakery goods to enjoy with their specialty drinks, as well as a light luncheon menu. Children’s apparel, candy and gift cards round out the items available for purchase.
Apparently, they aren’t familiar with the proverb you can catch more flies with honey than vinegar. If they would just put a little effort into their public relations skills, customers would spread the word, making the venture a veritable gold mine, and the business could really be booming and become even more successful.
We all met at Coop’s Pizza Parloure for a late lunch. Talk about different as night and day from the previous eatery. The ambiance was equally pleasing, offering a charming outside seating area, heavenly smells as you walk in the door and even trumps the coffee bar, by featuring a large aquarium filled with live fish.
As we walked in, the hostess greeted us pleasantly, bidding us to sit anywhere we like. Our server welcomed everyone who came in, whether she knew them personally or not, greeting many by name. She promptly came to take our order and continually checked to see if there was anything she could get us, asking if we needed drink refills or cared for dessert.
What a nice, refreshing change. It restored my faith in humanity. Plus, I finally got my lemon water…with ICE.
